'Tis the season for turkey leftovers! We love the combination of rice with turkey, and both appear frequently in our family meal planning. I created this simple recipe to incorporate these two favorite foods. This is a good soup to pack for school lunches, or enjoy at home on a crisp fall afternoon with a wedge of crusty eighteen-grain bread.
TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds boneless skinless turkey thighs (about 3 thighs)
2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1 1/4 cups cooked wild rice (see Tip below)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh-flat leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Place a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned (about 5-7 minutes). Stir in the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Add the turkey thighs and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and summer until the turkey thighs are firm and cooked through with no pink remaining in the center (about 1 hour). Lift the turkey from the pot and, when cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the meat into bit-size pieces. Return the meat to the soup pot.
Stir in wild rice, soy sauce, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve.
Tip: Wild rice is easy to cook but takes quite a long time- usually 45 minutes.
