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    Home » Soups

    Turkey and Rice Soup

    By Jill Baird · Published January 7, 2019 · Updated March 11, 2023 · 5 Comments

    turkey and rice soup in a large pot

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    Jump to Recipe
    turkey and wild rice soup
    turkey and wild rice soup
    turkey soup recipe
    turkey and rice soup

    This Turkey and Rice Soup is hearty, delicious and comes together in just about 30 minutes.  Packed with wild rice, plenty of veggies and leftover turkey, it hits the spot during the holidays or any other time of year.

    Jump to:
    • Homemade Turkey and Rice Soup
    • Ingredients in Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
    • How to Make This Turkey Soup Recipe
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storing and Reheating
    • Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
    • More of Our Favorite Winter Soup Recipes

    Homemade Turkey and Rice Soup

    This Turkey and Rice Soup is the perfect warm and cozy comfort food to make with leftover holiday extras.  In just about 30 minutes, you can easily have homemade soup ready for the whole family.  For a real treat, serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a loaf of Rustic Cheddar Cheese Bread, homemade Parker House Rolls or our Quick Dinner Rolls.  

    I absolutely love the texture of wild rice in soup, but feel free to substitute any other kind of long grain white rice or brown rice if you prefer.  You can also use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make this recipe, and mix and match your favorite veggies.  

    A large stock pot filled with Turkey and Rice Soup.

    Want to make your Turkey and Rice Soup in the crockpot?  See below for our easy instructions, or try any of our other favorite crockpot recipes.

    Ingredients in Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

    • Butter - salted or unsalted will work, or you can even substitute olive oil.
    • Onion - white, sweet or yellow onions will work great.
    • Celery - slice celery into about ½” pieces.
    • Carrots - peel and slice your carrots into ½” pieces.
    • Turkey - you can use any kind of leftover turkey meat, including white meat, dark meat or a combination.  Cooked chicken will also work.  In fact, rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite kitchen hacks for making soups like this one.
    • Wild Rice - I like wild rice because it gives the soup a nice texture, and it’s super healthy.  Any kind of wild rice blend will work.  Barley would also be good, and of course you can substitute white rice or brown rice. Just make sure and check the packaging to see the recommended cooking time that is listed. Egg noodles would work great too.
    • Chicken Broth - use any type of chicken broth or chicken stock that you’d like.
    • Salt and Pepper
    Cooked turkey breast sliced and laying on serving platter with lettuce and other fresh citrus garnish.

    How to Make This Turkey Soup Recipe

    1. Caramelize the onion.  In a large sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onions are a light caramel color, or about 5 minutes.
    2. Add the rest and simmer.  Add the celery, carrots, cooked turkey, rice, chicken broth, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook the soup for about 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
    3. Serve.  Remove from the heat and add additional salt and pepper as needed.  Enjoy!

    How to Make Leftover Turkey Soup with Rice In the Crockpot

    1. In a large sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onions are a light caramel color, or about 5 minutes.
    2. In a slow cooker, add the caramelized onions, celery, carrots, rice, chicken broth, salt and pepper.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.  
    3. Once the rice is almost completely tender, add the turkey and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.  
    4. Set the crockpot to warm, add additional salt and pepper as needed and serve.  Enjoy!
    Turkey and wild rice soup in a white serving bowl with a large stock pot full of soup to the side.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you freeze this Turkey Soup recipe?

    Yup!  Just cool completely and transfer to freezer bags.  Lay them flat in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.  Once you are ready to use, you can thaw overnight in the fridge, or else transfer directly into a pot on the stovetop and re-heat on medium-low heat, stirring often.  

    If you want to go the microwave route, just transfer into a microwave-safe container and reheat for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

    Should I cook the rice before adding to the soup?

    Nope, this recipe calls for adding uncooked rice to the soup.  It will cook as the soup simmers, giving it extra flavor and slightly thickening the broth.

    Can I use white rice instead of wild rice?

    Absolutely.  You can substitute any kind of long grain white rice if you prefer.  You may just need to adjust the cooking time because white rice cooks much faster than wild rice.

    Storing and Reheating

    • Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
    • Freezer: store cooled soup in freezer bags for up to 3 months.  To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
    • To reheat: put soup into a dutch oven or sauce pot and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
    turkey soup with wild rice and leftover turkey
    Print

    Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

    This Turkey and Rice Soup is hearty, delicious and comes together in just about 30 minutes.  Packed with wild rice, plenty of veggies and leftover turkey, it hits the spot during the holidays or any other time of year.
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 275kcal
    Author The Carefree Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Butter
    • 1 medium Onion chopped
    • 3 ribs Celery sliced
    • 2 large Carrots thinly sliced
    • 2 cups Turkey cooked and cut into ½" chunks
    • 2 cups Wild Rice
    • 5-6 cups Chicken Broth
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • ½ teaspoon Pepper

    Instructions

    • In a large sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onions are a light caramel color, or about 5 minutes.
    • Add the celery, carrots, cooked turkey, rice, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook the soup for about 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
    • Remove from the heat and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2200IU | Vitamin C: 8.6mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1.5mg

    More of Our Favorite Winter Soup Recipes

    • Lasagna Soup
    • Taco Soup
    • Southwest Black Bean Soup
    • Loaded Baked Potato Soup
    • Turkey Enchilada Soup
    • Tomato Soup
    • Creamy Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • Chicken Noodle Soup
    • Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup
    • More Soup Recipes
    • More Turkey Recipes
    • More Cheap Dinner Ideas

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest,  feel free to leave a comment and photo there too.  Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

    Pinterest pin for Turkey and Rice Soup.

    This homemade Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is made with leftover turkey making it quick and easy to throw together. It's hearty, delicious and can be ready in about 30 minutes.

    « Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
    Southwest Turkey Soup »

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    200 shares