Tired of the same old turkey leftovers and need a change? I have just the thing for you, Creamy Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup! This recipe is a great way to transform leftover Thanksgiving turkey into a hearty and satisfying meal.
After all of the decadence of Thanksgiving, this easy turkey soup recipe is a great change of pace. Pure comfort food, it’s thick, creamy, loaded with veggies, and the wild rice gives it a rich nutty flavor that you can’t get with regular rice or even a wild rice blend.
Turkey leftovers on Thanksgiving are one of those undeniable parts of life that you can always count on, and this Creamy Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is a perfect recipe to put all of that leftover turkey to good use! And, it’s the most delicious, hearty, thick-and-creamy, comforting soup you could ask for.
How to make Creamy Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Add 4 cups of water, butter, and ½ teaspoon of salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 55 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain and set aside.
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until it’s crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. Chop and set aside.
Reserve bacon drippings in the Dutch oven and add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Add ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, chicken stock, and turkey. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Add rice, bacon, and cream. Increase heat to medium and cook 15 minutes or until the soup has slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat, add parsley and serve.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- You can substitute chicken for turkey.
- This soup freezes well. Before heating, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- This recipe calls for wild rice, not a wild rice blend. Despite the name, wild rice is actually not rice but is considered a grain. If you looking for more recipes with wild rice, you might want to check out my Wild Rice Chicken Salad.
- Leftover cooked turkey will keep for three to four days or two to three months in the freezer if stored in an airtight container.
Related recipes:
Check out these popular recipes on my blog that includes leftover turkey as an ingredient:
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Chili
- Easy Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini
- Easy Leftover Turkey Egg Rolls
- Easy Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
If you need more ideas, check out my roundup post 27 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes and Menu ideas.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Creamy Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 4 bacon slices
- 1 cup onion chopped, about ½ medium-size onion
- 3 celery ribs chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves large
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked turkey chopped, may substitute chicken
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add four cups of water, butter, and ½ teaspoon of salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 55 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat for seven to eight minutes or until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Chop and set aside.
- Reserve the bacon drippings in the Dutch oven and add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for four to five minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, sauté for one minute, or until fragrant.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, chicken broth, and turkey. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
- Add rice, bacon, and cream. Increase heat to medium and cook 15 minutes or until the soup has slightly thickened.
- Remove from the heat, add parsley, and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken for turkey.
- This soup freezes well. Before heating, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- This recipe calls for wild rice, not a wild rice blend. Despite the name, wild rice is actually not rice but is considered a grain.
- Leftover cooked turkey will keep for three to four days, or two to three months in the freezer if stored in an airtight container.
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