This Turkey Wild Rice Soup is the best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers. An easy soup recipe packed with protein and vegetables!
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I know we’ve all been there, eating a leftover turkey sandwich for the 3rd day in a row and beginning to get tired of eating the same thing.
With this Turkey Wild Rice Soup, you will actually look forward to those turkey leftovers this Thanksgiving! This recipe has great flavor and is a such a good fall recipe to enjoy.
It’s the ultimate veggie packed, cozy leftover turkey soup!
If you need other ideas for your leftover turkey, try our Leftover Turkey Soup, Turkey Pot Pie Soup, or our Leftover Turkey Chili, and don’t forget to save your bones and scraps for the most flavorful Turkey Broth you will ever have!
Why we love Turkey and Wild Rice Soup:
There is a lot to love about this soup recipe. It’s one of our favorite healthy dinners because it’s:
- Cozy & Comforting – Leftover turkey, big pieces of carrots, lots of rice, veggies, and delicious broth! This soup is the perfect comfort food.
- Loaded with veggies – We always love sneaking veggies in soup to make them extra nutritious (like this Paleo Chicken Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, or Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup)
- Quick and Easy to Make – This soup only requires one pot for all the ingredients. It couldn’t be easier!
- Full of flavor – I use a few spice cabinet staples in this recipe which helps amp up the flavor without adding extra calories.
Recipe Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil – for sautéing vegetables.
- garlic, onion – yellow or white onions work well
- celery, carrots, mushrooms (button mushrooms aka white mushrooms)
- dried parsley, dried sage, dried rosemary, black pepper (you can use fresh herbs if you like)
- cooked turkey – leftover cooked turkey, we like to cut this into cubes
- wild rice blend or brown rice – you can also use white rice
- chicken broth – any other stock/broth works well
- whole milk – this gives the soup some great creaminess, you can make dairy free by using oat milk or unsweetened coconut milk
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Veggies– Feel free to add more veggies! The more veggies the more nutrients. You can add chopped zucchini, kale, crushed tomatoes, or spinach to this recipe too!
Can I substitute white rice for wild rice in soup? Yes, you can substitute white rice in this recipe. The rice may take a little less time to cook, but it will be just as delicious!
Broth: Any broth or stock (broth and stock are the same) can be used in any soup recipe. Turkey Broth, Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no-salt broth.
Vegetarian: You could substitute beans for turkey in this recipe and it would be delicious. You’d also need to sub for vegetable broth.
To Make it Lower Carb:Â You can substitute wild rice for cauliflower rice.
Chicken: Check out this Chicken Wild Rice Soup!
Noodles: If you prefer noodles over rice, try our Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup.
Other Spices: This Peruvian Turkey Soup is a delicious variation of turkey soup!
How to make Turkey Soup
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cook the olive oil, garlic, and onions for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, black pepper, and dried herbs and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer over medium low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Make sure to stir every 3-5 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!
Pro Tip: To avoid soggy rice, instead of cooking the rice in the soup, cut the broth down by 1 cup. Add cooked rice to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the rice. This prevents the rice from absorbing broth and turning mushy.
Recipe FAQ’s
This recipe has 22g of carbs per serving.
Yes, you can! Uncooked rice is great in soup because it soaks up the juices and broth. This makes your soup so flavorful!
Yes! Always make sure to rinse your rice in cold water before you use it.
Yes! You can make this leftover turkey soup ahead of time and reheat when ready to enjoy!
The rice should be chewy, not crunchy, with some grains burst open.
If you overcook rice, it becomes mushy.
Yes, wild rice is lower in calories and higher in nutrients than white rice.
Serving Instructions
This leftover turkey soup is great served on its own or with warm bread. If you are interested in some other options, try adding green beans, peas, and more vegetables!
Storage Options
How long will this last in the fridge? : This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container
Can you freeze soup with rice in it? : You can freeze this recipe for up to 6 months. This soup freezes really well and it’s perfect for freezing when you’re sick of leftover thanksgiving turkey!
We like these containers for freezing.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove.
More soup recipes you NEED to try:
Looking for other healthy soups? Check out these Healthy Soup Recipes! Click here to grab our free healthy 30-minute dinner cookbook.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 cloves
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrot sliced in small circles
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoons dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups cooked turkey cubed
- 1/2 cup wild or brown rice
- 5 cups chicken broth- low or no salt
- 1 cup whole milk or unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions
- Take out a large soup pot and preheat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, pepper and dried herbs. Cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Stir often, serve hot and enjoy!!
Miranda Ann Buchanan says
Very flavorful soup. This soup is my favorite hands down. I was a bit hesitant regarding the coconut milk. I have never made soup with coconut milk. This makes the soup creamy and not overwhelming in flavor. I will share with my extended family and friends. Thank you.
Amy says
Excellent with white and dark turkey! Left out the mushrooms and used 4.5 cups rather than 5 and a full cup of rice. Also, only had rubbed sage and crushed rosemary for the spices! This was delicious!