📝 About This Recipe
This soulful soup is the ultimate celebration of comfort, blending the nutty, chewy texture of wild rice with tender morsels of roasted turkey. Rooted in North American tradition, it features a velvety cream base infused with fresh sage and rosemary that warms you from the inside out. It is the perfect way to transform holiday leftovers into a sophisticated, restaurant-quality meal that tastes even better the next day.
🥗 Ingredients
The Aromatics
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter (high quality)
- 1 large Yellow onion (finely diced)
- 3 medium Carrots (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
- 2 large Celery stalks (sliced into 1/4-inch crescents)
- 4 pieces Garlic cloves (minced)
The Base and Grains
- 1 cup Wild rice blend (rinsed thoroughly)
- 6 cups Turkey or Chicken stock (low-sodium preferred)
- 1/2 cup Dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1 teaspoon Fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh sage (finely chopped)
- 1 piece Bay leaf (dried)
The Finish
- 3 cups Cooked turkey meat (shredded or cubed)
- 1 cup Heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour (for thickening)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper (freshly cracked)
- 1/4 cup Fresh parsley (chopped for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam slightly.
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2
Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery (the mirepoix). Sauté for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent.
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3
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 60 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
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4
Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and creates a light roux to thicken the soup later.
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5
Slowly pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any flavorful brown bits (fond) from the bottom.
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6
Gradually whisk in the turkey stock to ensure no flour lumps remain. Add the rinsed wild rice, rosemary, sage, and the bay leaf.
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7
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
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8
Simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the wild rice is tender and some grains have started to 'butterfly' or pop open.
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9
Once the rice is cooked, stir in the cooked turkey meat and let it simmer for 5 minutes to heat through.
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10
Temper the heavy cream by whisking a ladleful of the hot soup liquid into the cream before adding the mixture back into the pot; this prevents curdling.
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11
Stir the soup gently as it thickens slightly from the cream. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
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12
Remove the bay leaf. Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls and garnish generously with fresh parsley.
💡 Chef's Tips
For the best texture, use a 'True Wild Rice' rather than a quick-cooking blend; the flavor is far superior. If the soup becomes too thick upon standing (as the rice continues to absorb liquid), simply thin it with a splash of extra stock or milk. To add more depth, try roasting the turkey bones to make a homemade stock before starting the soup. If you don't have leftover turkey, a store-bought rotisserie chicken works as a perfect 1:1 substitute. Always rinse your wild rice in a fine-mesh sieve before cooking to remove any dusty residue or debris.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of warm, crusty sourdough bread or honey-butter cornbread for dipping. Pairs beautifully with a crisp, oaked Chardonnay or a hard apple cider. A simple side salad of arugula, sliced pears, and walnuts with a balsamic vinaigrette cuts through the richness. Top each bowl with a few homemade garlic croutons for an extra crunch.