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This creamy turkey soup recipe with rice is a great way to use rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. It’s hearty, satisfying, and deliciously healthy comfort food.
Soups of all kinds are my jam. Creamy, brothy, stew-like, tomato-based; they’re all welcome here. I can’t think of a better way to easily pack more nutrition and flavor into a single meal!
I’ve been making variations of this beauty for years, swapping out the type of rice and veggies for whatever I have on hand.
This is the perfect post-Thanksgiving dish when you have a ton of leftover turkey in your fridge or freezer. But don’t wait until then to make it! You can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken too.
This rich and creamy turkey soup recipe with wild rice is nutrient-dense and packed with flavor. It’s easy to make and a hit with kids and adults!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or a rotisserie chicken, turkey soup with rice is a great way to reinvent it. The flavor profile is so different, you’d never guess you’re eating leftovers!
- You probably already have a lot of these ingredients in your fridge and pantry.
- Turkey wild rice soup is pretty forgiving. I list several variations and substitutions to make it work for you.
- This turkey soup recipe is naturally gluten free! Rice acts as a natural thickener to give the broth some body. And of course heavy cream adds richness as well.
The Best Creamy Turkey Soup Recipe with Wild Rice
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – this is the fat we use to sauté the onion to give it rich flavor; you can use olive oil instead if you prefer
- Onion – it’s the savory base flavor for our soup; regular yellow cooking onion works well
- Dry white wine – such as Sauvignon Blanc; this is to deglaze the pan, which means we scrape up all the brown bits (that add depth of flavor) from the bottom of the pan after cooking the onion. Or you can use 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Carrot and celery – classic soup vegetables
- Wild rice, brown rice, and jasmine rice – if you prefer, you can use a wild rice blend instead
- Garlic – this creates lovely depth and complexity; I’ve made this soup without garlic and it tasted like something was missing!
- Salt and black pepper – to season our soup
- Bay leaf – don’t run to the store if you don’t have these on hand; your soup will be fine without it
- Chicken stock or turkey stock – Or you can use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base if you don’t have stock on hand
- Cooked chopped turkey or chicken – either will work perfectly here
- Heavy whipping cream – this adds rich, creamy texture; feel free to use half and half instead to cut some of the calories and fat
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage – this brightens and enhances the soup’s flavor
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Sweat the Onion and Deglaze the Pan:
Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the wine, turn the heat up to high, and cook until it’s mostly evaporated off, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom.
Step 2: Add the Other Ingredients and Simmer:
Add the carrot, celery, wild rice, brown rice, garlic, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring up to a boil, cover the pot, turn the heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the jasmine rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Finishing Touches:
Stir in the turkey, cream, and herbs, and cook until warm, about 1 minute.
How to Store and Reheat Turkey Soup
Store leftover creamy turkey wild rice soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
When you reheat leftovers, you will likely need to add more liquid to this soup. I like to use chicken stock, but water is also fine. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Variations on This Creamy Turkey Soup Recipe
- Instead of deglazing with dry white wine, you can use 1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- If you have a wild rice blend, you can use 1 1/2 cups of that instead of wild rice, brown rice, and jasmine rice.
- Leftover turkey or chicken both work well here.
- If you don’t have turkey stock or chicken stock on hand, you can use water instead. I like to keep Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base in my pantry for just such occasions (and you can find it on Amazon).
- Instead of heavy whipping cream, you can use half and half to cut some of the calories.
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage really brighten the flavor of this soup, but in the recipe below I give instructions on how much of each dried herb to use if you don’t have fresh on hand.
More Delicious Meals to Make with Leftover Turkey or Chicken
- Turkey, Mushroom, and Brie Puff Pastries
- Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Leftover Turkey Hash with Vegetables
Let’s Connect
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Creamy Turkey Soup Recipe with Rice
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 small-medium onions diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 large ribs celery sliced
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 5 large cloves garlic crushed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups chicken stock or turkey stock
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice or medium to long-grain white rice
- 4 cups cooked chopped turkey or rotisserie chicken (white meat or dark meat is fine)
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Instructions
- Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, turn the heat up to high, and cook until it’s mostly evaporated off, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom.
- Add the carrot, celery, wild rice, brown rice, garlic, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring up to a boil, cover the pot, turn the heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the jasmine rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the turkey, cream, and herbs, and cook until warm, about 1 minute.
- Serve.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
- This Soup Thickens as it Cools: When you reheat leftovers, you will likely need to add more liquid. I like to use chicken stock, but water is also fine. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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