Looking for ways to use up leftover turkey? This Turkey and Rice Soup is a fantastic pick! It's flavorful, healthy, quick, and delicious. This recipe can also be made with cooked and cubed chicken breast, thighs, or rotisserie chicken.
¾cuplong grain white rice or wild rice blendcooked according to package directions (or 2 ½ cups cooked rice)
1tablespoonolive oil
1tablespoonbutter
1medium oniondiced
3celery stalksthinly sliced
2large carrotspeeled and thinly sliced
8cups2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
2 ½cupscubed cooked turkey meatwhite and/or dark meat
1dried bay leaf
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoondried thyme
¾teaspoondried parsley
½lemon juicedor 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Black pepperto taste
Instructions
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil and butter for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Pour the chicken broth into the vegetable mixture. Stir in the cubed turkey, bay leaf, salt, dried thyme, dried parsley, and black pepper. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cooked rice. Heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is heated through.
Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper to taste (if needed) and serve hot.
Notes
Leftover storage: leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Rice substitutions: 2 ½ cups cooked or steamed brown rice, quinoa, Israeli couscous, or orzo can all substitute for the steamed rice in this recipe.
Rice cooking methods:
Pressure cooking/Instant Pot: add ¾ cup rice and ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water to the pot of the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Gently stir until the rice is covered with the water. Pressure cook the long grain white rice on high for 1 minute and the wild rice blend for 20 minutes. Natural-release the pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release the rest of the pressure.
Boiling: bring a 2 quart saucepan filled ¾ of the way with water to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high, or until simmering but not overflowing, and boil the rice uncovered for the time recommended on the rice package. Stir the rise occasionally throughout boiling. When done, drain the rice through a fine mesh strainer.
Steaming: add the rice and water to the a sauce pan in a 1:2 ratio (or ¾ cup rice + 1 ½ cups water). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the rice, and steam for the time directed on the rice package directions, or until cooked through and tender.