Turkey Rice Soup
Updated Oct 27, 2025
Turkey and rice soup made in one pot with cubed turkey breast, rice, and veggies simmered in a flavorful broth.
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Make turkey rice soup with Thanksgiving leftovers!
This turkey and rice soup with veggies is perfect for using up all of that Thanksgiving turkey! It’s really easy to make. Just soften the vegetables, then add the rice and cook, followed by the cubed turkey. Finally, stir in some fresh spinach. This homemade turkey and rice soup is great for a cold winter day!
Since I only eat halal poultry, turkey comes to my butcher’s once a year. And it’s not hard for me to eat any leftovers. But if you find yourself not sure what to do with leftover turkey or chicken, this soup is for you. I also love that it has sweet potatoes and fresh aromatic herbs, which you may also have left over if you cooked up a Thanksgiving meal.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Turkey Rice Soup Ingredients
- Turkey: I use leftover turkey breast, but you can use all dark meat or a combo of both. Slice the meat horizontally against the grain, then dice. Chicken works, too!
- White rice: I recommend long-grain white rice or basmati rice.
- Carrots: Read my tips on how to dice carrots.
- Celery: Here’s a quick tutorial on how to dice celery.
- Sweet potato: Here’s how to dice a sweet potato. You can also use regular potato or cubed butternut squash.
- Spinach: Kale or Swiss chard also works. You may need to cook them slightly longer than the spinach.
- Chicken stock: You can use homemade chicken stock or buy low-sodium chicken stock at the store.
- Olive oil: You can use avocado oil or vegetable oil if that’s what you have.
- Aromatics: Here’s how to dice an onion and how to mince garlic.
- Herbs and seasonings: Fresh rosemary (or thyme), salt, and pepper.
How to Make Turkey Rice Soup
Turkey Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced
- ½ cup long grain rice uncooked
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups leftover turkey cubed
- 1 5 ounce bag baby spinach
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or deep pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and sweet potato. Cook for 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the rice, rosemary, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice finishes cooking and the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the turkey and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the spinach and cook just until spinach wilts, 2–3 minutes. Serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- My Top Tip: If you plan on having leftovers or freezing the turkey vegetable soup, I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to serving bowls as needed. This helps make sure it doesn’t get soggy.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat or microwave individual portions until warmed through.
- Freezing: Store the soup in freezer-safe containers. Leave about an inch at the top of each, because the soup will expand in the freezer. Close tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make it a creamy turkey rice soup. Stir in a splash of coconut milk for a cozy, creamy version.
- Finish it with lemon juice. Add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to brighten up the soup and balance the richness.
- Serve it with cheese. Top the soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan or feta.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the rice separately. If you plan on having leftovers or freezing the homemade turkey vegetable soup, I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to serving bowls as needed. This helps make sure it doesn’t get soggy.
- Don’t add the turkey too soon. It’s already cooked, so you only need to heat it until it’s warmed through. If you add the turkey too soon, it may overcook and dry out.
- Cut your veggies into uniform pieces. This makes sure everything finishes cooking at the same time. It’s particularly important for the sweet potatoes and carrots, because you want them to cook evenly. The celery and onion are more forgiving.
Serving Ideas
- Bread: Garlic Cheese Bread, Homemade Croutons, Garlic & Herb Skillet Dinner Rolls
- Sandwiches: Mozzarella Sandwich, White Bean Avocado Sandwich, Roasted Vegetable Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Salads: Chickpea Salad, Egg Salad, Classic Caesar Salad
FAQs
Cooking the rice separately from the soup (and storing it separately) is a great way to avoid soggy rice. You can also stop the soup from cooking with an ice bath. Fill a large bowl about ¼ full with ice. Transfer the soup to a slightly smaller bowl and place it in the ice bowl. This quickens the cooling and can help you not overcook the rice. You may need to add ice several times to fully cool the soup.
Comments
This soup is delicious! Instead of rice, we had it over leftover mashed potatoes. 😊
Love that idea!!
So so good!! I made a turkey bone broth and used that in place of the stock. Everything else I used exactly as listed. Wonderful way to use all the Thanksgiving leftovers!
Thank you! That sounds perfect. I’m glad those Thanksgiving leftovers are going to good use!
Made tonight. Very tasty. I added Trader Joe’s everything but the leftover seasoning too. 😋
Thank you so much! That sounds delicious!