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This Turkey Rice Soup is hands-down the best way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. It starts with homemade turkey stock made from the turkey carcass, then turns into a creamy, hearty soup filled with shredded turkey and wild rice.
If you find this soup comforting, you might also want to check out my Creamy Chicken Soup recipe.
Krissy’s Notes
I make this soup every single year using the frozen broth I make from my Thanksgiving turkey carcass. The homemade turkey stock gives it the richest flavor, and it’s one of those recipes that tastes like comfort in a bowl. It’s one of the reasons why people say my Homemade Turkey Giblet Gravy is the best they’ve ever had.
If you’ve never made soup from your leftover turkey bones, you’re missing out. The broth is deep, golden, and loaded with flavor. It freezes beautifully too, so I usually make the stock right after Thanksgiving dinner and save it for cold winter nights.
Once you’ve made the broth, the soup itself comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s slightly creamy, filled with tender turkey, and the wild rice gives it a hearty, rustic texture.
What You’ll Need To Make It
The full recipe is below, but here’s what makes this turkey carcass soup so flavorful:
Homemade turkey stock: Made from your leftover turkey carcass, onions, celery, carrots, and herbs. The secret to the best flavor.
Shredded turkey: After you cut off enough turkey to eat with your leftover Sausage Stuffing, Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Cranberry Sauce, anything that’s left on the bones is enough for this soup.
Vegetables: Sautéed onion, celery, and garlic form the aromatic base.
Wild rice: Adds texture and heartiness and it also makes this soup filling enough to be a full meal.
Cream and butter: Give the broth a subtle creaminess without being heavy.
How to Make Turkey Carcass Soup
Full directions are in the recipe card, but here’s a quick summary:
- Make the stock. Simmer the turkey carcass with onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and water for several hours (or 90 minutes in the Instant Pot).
- Strain and shred. Remove the bones, strain the broth, and shred any leftover turkey meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a separate pot, cook onion, celery, and garlic until golden. Add to the broth.
- Make it creamy. Create a simple roux with butter, flour, milk, and cream. Stir this into the soup to make it slightly creamy.
- Add rice and season. Stir in cooked wild rice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
The result: a rich, creamy turkey and wild rice soup that’s full of depth and flavor. It’s the ultimate way to stretch your Thanksgiving feast into something new.
Make Ahead and Storage
To make ahead: Make and freeze the turkey broth after Thanksgiving, then use it to prepare the soup months later.
To store: The finished soup will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Freeze in quart containers for easy reheating later. Just thaw overnight and warm on the stove.
Learn From Me
Since I make this every year, I’ve developed some pretty helpful tips.
- Cut off most of the meat from the bones so you can use it for other recipes like Turkey Pot Pie or Warm Turkey Sliders but be sure to leave enough to give the stock flavor and provide shredded meat for the soup.
- Don’t let the turkey carcass sit out. Just get it simmering right after dinner.
- If your turkey was heavily seasoned like I do with my One Spoon Dry Rub, start light on the salt and adjust at the end.
- For quick prep, use frozen pre-cooked wild rice (Trader Joe’s is my favorite).
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few questions I’ve gotten from readers over the years for this recipe.
Yes. It won’t have quite the same rich flavor, but it still makes an excellent soup.
Definitely! The method works perfectly for chicken carcasses too.
It freezes beautifully, however the rice will get much softer. Just store in portions and thaw for a fast homemade meal later.
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Ingredients
Homemade Turkey Stock:
- cooked turkey carcass with as much or as little meat as you’d like and be sure to include any herbs that you cooked with the bird
- 1 onion quartered
- 2 stalks celery cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 carrots peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 whole bay leaves
To Make the Soup:
- 8 cups turkey stock Use the stock that you prepared along with any shredded meat (8 cups minimum, more if you like)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium diced yellow onion
- 4 stalks diced celery you want the same onion to celery ratio
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
To make the broth:
- Once you've cooked and eaten your turkey, pick off any meat you want to enjoy as leftovers, but be sure to leave at least a small amount on the bones. Place entire cooked turkey carcass including skin, bones, and any herbs stuffed in the cavity in the largest slow cooker or Instant Pot you have. If it doesn't fit, you can break it down to fit the entire thing in or cook in multiple batches.
- Add 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 4 cloves garlic, and 2 whole bay leaves to the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Add as much water as you can, filling it to the highest allowed level.
- Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours in slow cooker (easy to do overnight after Thanksgiving dinner) or on high pressure for 90 minutes in Instant Pot.
- Strain the broth into a container. When cool enough to handle, shred any turkey from the carcass that you can and add to the broth. Cool the broth and the shredded turkey in the refrigerator and use within a couple of days or store in air tight plastic bag or quart sized plastic containers in the freezer until ready to use.
To make the soup:
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook 8 cups turkey stock with the shredded meat. If frozen, its okay to put the frozen block in the pot to let it melt. Otherwise you can allow broth to thaw in refrigerator prior to heating.
- Meanwhile, in a separate heavy bottom stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté 1 medium diced yellow onion and 4 stalks diced celery until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 minutes. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the cooked onion, celery, and garlic to the hot broth.
- Using the stockpot you used to cook the onions, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat and whisk in 6 tablespoons flour. Allow to cook until golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and continue to whisk until until a thick gravy has formed. Add the gravy to the soup mixture and whisk until completely mixed and smooth. Add 4 cups cooked wild rice. Taste, and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt (if needed, see note below) and freshly ground pepper, adjusting amounts to taste.
Notes
- Don’t let that turkey carcass sit out too long. After everyone is done eating, get that stock going.
- The amount of salt you add to your soup will depend on the taste. For example, if you make your Thanksgiving Turkey with a dry rub, you may not need to add any additional salt to the soup.
- My favorite tip is to use the frozen par-cooked bags of rice from Trader Joe’s. It’s much easier than cooking the rice yourself
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How much turkey should I use? This sounds delicious 😋
Sorry for the late reply! The amount of turkey you add it totally a matter of personal preference.
I have been making this for 3 years now. This is the best soup EVER!!!!!! Thank you for the recipe me and my family appreciate it sooooo much!!!!
Thank you! I’m about to make it tonight with our frozen stock from Thanksgiving.
I have the turkey but no carcass. Can I use homemade chicken bone broth that I have instead or will it taste off?
Hi Amanda, It will still taste really good with chicken broth. The turkey stock just makes it taste a bit more like Thanksgiving.
I’ve got an unseasoned veggie broth in the freezer that I need to use. Should I use spices that you use to make the broth? Anything else you think?
TIA
Hi Pam, I think it’s one of those things where you’ll have to make it and then taste to see what it needs. When in doubt, always start with salt!
I made this for dinner last night with a leftover turkey carcass I had saved in the freezer and it turned out delicious! I think it’ll definitely be a frequent meal in our kitchen around Thanksgiving time or anytime I have a leftover chicken carcass. I make stock anytime I have enough leftover bones, but I’ve strangely never thought to do it in a crockpot. SO much easier! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe and technique!
Hello! I’m wondering how much of the broth /stock is needed to make the soup? How many cups? Thanks,
When I make my stock, I usually add about 8 cups (two quarts) to the soup.