The Best Turkey Wild Rice Soup – Quick Facts
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-free, great for meal prep, wholesome & easy
- Best For: repurposing leftover holiday turkey into a new meal!
- Main Ingredients: leftover turkey meat, wild rice, fresh veggies, fresh herbs, chicken broth & coconut milk.
- Origin: For years, I have hosted a crowd for Thanksgiving Day and have perfected a whole turkey (hello, juicy grilled turkey – my favorite)! And every year, we have lots of leftover turkey so I love finding new ways to turn it into a new recipe (like an easy turkey pot pie). But since Thanksgiving and Christmas are in the winter, it was time for a warm & cozy, dairy-free turkey wild rice soup!
If you also love wild rice soup, but you don’t have any leftover turkey around… swap it out for chicken and try my Chicken and Wild Rice Soup!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Cooked Turkey – a perfect way to breathe new life into your leftovers from your holiday Traeger smoked turkey or a juicy roast turkey breast!
- Mushrooms – the secret to this homemade turkey wild rice soup is to sauté the mushrooms in a separate skillet for the best added flavor or keep it simple and toss them right in the pot.
- Coconut Milk – this typically separates in the can, so be sure to give them a good shake and fully incorporate before adding to the soup pot.
- Wild Rice – love keeping it simple with canned wild rice, but you can also make Instant Pot wild rice and use that, if you prefer.
- Lemon Zest – another secret ingredient that I like to include in most recipes, because you only need a little bit to lighten and brighten all the amazing flavor going on in the pot.
How To Make Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Step 1 – Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, & celery in a pot with olive oil.
Step 2 – Mix in the arrowroot powder.
Step 3 – Slowly pour in the chicken broth, coconut milk, & cooked turkey.
Step 4 – Sauté the mushrooms in a separate skillet (for maximum flavor) or add them right to the pot.
Step 5 – Transfer the mushrooms to the pot, along with the rest of the soup ingredients.
Step 6 – Let it all simmer for a few minutes until warmed through.
Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup – Cooking Variations
- Slow Cooker Turkey Wild Rice Soup: The sautéing and addition of the chicken broth are best to do on the stovetop. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the rice), mix, cover, and let it sit on the low setting until warmed through. Be sure to add the rice towards the end of the cooking time, because it will soak up some of the liquid.
- Instant Pot Turkey Wild Rice Soup: we wouldn’t recommend the Instant Pot for this recipe, just because the rice and the turkey are already cooked when you are adding it in – so it is really most efficient to make it on the stove top!
Best Ways To Serve Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Our whole family loves making a big pot of this soup during those chilly winter months. Serve with some crusty bread with butter, easy grilled bread, or breadsticks for dunking. Plus, it makes plenty so you can always store leftovers in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week!
Storage & Freezer
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days. Unfortunately, we do not recommend freezing this soup. Any soup that is made with rice won’t maintain a very good texture during the thawing process.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup FAQs
If the soup isn’t getting as thick as you like, you have the option to add more arrowroot powder in small amounts at a time or make a thickening slurry, as noted in the recipe card.
Yes, other rice options can be used but wild rice tends to keep the best consistency. A wild rice blend usually incorporates some brown rice or white rice and they tend to keep soaking up the broth.
Yes, feel free to use any leftover chicken, perfect poached chicken breasts, or even grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Other Leftover Turkey Recipes You Might Like
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Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious and flavorful Turkey Wild Rice Soup recipe that is the perfect bowl of cozy comfort food! Perfect for leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided (sub avocado oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 4 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 5 cups chicken broth (sub turkey broth)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (fully mix before adding)
- 4 cups cooked turkey, cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pint of fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 (15oz) cans of wild rice
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to large dutch oven or saucepan and bring to medium-high heat. Add diced onion & 2 teaspoons garlic, move around the pot for 2-3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil and 3 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder. Stir to coat the vegetables.
- Simmer: Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring as you go. Then gradually add the coconut milk, cooked turkey, & 1 bay leaf. Bring soup to a simmer.
- Mushrooms: While soup is simmering, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a separate fry pan and bring to medium high heat. Sauté mushrooms to soften and then add them to the soup pot.
- Finish + Taste: Now add the wild rice, 2 tablespoons minced sage, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, & 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional seasoning, as desired.
- Serve: Ladle into individual bowls and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Simmer: we would recommend adding the wild rice 10 minutes before serving, that way the rice doesn’t soak up too much of the liquid.
- Mushrooms: option to add the mushroom directly to the pot, but there is an extra added flavor that comes from sautéing them.
- Thickening: for a thicker soup, ladle out 3 tablespoons of broth into a little bowl and add up to 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder. Whisk that together until the powder is fully combined and then pour back in the soup, stirring as it thickens.
- Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 838.4 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.8 g
- Protein: 39.1 g
- Cholesterol: 105.8 mg
Charlotte says
I made this for my family tonight. Everyone enjoyed it. If my college son would have been here, there would have been nothing left. I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Charlotte! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your review + feedback – I appreciate it!
Angie says
It was great! I was worried about the coconut flavor, as it smelled strongly of coconut, but the flavor was subtle (can see how it could go unnoticed if you weren’t aware of ingredients list) It was absolutely delicious!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Angie!!
Mary says
Another great recipe from Erin! Thanksgiving 2020 with a 13 pound turkey and a family of 4 (including the 4 year old twins) meant a lot of leftover turkey!
My husband and I enjoyed this soup on Sunday after Turkey day.
I plan to freeze 2 servings (with the cocked rice frozen separately). I’ll reply to my comment when I find out how it turns out from the freezer!
Erin says
Aw that is so awesome to hear, Mary! So glad you both enjoyed it 🙂 And yes, definitely report back – thank you!
Anna says
Make this! You don’t be disappointed. I love the creamy coconut, and wild rice. It’s so tasty! 5/5 stars ⭐️ and the hubby agrees!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Anna! I am so happy you both enjoyed it:)
Lydia says
This is my family and extended family’s favorite soup! Planning to make it this year but was wondering if you’ve ever frozen it? I’ve never frozen something with rice before and was unsure.
Erin says
I haven’t frozen this particular soup before, but I have frozen other soups with wild rice in it and while it does work the rice does tend to get a bit softer during the freezing/thawing process so just be aware of that!
Ellie says
Soooo yummy and flavorful 💜
Erin says
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Ellie! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!