Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter - what do all these things have in common? One word: turkey! Here’s the perfect way to use up all that leftover meat. What better way to stretch out the holiday cheer. Combining a homemade turkey stock with some of the extra meat, loads of vegetables and some wild rice to make the perfect bowl of turkey soup.
All the additions!
In our house, there’s no greater crime than a soup that is more broth than goodies. By that, I mean an assortment of different ingredient additions. In general, I usually stick with close to a 2:1 ratio of broth to additions when making broth-based soups (Thick puréed soups are a different story!). This soup is loaded with:
- Orzo
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Leftover Turkey
The first step is to sweat the vegetables! This is a common first step when making soups and stews. Sweat the vegetables by cooking them at a low temperature in a bit of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. The goal is to cook them enough to soften the textures while allowing the flavours to mingle together without browning them. Next, remove them from the pot and set them aside. I don’t like to leave the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms in the soup while the rest of the ingredients cook as they will turn overly soft. This way, they can retain their perfect vegetable texture - tender and soft but not mushy. Add them into the soup when there are only 3 minutes left. That timing is key to make a perfect bowl of turkey soup!
Turkey Broth
To fully use up all the turkey leftovers, try making a homemade turkey broth by following last post’s how-to guide. This guide makes a small batch of broth (just enough for this soup recipe!) or a large batch which is enough for multiple turkey soups and pies. With tons of turkey flavour, this broth is the ideal base for this soup! Bring it to a simmer before adding the potatoes as the next step.
The potatoes take the longest to cook so they get added first. They can take anywhere from 12-15 minutes depending on how large you chop them. Cutting the potatoes in smaller-sized cubes means they will cook all the way through.
Herbs and Seasoning
The herbs are really what makes this soup shine. The combination of celery salt and sage is my favourite flavour combination to pair with turkey. Add the bay leaf, celery salt, dried sage rub and thyme to the broth at the same time as the potatoes. As for seasonings, the turkey broth is made with salt and pepper already; for those of you that are sensitive to salt it is lightly seasoned. Since salt and pepper depend on personal taste, you can add more to the soup as necessary.
Wild Rice
Wild rice lends an amazing chewy texture and a dark contrast to this soup. But here’s the deal, if you add uncooked wild rice to the soup (even after rinsing) it will turn the stock a murky and dark colour. The solution? Pre-cook the wild rice instead of adding it raw. Wild rice can take 30-40 minutes to cook depending on the variety so if it’s already cooked then it will also cut back on the amount of time this soup will take to make. You can use leftovers from yesterday’s meal or cook it in advance. Quick tip: Cook the rice in turkey broth instead of water to infuse it with extra turkey flavor so that it tastes like it was cooked right in the soup! I use this strategy for rice all the time, using chicken or vegetable stock with some salt and a bit of oil or butter.
Carbs are covered by the wild rice mentioned above and an orzo pasta. Follow the directions on the orzo and add them to the soup with that amount of time left on the timer. The orzo I use gets added at the 6-minute mark. Orzo is the perfect pasta for this soup. Why? Because that's how my grandmother used to make it! Some meal traditions shouldn’t be messed with. Also, it blends in perfectly with the rice texture-wise.
Another benefit to using wild rice and orzo is that they don’t soak up much of the broth; leaving you with the right ratio of broth to additions in your leftover soup the next day. That can be an issue when making soup and storing it in the fridge, as white rice and some pastas have a tendency to soak up any extra broth.
Next time you have a turkey dinner, try making this soup with the leftovers! Don’t forget a nice chewy loaf of bread to soak up all that perfectly seasoned turkey broth. Each spoonful is loaded with all the vegetables, wild rice and orzo you could want. This soup is the best way to stretch out the good holiday food and cheer.
Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Yield: 5-6 servings |
- Prep time: 10 min |
- Cook Time: 18 min |
- Total: 28 min
Ingredients:
-
1 tbsp olive oil
-
1/2 white onion, diced
-
100 g baby king oyster mushrooms, sliced
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1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
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1 stalk celery, chopped
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
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8 cups cups turkey stock
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2 cups water
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1 bay leaf
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1 tsp dried thyme
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3/4 tsp dried sage rub
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1/2 tsp celery salt
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1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
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1/3 cup orzo pasta
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2/3 cup cooked wild rice
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2 cups turkey, chopped
-
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute. Stir, then add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery plus a dash of salt and pepper. Stir all the vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes. In the last 30 seconds, stir in the crushed garlic. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.2. Add the broth, water, bayleaf, sage rub, celery salt and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce the soup to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes.
3. With 6-8 minutes left on the timer, stir in the orzo and pre-cooked wild rice.
4. With 5 minutes left on the timer, stir in the turkey.
5. With 3 minutes left on the timer, stir in the vegetables that were set aside earlier.
6. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! Garnish with some fresh thyme if desired.