Transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a comforting bowl of turkey and wild rice soup! This hearty soup is packed with vegetables, tender turkey, flavorful broth, and the nutty chew of wild rice. Best of all, it comes together in about 30 minutes since the main ingredients are already prepared. Top it off with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of salty Parmesan cheese, and serve with crunchy garlic toast for a cozy, satisfying meal.
After Thanksgiving I look forward to making this turkey and wild rice soup each year. But it's too good to make only after Thanksgiving, so make it with leftover chicken for a chicken and wild rice soup or whenever you make turkey.
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Leftover turkey soup can also be made with chicken.
- Comes together in about 30 minutes.
- Hearty and flavor-filled.
- A great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
For another easy soup try this chicken rice soup made in an Instant Pot.
Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey: Use leftover roast turkey, both dark meat and turkey breast for best flavor. Out of turkey? Use rotisserie or roast chicken.
- Rice: Wild rice gives this soup a hearty texture and nutty, chewy texture.
- Broth: I use homemade turkey broth which I make ahead and freeze, but chicken broth works too. Look in the freezer section of your grocery store for frozen turkey broth options. Another option, homemade turkey stock made from the turkey carcass.
- Onion: Yellow, onion brown or white onion.
- Leek: Use the light green part only, not the dark green tops which are tough.
- Carrot: For sweetness and more vegetables.
- Celery: Just a few ribs complete the flavorful, aromatic base for most soup recipes.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley, fresh thyme, and bay leaves.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt and pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of wild rice, use a brown and wild rice blend, brown rice, or white rice.
- Swap dried herbs for fresh, using ⅓ to ½ as much, try an Italian seasoning blend.
- Add a little chopped fresh fennel with the vegetables.
- For a creamy turkey wild rice soup, use less broth and add heavy cream.
- Add a little soy sauce or gluten-free tamari for an umami flavor boost to deepen flavor (use instead of salt). Start with 2 teaspoons.
- To brighten the flavor squeeze in a little lemon juice.
For another hearty soup made with leftover chicken or turkey, make this Mexican chicken tortilla soup.
Chef' tip on wild rice: Should I use cooked wild rice or uncooked wild rice? I recommend using cooked rice. Cook it ahead of time and refrigerate it or freeze it until you make the soup. If you add uncooked wild rice to the soup, it absorbs a lot of broth and might get mushy. I cook mine ahead so it's perfect.
Recipe Instructions
To cook turkey and wild rice soup, use a large dutch oven or other large soup pot.
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Chef's tip: Is it stock or broth? While the terms are used interchangeably, technically any stock (like chicken stock) is made with bones only while broth is made with meaty pieces. Bones give stock or broth a gelatinous quality (it's jiggly) and the meat, rich flavor and more nutrition.
Serving and Storage
Turkey and wild rice soup is a meal in a bowl. I serve it with crisp browned garlic toast or crusty bread. To make it a bigger meal, add a tossed green salad with simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Leftover turkey and wild rice soup keeps for 3–4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
For best results, cook the wild rice first. You can even cook it a few days ahead and freeze it for when you need it. Wild rice can be added raw, but pre-cooking it separately ensures it doesn’t absorb too much liquid from the soup.
You can, but the rice can get mushy after thawing. The best way is to cook the soup entirely, not add the wild rice, and add cooked wild rice after thawing and before freezing. You can cook and freeze the rice separately.
You can use frozen cooked turkey, but thaw before adding to the soup.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
For more terrific soups from smooth and creamy to hearty, check out the soups recipe page. The chicken noodle soup link below is a reader favorite.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make turkey and wild rice soup, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup chopped onion half a large onion
- 1 medium leek, chopped use white and light green parts only
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 3 medium carrots chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped fine
- 2 cups chopped leftover turkey or chicken, about 11 ounces
- 1 ½ cups cooked wild rice or wild rice blend or brown rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves ½ teaspoon dried
- 4 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
- 1-2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
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Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot, 4-5 quarts, over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 7 minutes until soft, stirring. Turn down the heat if needed, you don't want the vegetables to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Stir in the turkey, then the herbs, wild rice. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes for flavors to blend and soup to heat through. Season with salt and pepper and soup is ready to serve.Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan if desired.
Porsche Guy says
just finished a bowl and a batch. Need to make more but we're out of turkey now so thanks for the tip on using leftover chicken. The wild rice adds such great texture.