Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

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***UPDATE*** 

Today I heated up the leftovers, but made it more of a turkey and rice casserole.  I added about 2 cups of california blend vegetables to the mix.  Baked it for 45 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.  Stirred everything , topped it with shredded cheese, and baked for 15 more minutes.  It was delicious!  So if you want to reheat the leftovers as a soup I suggest adding some broth until you reach your desired consistency.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Now we face the dilemma of what to do with all the leftovers.  Even though turkey sandwiches are wonderful, they tend to get old very fast.  Soups are always great because they can be changed up to become something totally different and they freeze well so you can make a huge batch and have meals for later on.

The evening of Thanksgiving I always make a big batch of turkey stock.  I save all the veggie odds and ends such as the celery tops, carrot tops, onion ends, etc.  These work great to make stock.  I then break up the carcass so it fits in my largest stock pot, add the vegetable odds and ends, and then fill the pot with cold water.  The stock is simmered for 3-4 hours.  I never bring it to a boil and I skim the foamy scum religiously so I end up with a nice clear stock.  Once everything is done simmering I discard the largest pieces and strain the broth to remove any pieces that were missed.  Then the stock gets refrigerated overnight so I can remove the fat layer that solidifies on top.

Now that you know how to make homemade stock now it's time to figure out what to do with all that stock. I always make a soup.  Usually a turkey noodle soup, but this year I decided to make turkey and wild rice soup.  I found a fabulous recipe over at Living Life Intentionally and knew I had to make it.  Any stock I have leftover after making the soup will be frozen in 1 cup serving sizes to make rice or whatever else I may need it for.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup source Living Life Intentionally
1 large onion, diced
6 celery ribs, diced
6 carrots, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
8-10 cups turkey stock
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 cups turkey, chopped

• Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat
• Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute until soft, about 7-10 minutes
• Add flour and continue to cook for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly
• Slowly add stock to the vegetables
• Add seasonings and stir to combine
• Add cooked wild rice, heavy cream, milk, and turkey to the stock pot
• Simmer on low for about 20 minutes to blend flavors

A simple way to use all the leftover turkey.  Not to mention yummy!  If you wanted I am sure you could easily half this recipe, but it really is a wonderful soup to have on hand for those hectic nights.  I have enough extra for 2 meals throughout the winter and some for quick lunches too :)  Yum!

Below is the nutritional value per serving.  This recipe yields approximately 18 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 165 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 218 Calories from Fat 87

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.7g 15%

Saturated Fat 5.5g 28%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 47mg 16%

Sodium 237mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 19.6g 7%

Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8%

Sugars 2.9g

Protein 13.6g

Vitamin A 77% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 5% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in selenium
• Very high in vitamin A

Bad points

• High in saturated fat

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