This Turkey Wild Rice Soup is a cozy and comforting cold-weather soup that is packed with flavor and a great way to use any leftover turkey (or chicken)! A perfectly creamy soup that is actually dairy-free!
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!? We are here to save the day because we have a variety of Turkey Leftover options, but this one is definitely one of our favorites!
We give you: Turkey Wild Rice Soup – it is PACKED with flavor and just happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free. 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 🙂
What You Will Need
- olive or avocado oil – a splash in the pot to help with sautéing the garlic and onion.
- garlic & sweet yellow onion – the classic combination that gets the flavor party started.
- celery, carrots, & mushrooms – the vegetables that help to round out this soup.
- arrowroot powder – we love using Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Powder to be the thickening agent.
- chicken or turkey broth – either will do the trick and if you have some homemade turkey broth on hand, even better!
- unsweetened coconut milk – provides the creaminess without any of the dairy.
- turkey – a perfect way to use that leftover Roast Thanksgiving Turkey!
- wild rice – cook it up on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in your Instant Pot.
- bay leaf, fresh sage, fresh thyme, kosher salt, & ground pepper – a great combination of seasonings that bring all the flavor!
- lemon zest – a bit of acidity really brightens this recipe and elevates all of the flavors.
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! Especially if you use a different rice than wild rice.
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!
How To Make Turkey Wild Rice Soup
First, you can begin by warming a dutch oven on the stovetop at medium-high heat, drizzle in the olive oil, and sauté the garlic and onion. Next add the carrots and celery, followed by the arrowroot powder, and then slowly add the broth.
Now comes the addition of the coconut milk, bay leaf, and cubed turkey. Let these simmer for a few minutes and then finally add the seasonings, sautéed mushrooms, and cooked wild rice. Make any seasoning adjustments you want and enjoy!
How Do I Store Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Once your soup has cooled, you can store it 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 in it doesn’t keep a very good texture during the freezing and thawing process.
Recipe FAQ
- turkey: we love making this with all of the turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving, but you can also use cooked, cubed chicken.
- wild rice: this will maintain the best results in texture, but you can use a long grain brown rice or white rice in its place if you want. The texture is just going to be a bit more soft or fluffy.
- coconut milk: feel free to use a heavy cream or half & half if you don’t need it to be dairy-free.
- mushrooms: these do not need to be sautéed before being added to the pot, but it does add some great flavor!
- thickening the soup: 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.
- reheating leftovers: either in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a bowl in the microwave, both will do the trick!
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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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
Turkey Wild Rice Soup – A delicious and flavorful turkey wild rice soup recipe that is dairy-free and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons olive or 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 (we love using the Instant Pot).
- 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 sauté 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.
- Slowly 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 sauté pan and bring to medium-high heat.
- Sauté 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
- Simmer: we would recommend adding the wild rice 10 minutes before you serve it, that way the rice doesn’t soak up TOO much of the liquid.
- Mushrooms: you can add the mushroom directly to the pot, but there is an extra added flavor that comes from sautéing them.
- Thickening: for a thicker soup, you could 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.
- Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 5.7 g
- Sodium: 795.6 mg
- Fat: 7.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 35 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!