The Best Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Creamy, hearty, rich, and flavorful with savory herbs and apple cider, our homegrown turkey wild rice soup recipe makes a satisfying meal out of Thanksgiving and holiday leftovers. Chicken wild rice soup is a classic Midwest favorite: our version upgrades chicken to pasture-raised heritage turkey and utilizes common leftover veggies and herbs from Thanksgiving or Christmas feasting. Perfect for fall and winter, this soup is wonderful cold-weather comfort food and a convenient make ahead, heat and eat dinner idea for freezer or batch meal prep: it’s slow cooker/Crock Pot adaptable, freezes well, and reheats nicely using the stovetop or microwave for an instant taste of home cooking any day of the year. Enjoy this soup with toast – a crusty bread like ciabatta makes the best companion – and pair with white wine or apple cider.

Author
MTRY & CO
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings
8
Category

Soups & Stews

Cuisine

American

Ingredients

  • 1 Turkey carcass (leftover bones)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, chopped coarse
  • 1 celery rib, chopped coarse
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 3 cups white wine
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • Approx. 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded into small bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, chopped into small bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions, celery, garlic, and turkey carcass until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine, chicken broth, apple cider, rosemary, and bay leaves and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Strain broth and discard solids.
  2. Wipe dry Dutch oven and toast rice over medium heat until rice starts to pop, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in turkey broth, carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, and herbs, adding chicken broth if additional liquid is needed for consistency. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables and rice are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  3. Whisk flour and cream in bowl until smooth, then gently stir flour and cream mixture into soup. Add turkey and simmer until soup thickens slightly, about 10 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!