This Turkey Wild Rice Soup turns turkey leftovers into a warm, satisfying bowl of hearty rice soup loaded with carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Everything simmers together in one dutch oven, creating a hearty dish that feels nourishing and cozy without asking much from you on a busy day.
Wild rice soup has deep roots in Midwestern home cooking, especially in Minnesota where wild rice is proudly recognized as the state grain. This recipe naturally grew out of using leftover turkey from my Smoked Turkey after the holidays, turning simple ingredients into a comforting meal that celebrates the hearty texture and rich flavor of turkey wild rice.
It’s officially soup season around here, and I’m always thrilled to have a pot simmering on the stove. If you love a good bowl as much as we do, try my Zuppa Toscana, Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, Classic Tomato Basil Soup, Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup, and The Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- It’s a hearty, satisfying soup that brings real depth of flavor from simple ingredients, the kind of meal everyone is happy to see on the table.
- The recipe is flexible enough for rotisserie chicken, extra veggies, or different dairy options while still keeping the same comforting flavor.
- It all comes together in one dutch oven, making it an easy weeknight meal that feels homey and satisfying with very little hands-on time.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Wild Rice – I typically use the Harvest Wild Rice blend from Costco or Lundberg Wild Rice, but any kind would do. Even brown rice would work in the recipe, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salted Butter – Softens the vegetables and adds richness to the base of the soup.
- Yellow Onion – Adds sweetness and depth that builds flavor as it cooks.
- Celery – Gives a subtle herbal note that pairs well with turkey and wild rice.
- Carrots – Add color and gentle sweetness to balance the savory broth.
- Crimini Mushrooms – Bring earthy flavor and extra heartiness to the rice soup recipe.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves are best but pre-minced or garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- All-Purpose Flour – Helps thicken the broth so the vegetables, turkey, and rice are suspended in a smooth, creamy base.
- Chicken Broth – Forms the foundation of the soup and ties all the flavors together.
- Kosher Salt – Enhances the flavors as everything cooks together.
- Black Pepper – Adds gentle heat and balances the creamy elements.
- Hebrs – Dried thyme, rosemary, and parsley add warmth and aromatic depth while the soup simmers, and a bit of fresh parsley adds a vibrant finish at the end.
- Shredded Turkey Or Chicken – Leftover holiday turkey is perfect, but cooked chicken works just as well.
- Milk – Adds creaminess without making the soup heavy.
- Heavy Cream Or Half-And-Half – Enriches the broth and helps create a velvety finish.
- Lemon Juice – Brightens the entire pot and balances the creamy base.
How to Make Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Cook rice. Start by preparing the wild rice according to the directions on the package; it usually takes 50 to 60 minutes and can be done 1 to 2 days ahead and kept chilled until you’re ready to make the soup.
- Sauté vegetables. Melt the butter in a large dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic until the onion softens.
- Build base. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for just a minute before slowly adding the chicken broth while stirring; increase the heat slightly to bring the soup to a low boil.
- Simmer soup. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cooked wild rice, herbs, seasonings, and shredded turkey, then let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
- Finish soup. Stir in the milk, cream, and lemon juice and heat through for 3 to 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Rotisserie chicken works perfectly in this turkey wild rice soup recipe and is one of my go-to options when we don’t have leftover turkey on hand.
Yes. Wild rice takes longer than white rice to soften, so cooking it ahead ensures the soup comes together smoothly without overcooking the vegetables.
You can cook the wild rice 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it, or prep all the vegetables ahead so the soup comes together quickly when you’re ready to cook.
Tips for Success
- Homemade turkey or chicken stock is wonderful if you have a carcass to work with, but I honestly make this soup with store-bought chicken stock most of the time and it still tastes fantastic; I keep it stocked in bulk at Costco because we use it so often.
- If I’m feeling turkeyed-out right after Thanksgiving, I’ll shred whatever is left and freeze it in gallon-size freezer bags so it’s ready for recipes like this creamy turkey wild rice soup later on.
- A pulled-apart rotisserie chicken works beautifully when you don’t have leftover turkey, and it turns this into an easy chicken wild rice soup with the same great flavor.
- If you want a more veggie-packed bowl, you can double the mushrooms, carrots, or celery without throwing anything off; the soup stays balanced and hearty.
How to Freeze Leftover Turkey
Instead of freezing leftover turkey in one big block, portion it into 1 to 2 cup amounts (the exact quantity most soup and casserole recipes call for), then press each portion flat in a zip-top freezer bag.
It freezes quickly, thaws in minutes, and stacks neatly in the freezer, so you can grab exactly what you need for turkey wild rice soup or any other recipe without chipping away at a giant frozen turkey block!
More of Our Favorite Soup Recipes
- Cheesy Taco Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- New England Clam Chowder
- Chicken Avocado Lime Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Creamy Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 large carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
- 8 ounces fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley or ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 4 cups cooked shredded turkey or chicken – see note
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare wild rice according to the package instructions. This typically takes around 50 to 60 minutes. This can be done up to a day or two in advance and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the soup
- In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir, sauteing until the onion has softened.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sauteed vegetables and stir in, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium-high until the soup comes to a low boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the cooked wild rice, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and shredded turkey. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add milk, cream, and lemon juice, and cook another 3-5 minutes until hot, tasting and adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
• Rotisserie chicken works perfectly if you don’t have leftover turkey.
• Add extra carrots, celery, or mushrooms for a more veggie-forward soup.
• If the soup thickens as it sits, stir in a splash of broth when reheating. Storage
• Store: Keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. The rice will absorb broth, so add a little extra when reheating.
• Freeze: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm gently on the stovetop.
• Reheat: Reheat slowly over low heat, stirring in broth or milk to adjust consistency.
• Make Ahead: Prep the vegetables and cook the rice 1-2 days in advance for easy assembly. Recipe adapted from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles.
Ok, I have made this twice in the past few days! I know that sounds crazy but I had a 11.54 lb turkey that was taking up room in my freezer for about 6 months and I was worried it would be freezer burnt so a-roasting I went. I defrosted the beast in the frig and cut off the legs and wings to use for stock. I then made a turkey and stuffing casserole from the breast meat (which hubs and I love) and made a 1/2 batch of this wonderful soup. Really good and all the seasoning worked at 1/2 scale! We really loved it. So then I decided to make another version for Dad who loves the Dark Meat. It is smelling wonderful and should be another delicious 1/2 batch of soup with homemade turkey stock. Wonderful, rich and filling. Might leave the cream out for dad and just use some milk to save his arteries a bit. SOOOOOOOOO Yummmmmmmyyy!!!!!
Thank you, Gabriella! I’m so glad you love this recipe so much! We think it’s pretty fantastic too!
This is a very good recipe. Lots of turkey leftovers, of course, so I decided to give it a go. I used a wild rice brown rice mix and added that, then also only used one cup of heavy cream because I was low on milk. It tastes so satisfying that I’ll be happy to try it again.
SoOOOOooop GOOD !!
This was delicious soup! We had leftover smoked turkey which added a really nice flavor to the soup. I also increased the veggies and turkey a bit, used half the amount of butter, and half and half for the cream. Trying to save a few extra calories 🙂 My husband said it was a winner. Thanks for the recipe!
This was wonderful. My husband said it was one of the better soups I’ve made. I used 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, and added a little dried powdered sage and some Trader Joe’s Truffle Powder Seasoning and it was spectacular. Thank you for this recipe!
This was delicious! My husband gave it a 10. I used brown rice only because I couldn’t find any wild rice. My husband doesn’t like mushrooms so I left those out and added a few more carrots instead. I will definitely make this again.
Tried this recipe last week and loved it so much. We made the soup exactly the same except we used 90 second wild rice that we put in the bottom of our bowl and poured in the soup. Another recipe to add to my list of fall soups.
I made this recipe with some rich homemade turkey stock I made and froze over Thanksgiving and leftover herbed turkey breast. Oh my gosh
It was delicious! I didn’t add the lemon juice though. I love adding lemon juice to dishes to add brightness but the soup tasted so good as it was I didn’t want to take a chance
I just made this yesterday using my left over Turkey carcass and it was delicious! My only question is it made a lot of soup for just the two of us can I freeze some of it?
Yes, this soup will freeze well! Sorry for my delayed response – we were traveling!
This soup was easy to make following instructions and absolutely delicious! This is the third one of your recipes that I’ve made, and this is going in to my recipe book. 🥰 Thank you!
Oh thank you! That is so kind! I am glad you enjoyed it! It is a delicious soup.
Delicious soup! I increased the vegetables and added a few dashes of Penzeys “Mural of Flavor” salt free seasoning, but otherwise made it per the recipe. It’s definitely a keeper…
I do not pride myself on being a good cook and WOW this soup turned out SO GOOD. I followed the recipe as written and it was a big hit at dinner time. Even my 8 year old finished her bowl 🙂 I had leftover Easter turkey in the freezer for many months and wanted to clear it out and I’m so glad I put it to good use!
What a good way to make good use of the frozen turkey! I’m glad your family enjoyed the soup!
It was a bit time consuming but turned out great! Adjusted some seasonings to our preference, but followed the directions exactly. It is definitely a very hearty soup, and will make it again!!
Looks very good!
Made the soup shortly after the New Year on a rather cold winter night – it was warming clear from the top of our heads to our toes! The whole family enjoyed it, and I am now considering making for one of our monthly potluck dinners at church!
Made this today and it is absolutely delicious!! I left out the lemon because I was afraid it would curdle. Had leftover turkey from Christmas in the freezer. Also used some homemade stock in addition to store bought. Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks for making it! It’s so nice having ingredients on hand ready to go. Homemade stock would be delicious!
Informative and clear.! Really appreciate the effort you put into this.!
Thank you so much Morgan!