Turkey Wild Rice Soup – a cozy and comforting cold-weather soup that is packed with flavor!

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, but the opinions are my own.
This Turkey Wild Rice Soup is the perfect way to use those Thanksgiving leftovers!
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Thanksgiving leftovers are a thing of beauty, aren’t they? I mean the green bean casserole, the stuffing and gravy … and the turkey. But, what do you do if you have so much turkey leftover that you don’t know what to do with it! There is no way we are letting ANY of that amazing meat go to waste – am I right?
I give you: Turkey Wild Rice Soup – it is PACKED with flavor and just happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free. Thickened with Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Powder (my go-to ingredient in dairy-free soups) you are going to be blown away with how delicious this is!! And it is such an amazing way to use those leftovers! I cannot wait for you guys to try it! I might make extra turkey just so I can make it again 🙂
Could you sub chicken if you didn’t have enough turkey?
Yes! You could easily sub chicken if you didn’t have enough turkey!
How do I store Turkey Wild Rice Soup?
I would store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days!
Slow Cooker + Instant Pot options?
Soups that have rice in them can be tricky when it comes to the slow cooker. This recipe calls for cooked rice because (of course) when you cook the rice in the soup, it will soak up a good amount of liquid and can leave you with a porridge-like consistency. I have only tested this on the stove-top, but if you do try and make it in your slow-cooker, make sure you add the rice at the end because even though it calls for cooked rice, it will still soak up some of the liquid!
I 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!
Helpful resource: Here are 40 other fun leftover turkey recipe ideas for you to get inspired!





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Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 10 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious and flavorful turkey wild rice soup recipe that is dairy-free and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1–2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 Teaspoons garlic, minced
- pinch of salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 celery stalks, sliced
- 3–4 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Powder
- 5 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 can full fat, unsweetened coconut milk (use immersion blender to reincorporate if separation has occurred)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 1/2 cups cubed turkey, cooked
- 16oz wild rice, cooked
- 2 pints mushrooms (use whatever kind you would like)
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2–3 Teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, ensure your wild rice is cooked.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to large Dutch Oven or saucepan and bring to medium heat.
- Add garlic and move around the pan, allowing it to cook and become fragrant.
- Add onion and a pinch of salt, continue stirring allowing onion to cook, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add celery and carrots and saute those as well, adding a splash more of oil, if needed.
- Once the celery and carrots have cooked for 1-2 minutes, add a Tablespoon of oil and the arrowroot powder. Stir to allow the powder to coat the vegetables.
- Slow pour in the broth, stirring as you go.
- Once the broth is added, slowly add your coconut milk.
- Then add the bay leaf and cooked turkey.
- Bring soup to a simmer.
- While soup is simmering, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to saute pan and bring to medium-high heat.
- Sauce mushrooms and then add them to the soup pot.
- Then add the wild rice, salt, pepper, sage, thyme and lemon zest. Sir to combine.
- Taste and add additional seasoning, as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- The longer you leave the wild rice in the soup simmering, the more the rice will soak up some of the liquid. It isn’t a bad thing, just be aware of it. If you want to make this ahead of time and have it simmering on the stove, I would recommend adding the wild rice 10 minutes before you serve it.
- You can add the mushroom directly to the pot, but there is an extra added flavor that comes from sautéing them.
- If you feel like you want your broth thicker, you can always add more arrowroot powder. To do so, I would ladle out 3 Tablespoons of broth into a little bowl and add up to 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot. Whisk that together until the powder is fully combined and then add into soup, stirring as it thickens.
Keywords: turkey wild rice soup
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!