I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have many things for which to be thankful. Now that Thanksgiving is over, everyone will be moving into the full-on Christmas season, but before we get to the goodies, what do you do with all that leftover turkey? I have a delicious idea for you.

Thanksgiving night in Colorado Springs was icy and foggy and, despite the huge meal in the early afternoon, all the kids were hungry again by evening. A hot bowl of creamy soup was in order, so I used some of the leftover turkey for wild rice soup. It was filling, delicious, and extra cozy on a cold dark night.

I have posted this before as creamy chicken and wild rice soup; it works great with chicken or turkey. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite soups, so I thought I’d remind you that it is here. I love the wild rice, and I love the creamy texture. Enjoy!

*This recipe was originally posted on a site that publishes Weight-Watchers friendly recipes with points calculated. If you choose fat free half-and-half and light butter, you may be able to stay on track with your goals.

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 4 cups (32 oz.) less sodium fat free chicken broth (I use two of the regular size cans and a little water if that’s all I have on hand, and it’s fine. Otherwise, the box of broth is 32 oz.)
• 2 cups leftover cooked turkey, shredded or chopped (I prefer the texture of shredded for this soup)
• 1 box of Long Grain and Wild Rice, do NOT prepare (I use a 6 ounce box of Uncle Ben’s or the 7 ounce box of Zatarain’s; either works great)
• 1 cup diced or sliced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) light butter (I have not seen light butter in sticks, so I have just used regular–there go all the Weight Watcher points right there!)
• 2 cups fat free half and half (I don’t usually keep this on hand, so I have used regular half and half or milk when I do not have 1/2 and 1/2, with good results.)

Directions:

1. Prepare the carrots and celery and shred the cooked turkey (or chicken) and set aside.
2. Bring the water, chicken broth, and carrots and celery to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice (with seasoning packet). Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes until rice is cooked and vegetables are tender.

   

   

3. While the rice and vegetables are cooking, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined. In a small to medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour mixture a spoonful at a time to make a roux. Pour the milk or half and half in a little at a time, stirring continuously with a whisk or fork to combine well. Continue whisking and adding the milk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens. Set aside (it will thicken even more).

   

   

4. When the rice and vegetables are ready, add the shredded turkey and the white sauce mixture to the soup pot and stir to combine. Bring the soup back to a simmer and simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow it to thicken and flavors to combine. The soup may seem thin at first, but it should thicken nicely after a few minutes.

Source: Adapted from Emily Bites

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Category: Fall food, Main Dishes, Soups Tags: soup, Thanksgiving, turkey and wild rice soup, turkey leftovers

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