Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup is flavorful, hearty and comforting. In this soup, leftover roast turkey, fresh garlic, sage, rosemary and thyme and wild rice are in a lemony creamy broth thickened by egg. Simple and quick to prepare, this soup is absolutely incredible. Yields about 9 cups and will serve 6 generous servings.

Got Leftover Turkey? Make Soup!

There’s a lot of different ways to use leftover turkey after thanksgiving. And in a bowl of soup is one of my favorites! And if there’s one soup I make the most, it’s my chicken lemon rice soup. So this year, since I just so happened to have leftover turkey (from reshooting this recipe) early in November, I decided to make a turkey lemon rice soup. I added a lot of fresh herbs, some garlic and instead of white rice, I used a wild rice blend.

I really love the combination of the bright lemon with the earthy wild rice and herbs.

This herb-y turkey lemon rice soup is the perfect comforting soup after the busy holiday week of prepping, cooking and holiday shopping. You could even save leftover turkey, freeze it and make this sometime over winter if you wanted to.

To Make This Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup You Will Need:

• olive oil – Lends fat for softening veggies and flavor.
• carrot – Adds color and subtle sweetness.
• celery – Lends earthy flavor and delicious texture.
• yellow onion – Adds a sweet and subtle onion flavor to the soup.
• garlic – Adds distinct punchy flavor.
• rosemary (fresh) – Adds a pine-like or woodsy flavor with notes of  lemon, pepper and sage.
• sage (fresh) – Gives a woodsy, earthy and slight peppery flavor with notes of citrusy mint.
• thyme (fresh)- Lends an earthy, slightly minty and lemony flavor.
• low-sodium chicken broth – Use homemade or store-bought.
• eggs – Helps to thicken the soup.
• lemon juice – Adds bright distinct citrus flavor.
• leftover roast turkey – Use light or dark meat (or both).
• kosher salt – This will draw out flavor of the vegetables and seasons the soup.
• freshly ground black pepper –

Prep your veggies and herbs:

Finely chop 1/2 cup of each carrot and celery, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh sage and 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.

Make The Soup:

In a 4 to 6-quart dutch oven, add 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Add in the carrots, celery and onions with a pinch of kosher salt. Cover, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.

Once softened, add in the minced garlic and fresh herbs.

Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Next pour in 2 quarts (or 8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth.

Stir, cover and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, uncover and add in 3/4 cup of wild rice blend. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir often to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Thicken The Soup:

Meanwhile, beat 2 eggs in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.

And whisk in 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Set this off to the side.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and turn the heat under the pot down to low. When the soup has stopped bubbling, remove a ladleful of broth and s-l-o-w-l-y drizzle it into the egg/lemon mixture while stirring it constantly. This is called tempering. The egg mixture is what gives the soup a luscious creaminess just minus the cream.

Next pour the tempered eggs/broth back into the soup pot and stir. It will slightly thicken up a bit.

DO NOT LET THIS SOUP RE-BOIL.

Add in the leftover turkey and let that heat through.. Depending on if you want a lot of turkey or a little, the amount is up to you. I usually add somewhere between 12 to 16 ounces.

Lastly, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – or to your personal taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra black pepper and fresh thyme leaves.

Serve with soup crackers and/or a grilled cheese sandwich or side salad.

Cozy comfort in a bowl.

How to Store Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup:

Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

How Long will Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup Last?

If stored properly, it should last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. See notes below on reheating.

Can You Freeze Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup?

I personally don’t recommend it. Soups thickened with egg usually reheat thin and watery.

How To Reheat Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup:

Whether your reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, you will need to add a bit more broth or water as the rice will absorb more liquids as it sit. Reheat slowly over low heat until hot.

Enjoy! And if you give this. Herby Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!