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Ready in under an hour, this creamy turkey rice soup is an ideal dish for using up leftover turkey or chicken.
We often talk about chicken soup, but what about turkey soup?
Leftover turkey is a great stand-in for any soup recipe that normally calls for chicken, and this turkey rice soup is just one example. I love it because it’s so easy to make but full of all the flavor I look for in a classic fall soup.
Plus, even though my kids are older now, soup is still one of the most-assured ways of getting them to eat some veggies! (And getting a boost for my own diet.)
If you love chicken noodle soup, give this turkey rice soup a try with your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!
Ingredients for turkey rice soup
Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.
You’ll need:
- Veggies: onion, carrots, celery, garlic
- Turkey stock – If you didn’t make your own turkey stock with the Thanksgiving turkey carcass, you can also use chicken broth.
- Parsley and thyme
- White rice – I prefer to use basmati in this soup, as it cooks up nicely and doesn’t break down in the soup.
- Cooked turkey – You can dice or shred your turkey, depending on how you like it in soup. Use a mix of dark and light meat, if you can!
- Milk – This recipe calls for milk to make the soup creamy. You can always leave it out if you prefer a regular brothy soup or need to avoid dairy. Add more broth in its place if needed.
A note on rice: The kind you use will determine the total cooking time for this soup. Brown rice will take longer to cook, and wild rice will need even more time. You can always cook the rice ahead of time before adding to the soup, but be sure to reduce the simmer time so the rice does not turn to mush in the soup.
Feel free to change up the seasonings in this recipe. When I feel a cold coming on, I love to load it up with grated ginger and a hit of cayenne!
How to make this recipe
Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery.
Stir and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook another 60 seconds, until fragrant.
Stir in a little of the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck bits, then pour in the rest of the stock, parsley, and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the rice. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Add the turkey, milk, salt, and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes to heat through.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired, and serve.
Storage and reheating
Leftover turkey rice soup should be stored in airtight containers, stored in the fridge, and used within 3 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze this soup. I like to use Souper Cubes, which portions the soup and makes thawing easy, but you can also use deli containers or any other freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave some empty space at the top of the container to allow for expansion as the soup freezes.
Note that leftover soup might thicken as the rice absorbs more of the liquid. You can simply add more broth to thin if out, if desired.
Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. You can also transfer frozen blocks directly to a pot and heat over medium-low to thaw.
Soup is best reheated on the stove, over medium or medium-low heat. The microwave will also work for thawed soup, but I don’t recommend heating frozen soup in the microwave.
This turkey rice soup recipe is a great way to use up the last of your Thanksgiving leftovers!
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Turkey Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 6 cups turkey stock, low-sodium chicken broth can be substituted
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3/4 cup white rice, uncooked, basmati recommended
- 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded or diced
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and slightly browning.
- Add garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in stock, parsley, and thyme, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the rice, cover again, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.
- Stir in turkey, milk, salt and pepper, and cooked, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Top with fresh parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, Iโm here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.ย Read moreโฆ
