Description
A hearty, cozy soup made from Thanksgiving leftovers, featuring turkey, wild rice, and vegetables simmered in a rich homemade broth—perfect for warming up the next day and reducing waste.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 turkey carcass, with useable meat picked off
- Water (enough to cover the carcass in the pot)
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 6 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 onions, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2-1 cup wild rice (depending on amount of broth)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: leftover green beans, peas, corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or gravy
Instructions
- Place turkey carcass in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1–2 hours to create a flavorful broth.
- Remove carcass and strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Pick off any remaining turkey meat and add it back to the broth.
- Add carrots, celery, onions, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, and parsley. Simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in wild rice and continue cooking for 40–50 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in leftover vegetables, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or a splash of gravy to thicken and enrich the soup.
- Serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits.
Notes
- If using leftover mashed potatoes or stuffing, add near the end of cooking to avoid breaking them down too much.
- Wild rice expands as it cooks, so adjust the amount based on how brothy or thick you want your soup.
- This soup freezes well—store in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 55mg