Turkey and Rice Soup

Turkey and rice soup is a delicious and easy way to use Thanksgiving leftovers, or just when you're craving a steaming bowl of cozy soup any time of year. Packed with tender turkey, healthy veggies, and rice, this tasty soup is hearty and satisfying enough for a weeknight dinner.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Thanksgiving

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 288kcal

Author Colleen Milne

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion diced
3 medium carrots sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 celery ribs diced
1 cup long grain white rice rinsed
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
8 cups turkey broth low sodium or chicken broth
2 cups cooked turkey meat sliced into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rinsed rice, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Continue cooking for another minute.
Add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is cooked.
Stir in the cooked turkey. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Notes

Turkey. Although this turkey and rice soup is a great way to use turkey leftovers, you can make it anytime of year using a turkey leg or small turkey breast. Poach the turkey, covered in simmering liquid (stock or water) for 40 minutes to one hour. You can also air fry for the same amount of time. With either cooking method, the turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slicing. I cut the cooked turkey into 1 inch cubes. You can also shred the turkey using two forks, or your fingers, if you prefer.
Rice. Put the rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes the starchy coating on the rice so that it won't clump or stick together. A long grain white rice works great, and takes about 20 minutes to cook. If you use brown rice or wild rice, add 10-15 minutes to the cooking time. Cook rice until it's soft but not mushy.
Vegetables. This is an ideal soup for adding extra veggies. Some great additions are frozen peas, frozen corn, zucchini slices, chopped kale or spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato or butternut squash cubes, or mushrooms.
Spice. Add a quarter teaspoon of red peppers flakes for a hint of spice, and/or a tablespoon of lemon juice for brightness.
Serving size. This recipe makes six, one and a half cup servings. You can double the recipe, or use the "servings" toggle on the recipe card to increase or decrease ingredient quantities to get the number that you want.
Allergies. This turkey and rice soup is already gluten and dairy free. If celery is an allergen, omit it, or replace it with one of the vegetables mentioned above. For a lower carb version, replace the rice with cauliflower rice.
Storage. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Freeze. This soup freezes beautifully, so it's great for meal prep. Cool the soup to room temperature, then freeze it in individual portions for convenience. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and re-heat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan on low heat.

Nutrition