This lean and green Turkey Rice Soup is light and brothy and brimming with flavor. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey makes this especially quick and easy to make!
Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny, for what could more aptly fit your needs?
Marcus Aurelius
This Turkey Wild Rice Soup recipe is light and healthy to make with your Thanksgiving leftovers. I love the clean, simple flavors- it just feels so nourishing after a day of heavy feasting! And yes, I love a good feast. 🙂
This year, we are spending Thanksgiving with my ex, his lovely wife and a group of our good friends. I feel grateful for the open hearts (and minds) in all parties involved that have made this possible. Life is truly surprising! I could have never whipped this up back in my 30-year-old imagination.
You can make homemade turkey stock using your leftover turkey carcass or simply use chicken stock for a quick 30-minute meal. For vegetables, I’ve kept it simple with celery, carrots and lacinato kale- items you most likely have in your fridge.
TurkEy rice Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Cooked turkey breast: A great opportunity for using up leftover turkey meat!
- Turkey stock: Or use chicken stock or chicken broth. You can easily make turkey bone broth using your leftover turkey carcass.
- Long-grain rice: Use uncooked rice. I love a wild rice blend, but long grain white rice or brown rice work too.
- Onion and garlic cloves: For aromatic flavor.
- Carrots and celery: For savory depth.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary, sage, thyme, or a combo.
- Lacinato kale: Adds a fresh, rich, nutty taste.
- Salt and black pepper: To enhance overall flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Or sub lemon juice for acidity.
- Cayenne: Just a pinch to bring out the favors and add warmth.
- Garnish: A drizzle of olive oil and fresh parsley.
💫 Easy Turkey Stock
- Place the carcass of the turkey in a large stock pot along with the neck and giblets (if available) and any extra bones.
- Nestle in 2 chopped carrots, 3 chopped celery ribs, one fat onion (quartered) 6-8 smashed garlic cloves, and a generous handful of any extra herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley). A quartered apple is nice here too, optional
- Bring to a boil, uncovered, reduce to a simmer, and simmer gently for 2-4 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the bird covered. Skim any foam or scum off the top.
- Strain, season with salt and pepper if you like. Freeze extras for up to 6 months.
How to Make Turkey Rice Soup
1. Sauté aromatics. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-hight heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant and softened.
2. Add veggies. Reduce heat to medium, then add carrots, celery, and herbs, cooking 3-4 minutes.
3. Add rice and turkey. Add the rice and sauté 1 minute, then add the turkey, stock, salt, and pepper.
4. Simmer. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low heat to maintain a simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes. Depending on the type of rice, cook times may vary.
5. Stir in kale. Once the rice is tender, add the chopped kale and simmer 2-3 minutes until wilted.
6. Taste. Stir in a tiny splash of vinegar ( or lemon) and a pinch of cayenne if desired. Adjust salt and pepper. If the soup lacks depth, a splash of soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos will do the trick!
7. Serve. Divide among bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and fresh Italian parsley.
Chef’s Tips
- Make your own turkey stock. Homemade turkey stock comes together quickly when you have a leftover turkey carcass! See recipe notes!
- To enhance depth, add a splash of soy sauce or liquid aminos to taste.
- Don’t skip the cayenne! The cayenne infuses the soup with warmth!
Storage
Leftover turkey rice soup will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or freeze in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
Serving Suggestions
This cozy Turkey Rice Soup Recipe will go so well with any of your other Thanksgiving leftovers! We especially love this soup with a side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, crunchy Sourdough Bread, or Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins.
Or use your leftover mashed potatoes to make these Crispy Mashed Potato Cakes!
FAQs
No need! Simply add the rice to the pot and it will cook in the broth while the soup comes together. Times will vary depending on type of rice!
This could be to a lack of salt or seasoning. Make sure your broth is seasoned with salt, whether you make it from scratch or use store-bought. And taste and adjust for salt as you go. If the soup lacks depth, a splash of soy sauce adds umami flavor, and a splash of vinegar adds tang!
Use long grain rice! I love wild rice because of its ability to maintain texture and density. It also has a rich, nutty flavor!
Hope you enjoy this recipe for leftover turkey soup as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below!
xoxo
More Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Turkey Rice Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This turkey rice soup recipe is made from leftover Thanksgiving turkey, lacinato kale, and wild rice. Light and brothy and brimming with flavor. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey makes this especially quick and easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- one onion, diced
- 4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 1 1/2 cups celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs – rosemary, sage, thyme or a combo.
- 1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked (I used a wild rice blend) long grain white rice, brown rice, all work too.
- 2 cups cooked turkey breast, diced
- 6 cups turkey stock, chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1–2 cups lacinato kale, chopped
- 1/2 –1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or sub lemon juice)
- pinch cayenne
- Garnish: olive oil, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until fragrant and softened.
- Lower heat to medium, add carrots, celery, and herbs, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add rice, saute for 1 minute. Add the turkey, stock, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat, and gently simmer on medium-low heat until the rice is just tender, 15-ish minutes- check at 10 mins! Depending on the type of rice you are suing, cooking times may vary.
- Stir in the chopped kale, and simmer 2-3 minutes until wilted. Add the vinegar and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of cayenne if you like. If your soup lacks depth, a tiny splash of soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos can help.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil , red pepper flakes, and fresh Italian parsley.
Notes
Storage: Soup will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or freeze in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Easy Turkey Stock: Place the carcass of the turkey in a large stock pot along with the neck and giblets (if available) and any extra bones. Nestle in 2-3 chopped carrots, 2-3 chopped celery ribs, one fat onion ( rough chopped), 6-8 garlic cloves, and a handful of any extra herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley). An apple is nice here too. Bring to a boil, uncovered, reduce to a simmer, and simmer gently for 2-4 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the bird covered. Skim any foam or scum off the top. Strain and season with salt and pepper if you like. Freeze extras for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 254
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 631.9 mg
- Fat: 6.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 17.2 g
- Cholesterol: 29.8 mg
I made this with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Froze half of it as we were going out of town. It was just as good when I thawed it several days later. Will make it again!
Good to hear Peggy!
Excellent recipe! Such a wonderful way to eat our left over turkey. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed Alisa!
As always, delicious recipe.
Next time chard instead of kale.
Thanks Michone, glad you enjoyed!
Great recipe to use up the leftover turkey. This is exactly what I was looking for. After all the holiday eating this is what my gut needed. Healthy and comforting. Added diced sweet potatoes instead of kale based on what I had on hand. Thank you!!!
Perfect Michell! Glad you enjoyed.