Turkey Wild Rice Soup is a cozy way to use up cooked turkey: onion, carrots and celery sautéed in butter and olive oil, a little flour and Italian seasoning, chicken broth and wild rice simmered until tender, then cooked turkey and sliced cremini mushrooms stirred in, with an optional splash of cream at the end. It takes about 15 minutes of prep and 40 minutes on the stove, and serves 6.
How to make it: Sauté the vegetables, stir in the garlic, seasoning and flour, then whisk in the broth and add the wild rice. Boil gently for 15 minutes, add the turkey and mushrooms, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes more until the rice is tender and the soup reaches 165°F. Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses leftover turkey: 2 cups or more, shredded or chopped.
- One pot: the vegetables, rice and turkey all cook together.
- Creamy or not: the cream is optional; the flour already gives the broth some body.
- Serves 6: a good pot for a weekend lunch or a light dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Onion, carrots and celery: 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots and 3 stalks of celery, chopped. The carrots and celery only need a rough chop.
Olive oil and butter: 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter for sautéing.
Garlic and Italian seasoning: 3 cloves of garlic, minced, and 1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, or more to taste.
Flour: 3 heaping tablespoons of all-purpose flour, cooked with the vegetables before the broth goes in.
Chicken broth: 6 cups. Turkey stock works too.
Wild rice: 1 cup, uncooked.
Cooked turkey: 2 cups or more, shredded or cut up. Any cut works; leg and thigh meat is nice, but breast is fine.
Cremini mushrooms: 7 ounces, sliced.
Heavy cream: 1/2 cup, optional.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or more to taste
- 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
- 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or cut up (or more)
- 7 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
How to Make Turkey Wild Rice Soup
1. Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, carrots and celery; the carrots and celery only need a rough chop. Shred or cut up the cooked turkey and slice the mushrooms.
2. Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the garlic and flour. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the broth and rice. Whisk in the chicken broth until the flour is dissolved, then stir in the wild rice.
5. Boil the rice. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it is just boiling, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so the soup boils gently for 15 minutes.
6. Add the turkey and mushrooms. Stir in the turkey and mushrooms. Turn the heat up until the soup just comes to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the rice is tender. Wild rice keeps a little chew. Check that the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Add the cream and season. Stir in the cream if using it. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Timing Is Everything: Rice, Turkey, Cream
The three main ingredients go in at different times:
- Wild rice first. It takes the longest, so it goes in with the broth and boils gently for 15 minutes before anything else is added. Even when it’s done, it keeps a little chew.
- Turkey later. The turkey is already cooked, so it only needs to heat through with the mushrooms for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cream last. Stir it in at the end, then season.
- Salt at the end. Taste once everything is in. Wild rice soup usually needs a good amount of salt, so don’t be shy.
- Too thick? Add a splash more broth.
What Seasoning Goes in Wild Rice Soup?
Keep it simple. This recipe uses Italian seasoning; thyme is the other classic choice, about 1 teaspoon dried. A bay leaf or two in the broth and fresh parsley on top also work well. For an extra savory boost, add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce or 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with the broth.
Variations
- No cream: skip it for a broth-based soup.
- More turkey: use up to 3 cups.
- Chicken: shredded or rotisserie chicken works in place of turkey.
- Wild rice blend: use a blend and cook it according to the package directions.
- No leftover turkey: dice 1 pound of turkey tenderloin or breast, brown it in olive oil, set it aside, and add it back to finish cooking in the soup, until it reaches 165°F.
- Richer: use turkey stock and up to 1 cup of heavy cream.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide the soup into shallow covered containers so it cools quickly, and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Cream can separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan.
Reheating: Reheat covered until the soup comes to a rolling boil (165°F). Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
Leftover turkey: Refrigerate cooked turkey within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for later soup.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with crusty bread or warm butter biscuits. It’s also a good way to use the leftovers from a slow cooker turkey breast, or serve a cup with Thanksgiving sliders. For more cozy soups, try slow cooker lemon chicken and rice soup, creamy chicken noodle soup or baked potato soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in turkey and wild rice soup?
Onion, carrots, celery, garlic, butter and olive oil, flour, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, wild rice, cooked turkey, cremini mushrooms, salt and pepper, and optional heavy cream.
What is the secret ingredient in turkey soup?
There isn’t one, but a teaspoon of fish sauce or a tablespoon of soy sauce stirred into the broth adds a savory boost. Season well with salt at the end.
What seasoning is in wild rice soup?
Italian seasoning or thyme, often with a bay leaf, and fresh parsley to finish.
What are common mistakes with creamy wild rice soup?
Adding the cooked turkey too early, adding the cream before the rice is tender, and not tasting for salt at the end.
Final Notes
Keep a bag of leftover turkey in the freezer after the holidays and this soup is always within reach. If you try it with chicken, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped; rough chopping is fine
- 3 stalks celery chopped; rough chopping is fine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or more to taste
- 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 2 cups cooked turkey shredded or cut up; or more
- 7 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream heavy or whipping; optional
Instructions
- Chop the onion, carrots and celery; the carrots and celery only need a rough chop. Shred or cut up the cooked turkey and slice the mushrooms.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the chicken broth until the flour is dissolved, then stir in the wild rice.
- Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it is just boiling, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so the soup boils gently for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the turkey and mushrooms. Turn the heat up until the soup just comes to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the rice is tender. Wild rice keeps a little chew. Check that the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Stir in the cream if using it. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
