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This warming leftover turkey and wild rice soup is the perfect way to use up holiday leftovers! I always make it with whatever is left of my oven-roasted turkey breast or air fryer turkey breast recipes. Not only is it incredibly flavorful, but it’s a nourishing veggie-packed heart-healthy option. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal, too!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
- Recipe Variations & Modifications
- How to Make Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Cooking Tip
- How to Serve Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Nourishing Soups to Enjoy…
- Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
As much as I love making hearty turkey sandwiches with leftover turkey, this comforting soup is starting to become my go-to. It gives you such a nice light and wholesome meal which is so welcomed after stuffing yourself full of turkey and all of those other amazing fixin’s. It’s great for kicking a cold too, given that it’s dairy-free.
If you love turkey, please check out my collection of ground turkey recipes for dinner. You’ll find some keepers there, like my popular turkey burger recipe and these deliciously saucy ground turkey meatballs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Use up your leftovers—If you’re like me, you hate waste. So having a recipe to use up leftover turkey is awesome.
- It’s healthy—Wild rice is nutrient-dense and has a ton of health benefits. That plus the fact that we’ve got a nice lean protein and a ton of veggies makes this soup incredibly healthful.
Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lemon—I love adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end to brighten up the flavors!
- Turkey broth—I always expect turkey broth to taste just like chicken broth, but honestly, it hits different. It’s more robust than chicken broth, but not as deep and rich a beef broth.
- Poultry seasoning—This blend keeps things true by bringing the essence of a holiday dinner to your soup bowl.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Rice—Instead of wild rice, you could use black rice (forbidden rice) which is also a nutritional powerhouse! Quinoa also works. Grains are a great change from noodles in your usual chicken soup.
- Broth—If you can’t find turkey broth, chicken or vegetable broth will do. You could also use your own Instant Pot Chicken Stock.
- Vegetables—Feel free to swap out or add in other veggies you love! Mushrooms work wonderfully, as does chopped zucchini, squash, and chopped broccoli.
- Seasoning—Don’t have poultry seasoning? Use 1/2 tsp of ground sage and 1/2 tsp dried thyme instead.
How to Make Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Step 1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot over on the stove. Add the wild rice and toast it, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
Step 2. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Stir well to evenly distribute the seasoning. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic. Simmer for a minute.
Step 3. Add the turkey stock to the pot and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes on low heat (avoid high-heat, you don’t want a boil), or until the wild rice is fully cooked. It should be tender and chewy.
Step 4. About halfway through the 20 to 25-minute simmer, stir in the spinach.
Step 5. Once the turkey has wilted down into the soup, reduce the heat to low and stir in the turkey. It’s already cooked, so you only want to leave it in over the low heat long enough for it to heat through.
Step 6. Transfer to bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and chili flakes if you like it a little spicy.
Cooking Tip
If you keep and freeze your parmesan rinds for soups and sauces, this is a great recipe to use it in. Just pop it in when you add the broth and let it simmer, then remove it before serving!
How to Serve Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
I love to accompany a good bowl of soup with a hunk of my homemade Dutch oven bread. It’s also great with a simple egg salad sandwich or a nice tuna sandwich. As for a salad, I love greens tossed in my homemade Caesar dressing.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, transfer soup to freezer-friendly storage containers and place into the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To reheat, transfer the soup to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in increments of 45 seconds until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using the right amount of salt, spices, and aromatics matters. Salt will bring out the flavors, so if you taste your soup and find it bland, try adding a few pinches of salt. Using flavor enhancing vegetables also matters, like carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.
Both are fine to use in this soup. Stock is more robust and has a richer flavor while broth is on the lighter side, so that’s something to keep in mind.
More Nourishing Soups to Enjoy…
If you try this leftover turkey and wild rice soup, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 6 cups turkey stock , chicken stock or vegetable broth also works.
- 1 handful of baby spinach, ribboned (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cups cooked cubed or shredded turkey
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the wild rice and toast it, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Stir well to evenly distribute the seasoning. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Simmer for a minute.
- Add the turkey stock to the pot and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the wild rice is fully cooked. (It should be tender and chewy.)
- About halfway through the 20 to 25-minute simmer, stir in the spinach.
- Once the turkey has wilted down into the soup, reduce the heat to low and stir in the turkey. It’s already cooked, so you only want to leave it in over the low heat long enough for it to heat through.
- Transfer to bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and chili flakes if you like a little heat.
