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.

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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.

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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.

ingredients for Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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

  • olive oilLends fat for softening veggies and flavor.
  • carrotAdds color and subtle sweetness.
  • celeryLends earthy flavor and delicious texture.
  • yellow onionAdds a sweet and subtle onion flavor to the soup.
  • garlicAdds 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 brothUse homemade or store-bought.
  • eggsHelps to thicken the soup.
  • lemon juiceAdds bright distinct citrus flavor.
  • leftover roast turkey – Use light or dark meat (or both).
  • kosher saltThis will draw out flavor of the vegetables and seasons the soup.
  • freshly ground black pepper

veggie prep

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.

heat oil in dutch oven

Make The Soup:

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

add carrots, celery and onion with pinch of salt

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 sautéed add garlic and herbs

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

stir and cook 1 minute

Stir and cook for 1 minute.

pour in broth

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

cover and bring to a boil

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

once boiling add in wild rice

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.

beat eggs

Thicken The Soup:

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

pour in lemon juice

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

ladle hot broth slowly into egg/lemon mixture

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.

pour tempered eggs into soup

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.

Stir and add in leftover turkey

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.

season with salt and pepper

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

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

Cozy comfort in a bowl.

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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.

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

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!

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup

Turkey Lemon Wild Rice Soup
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Yield: 6 servings

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.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 short celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup wild rice blend
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 12 ounces leftover turkey, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions 

  • Add olive oil in a 4 to 6-quart dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Next add carrot, celery and onion with a pinch of kosher salt. Cover and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring ocassionally until the vegetables are tender.
  • Next add in the garlic, sage, rosemary and thyme. Stir and cook 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. Uncover and add in the wild rice blend. Stir, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until tender - stir often to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Once rice is tender, turn the heat down to low. You want to keep the soup hot but don't let the soup to boil. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk eggs with the lemon juice. Using a ladle, remove some of the hot broth and very slowly pour it into the egg/lemon mixture while whisking to temper the eggs.
  • Once combined, pour the broth/egg mixture into the pot. Add in the leftover turkey, stir and heat through. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • See blog post for storage information.

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Serving: 1generous cup, Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 962mg, Potassium: 600mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1855IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 2mg