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As we head into turkey season I have the perfect easy, healthy fall recipe for you to make this year with your leftover turkey. If you’re ever looking in your refrigerator after Thanksgiving, wondering if you can eat another turkey dinner after the third or forth day in a row, this is for you.
This creamy lemon turkey and wild rice soup is one of my absolute favorites. It’s a simple, low-stress, low-cook-time recipe that will keep you feeling satisfied and nourished after each bowl. Eat it right away or store it in the freezer for a delicious lunch or dinner on a busy day. It’s absolutely perfect for a cozy day, having a bowl of soup and curled up in a blanket. I hope you enjoy!
Creamy Lemon Turkey & Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
Onion & Garlic: The building blocks of pretty much any soup recipe is onion and garlic. They add a base of beautiful flavor to soup and perfectly caramelize in the pot to prepare it for the other ingredients. A sweet yellow onion is best but feel free to use white onion as well.
Celery & Carrots: Just like onions and garlic, celery and carrots are both key building blocks to many soups, and mainly contribute to the various textures of this turkey soup. Dice them up very small and let them cook down until tender for delicious variation in every bite.
Baby Bella Mushrooms: I for one am a total mushroom lover. I used to hate them but in the last couple of years I’ve become obsessed! I really don’t know what changed. But if you think you don’t like them… this is your sign to give them another try! I use sliced baby bella mushrooms for this recipe but feel free to omit if you do not like them.
Spices: The spices you’ll need for this recipe are very simple. I like to include salt, black pepper and dried thyme for seasoning. Feel free to experiment and utilize additional spices. I think some rosemary, red pepper flakes, or even a dash of cumin would be great in this soup.
Wild Rice: A cup of uncooked wild rice really levels up this recipe. It makes the soup even more satisfying and nourishing, and the rice cooks directly in the pot for minimal dishes. Not only that, but the rice takes on SO much flavor because it cooks with all of those delicious flavors from the vegetables, spices and broth.
Turkey or Vegetable Broth: While I recommend using turkey broth as the primary liquid in this soup, you could also use vegetable broth, or even chicken broth. If you don’t have any broth at all and still want to try the recipe, feel free to use water and add a couple extra pinches of salt. If you’re making a turkey this year and using the leftovers for this soup, trying making bone broth out of the bones!
Coconut Milk: Full-fat, canned coconut milk is the best option for adding creaminess to the turkey soup. You won’t taste the coconut, but if you’d like to use something different, feel free to use half and half or even whole milk as a replacement if you don’t need to keep it dairy-free.
Lemon Zest & Juice: Both lemon zest and juice add to the beautiful lemon flavor in this soup. You’ll ideally like to get fresh lemons so you can first zest the outside directly into the pot, then squeeze its juice. If you don’t have a zester, just add more lime juice to make up for it.
Turkey Breast: You of course can’t make turkey soup without turkey! As I mentioned, this recipe is absolutely perfect for a post-Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving meal when you have a bunch of turkey in your fridge to be eaten. I recommend using the breast meat for this recipe, and shredding it so the pieces are bite-sized. If you prefer the dark meat, feel free to try that out too.
How To Make Creamy Lemon Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Step One: Begin by heating the two tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven.
Step Two: Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrots to the pot. Stir to distribute the oil and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.
Step Three: Add in the sliced mushrooms, salt, black pepper, thyme, tapioca flour, and wild rice. Stir to cover all of the vegetables and the rice with the spices. Let cook for 3-5 minutes, until aromatic.
Step Four: Cover everything with the turkey broth (adding water if needed to ensure everything is under the liquid) and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, covered.
Step Five: After 30 minutes, add the can of coconut milk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Return to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, until the rice has cooked and vegetables are tender.
Step Six: Add in the cooked turkey breast and stir to distribute. Reduce heat and simmer on low until serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
If you try out this recipe, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below if you love it. You can also snap a photo & tag @jenneatsgoood on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support this blog and make it possible for me to continue to create healthier recipes!
If you’re looking for other soup recipes, check out some of my other favorites!
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque
CREAMY LEMON TURKEY & WILD RICE SOUP (GF, DF)
6
servings10
minutes1
hourGluten-Free, Dairy-Free
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Ingredients
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tapioca flour (can sub flour for non-GF)
1 cup dry wild rice
4 cups turkey or vegetable broth
1 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
zest of 1 lemon (~ 2 tbsp)
juice of 2 lemons (~1/2 cup)
3 cups turkey breast, cooked and shredded
Directions
- Begin by heating the two tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrots to the pot. Stir to distribute the oil and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms, salt, black pepper, thyme, tapioca flour, and wild rice. Stir to cover all of the vegetables and the rice with the spices. Let cook for 3-5 minutes, until aromatic.
- Cover everything with the turkey broth (adding water if needed to ensure everything is under the liquid) and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, covered.
- After 30 minutes, add the can of coconut milk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Return to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, until the rice has cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Add in the cooked turkey breast and stir to distribute. Reduce heat and simmer on low until serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Notes
- To make in a slow cooker, add all ingredients other than the coconut milk, lemon and turkey in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours, then stir in the coconut milk, lemon and turkey. Let sit on keep warm until ready to serve.
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