This will not only be the first year the HH and I will be spending Thanksgiving alone, but that we’ll have to do all the cooking ourselves as well. Monkey Boy is on the West Coast, and The Girl has her own plans this year.
When The Girl was younger, she was really into watching cooking shows on The Food Network {Alton Brown was her favorite} and when she was about 10, had asked if she could cook the Thanksgiving turkey. I said yes. And ever since then, she’s always been in charge of the bird and a side dish or two {and as a long distance runner, she ate about half of the leftovers as well}. 😉
But this year, things will be different. The dishes for the Thanksgiving menu will be the same, but I’m already preparing for what we’ll be doing with all that leftover turkey. And this recipe for turkey and wild rice soup, is just one of them. And whoa Nelly, this recipe, it’s a keeper.
It’s basically the same as my Copy Cat Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe except this version is made with turkey instead of chicken, and we added mushrooms to the vegetable line up for a slightly different flavor.
Thanksgiving, it’s the greatest meal of the year. And the fact that we don’t have to cook for days, even better.
Wishing the best on this cool November morning,
~Mavis
Turkey and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups shredded {or cubed} leftover turkey
6 cups chicken broth
1 box long grain and wild rice blend
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup flour
12 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
6 ounces sliced mushrooms
3 cups half & half
Instructions
In a large stock pot over medium heat, combine turkey and broth. Bring to a boil. Remove seasoning packet from rice; set packet aside and add rice to the pot. Cover and remove from heat.
In a separate pan over medium heat, sauté onions, carrots, & celery in melted butter for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté 2 more minutes.
Season with contents of seasoning packet and salt and pepper. Continue cooking vegetables until desired softness is reached, about 5-10 additional minutes.
Sprinkle in flour gradually while whisking constantly until a roux forms. Sauté about 4-5 minutes being careful not to burn the roux.
Slowly pour in half and half, whisking the whole time. Cook about 5 more minutes or until thick. Pour veggie mixture into the large turkey/broth pot.
Simmer over medium heat until rice is done, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with warm rolls or crackers. Enjoy!
Ramona says
I have always asked the meat department if they would cut a frozen turkey in half for me. I cooked half for Thanksgiving and put the other half in freezer and cooked in January or February. Not all meat departments will do that but I have had good luck with it. Just a thought now that there is just the two of you.
Margo says
I plan on waiting until the fresh turkeys come out. I cut it up, package it, and freeze manageable portions for the 2 of us. I’ll make turkey leg pot roast, roast one half of a turkey breast for us, soup, pot pie, and the list goes on. Think I’ll make this soup too!
Anne Wiebe says
I’m a vegetarian now, but when I used to eat turkey, my habit was to boil down the carcass and get a large pot of extremely rich broth with meat pieces in it, thicken With flour or cornstarch, season, and make 10 to 12 frozen pot pies out of it. So so good and so so easy. I just buy the frozen deep dish crusts, fry up two or three onions and some celery, and add frozen mixed vegetables. Divide that between the 10 or 12 piecrusts, ladle on the thickened turkey broth and meat, and top with a unrolled premade pie crust topping. Crimp, Wrap them and bag them and label and freeze them, the deep freeze is full of fantastic pot pies for many months to come. You bake at 350 for an hour or an hour and a half, I don’t remember exactly, until it’s done. Really really good.
Karen says
Great idea!! Thanks for this smart way to produce many meals.
Gigi says
I just found a British Christmas pudding recipe I’m thinking of trying. It can be made 6+ weeks ahead. https://www.christinascucina.com/traditional-british-christmas-pudding-make-ahead-fruit-brandy-filled-steamed-dessert/
Mel says
We ordered a local turkey for the first time this year, and I’m very excited. There are only two of us, but we have no problem using up a 20 lb turkey. We eat sandwiches for a couple days and then I make pot pies and turkey noodle soup with the rest. Wild rice soup sounds good as well, but the turkey noodle soup seems to cure colds, so I always lean towards that this time of year.
Julie says
Made this tonight as the leftover turkey from our Thanksgiving (Canadian) was taking up too much freezer space. The kids who loves to cook declared it a win, that a success in my book.