A hot pot of Turkey Rice Soup is exactly what should be simmering on your stove the weekend after Thanksgiving! It’s easy to make and comes together in 30 minutes, with long-grain rice and soft vegetables simmered in a seasoned stock. If you have a turkey carcass, even better, because homemade stock makes this soup taste as if you worked much harder than you did.
Why I Make This Turkey Rice Soup Every Year
I am typically the cook on Thanksgiving Day, so by the next day, I am ready for something simple. This turkey rice soup has become one of my regular post-Thanksgiving meals because it turns leftover turkey into a completely different dinner without much extra work.
The key with leftover turkey is not to cook it for longer than it needs. I add it toward the end so it has time to heat through without becoming dry. The rice makes the soup cozy and filling, but still light enough for the day after a big holiday meal.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Leftover Turkey Meat: White meat, dark meat, or a mix works great. Shred or cube it, and stir it in near the end so it stays tender.
- Turkey Stock: This is where the flavor is. Low-sodium turkey or chicken stock both work here, and if you saved the carcass, homemade turkey stock is worth it and keeps the flavor rich.
- Long Grain Rice: Use long-grain, not short-grain, rice. Short grain rice doesn’t work very well in soups, as it tends to have more starch and turns the broth cloudy. Rinsing the rice first gives you a clearer and brothier soup. Leaving it unrinsed gives you a thicker and starchier one, so it is your call.
- Seasoning: Use what you have left from making your turkey, I make a small jar of this turkey seasoning every year. Or use 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary, thyme, and sage.
How to Make Turkey Rice Soup
- Sauté Vegetables: In a Dutch oven, melt butter and add olive oil, and sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened.
- Toast Rice: Stir in rice, and toast it for a minute until it smells nutty and the grains look a little translucent at the edges. This small step adds flavor.
- Season: Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then pour the stock over the veggies and season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is tender with a little bite. Stir in the turkey meat at the end, and simmer for a few minutes until it’s heated through. Adjust seasonings and serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the rice: Pull the soup off the heat the moment the rice is tender with a little bite. It will keep softening in the hot broth, so lightly underdone is better than overdone.
- If you want a brothier soup, rinse the rice before adding it, and keep a little extra stock on hand to loosen the soup before serving.
- Add some vegetables: Green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, or bell pepper can go in with the stock and cook alongside the rice. Add a little more stock if the pot feels crowded.
- Get a heavy Dutch oven: It holds heat evenly and keeps the soup at a steady, gentle simmer.
How to Store and Freeze
- Fridge: Cool the soup, then store it covered for 3 to 4 days. The rice keeps absorbing the broth as it sits, so it will thicken. Loosen it with a splash of stock or water when you reheat.
- Freezer: soup with rice already in it can turn soft after freezing, so the best results come from freezing the soup base without the rice and cooking fresh rice to add when you serve it. If you freeze it with the rice in, expect a softer texture and plan to add stock when reheating. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
It is up to you. Rinsing removes surface starch for a clearer, brothier soup. Leaving it unrinsed gives you a thicker and starchier broth. Both taste good.
Yes, but cook them separately first, since they take longer than white rice. The same goes for barley, noodles, or pasta. Stir the cooked grain near the end.
Yes. Shredded rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken works in the same amount. If chicken is your go-to, check out my chicken and rice soup recipe.
Stir in a splash of heavy cream or a little half-and-half at the end, off heat. Keep it gentle so the cream does not curdle.
What to Serve with Turkey Rice Soup
Soups like this want something to dip into. Try it with dinner rolls, or a simple kale salad with lemon vinaigrette for something fresh on the side.
More Ways to Use Leftover Turkey
All turkey recipes ➜
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Turkey Soup with Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
- 1 cup diced carrot about 2 medium
- 1 cup chopped celery about 2 ribs
- ½ cup long grain rice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups (1.4 L) turkey stock if not available, use chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons turkey seasoning or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ dried teaspoon sage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked turkey meat shredded or cubed
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the butter melts and foams.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice and toast for about 1 minute, until fragrant and lightly translucent at the edges.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the stock.
- Stir in the turkey seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the rice is tender with a little bite, about 15 to 18 minutes. Add a splash more stock if you want it brothier.
- Stir in the turkey and simmer until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley.
Notes:
- Rinsing the rice: rinse for a clearer, brothier soup, or leave it unrinsed for a thicker, starchier one.
- Add more vegetables (green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, bell pepper) with the stock, and add a little more stock if needed.
- Storage: fridge 3 to 4 days, covered. The rice thickens the soup as it sits, so loosen with stock when reheating.
- Freezing: for the best texture, freeze the base without the rice and add fresh rice when serving. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating: stovetop over medium heat or microwave, adding stock or water to loosen.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Jill Black says
Made it, loved it
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you, enjoy!
Sylvia says
For my liking, this was lacking flavor. I used fresh green beans instead of carrots, otherwise I followed the recipe.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the feedback, Sylvia.
Evelyn says
Can you use brown rice also?
Diana says
Yes, but since brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice, I would suggest cooking it before adding to the soup.