Smoked Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Warm up your autumn evenings with a delightful bowl of Smoked Turkey & Wild Rice Soup! This hearty dish features tender chunks of smoky turkey and nutty wild rice, simmered to perfection with aromatic herbs and veggies. It's the ultimate comfort food that brings the flavors of fall right to your table!
Prep
15
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- some carrots
- a little bit of celery
- some onions
- some water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- some smoked turkey legs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- some heavy cream
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- a lot of flour
- some olive oil
- some vegetable stock
- wild rice
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- some rosemary
- a little bit of that seasoning packet
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
582
Protein
32g
Carbs
53g
Fat
28g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a Dutch oven, add some olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and flour. Season it up.
- 2
Add in the smoked turkey legs and season a bit more. Then add vegetable stock and water, cover, and let it simmer for about an hour.
- 3
After an hour, skim off some fat, add rosemary, and cook the meat down for about two more hours.
- 4
Add in heavy cream and mix together, then pour in the wild rice and a little bit of the seasoning packet. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Create a roux with a 1:1 flour-to-oil ratio (by weight) and cook it for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until it turns light blonde, which develops nutty flavors and ensures proper thickening without raw flour taste in your finished soup.technique1:1 ratio, 3-4 minutes, light blonde color
- ✓Simmer smoked turkey legs at 180-190°F (just below boiling) for the first 90 minutes to extract collagen into gelatin without toughening the meat, then increase to a gentle rolling boil for the final 90 minutes to break down connective tissue completely.timing180-190°F for 90 min, then rolling boil for 90 min
- ✓Skim fat after the first hour while it's still hot and emulsified, then skim again after the second hour when fat has separated and rises clearly—this removes up to 60% of excess fat and prevents greasy mouthfeel.techniqueSkim twice: after 1 hour and 3 hours total
- ✓Add heavy cream at 160-170°F (not boiling) and stir constantly for 60 seconds to emulsify it into the soup; temperatures above 180°F can break the cream and create a grainy, separated texture.timing160-170°F, 60 seconds of stirring
- ✓Cook wild rice separately for 45-50 minutes until 65-70% tender, then add to the soup in the last 15 minutes rather than cooking it directly in broth, which prevents it from absorbing excess salt and keeps grains distinct instead of mushy.techniquePre-cook 45-50 min to 65-70% doneness, add in final 15 min
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Smoked Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Warm up your autumn evenings with a delightful bowl of Smoked Turkey & Wild Rice Soup! This hearty dish features tender chunks of smoky turkey and nutty wild rice, simmered to perfection with aromatic herbs and veggies. It's the ultimate comfort food that brings the flavors of fall right to your table!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- some carrots
- a little bit of celery
- some onions
- some water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- some smoked turkey legs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- some heavy cream
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- a lot of flour
- some olive oil
- some vegetable stock
- wild rice
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- some rosemary
- a little bit of that seasoning packet
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
582
Protein
32g
Carbs
53g
Fat
28g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a Dutch oven, add some olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and flour. Season it up.
- 2
Add in the smoked turkey legs and season a bit more. Then add vegetable stock and water, cover, and let it simmer for about an hour.
- 3
After an hour, skim off some fat, add rosemary, and cook the meat down for about two more hours.
- 4
Add in heavy cream and mix together, then pour in the wild rice and a little bit of the seasoning packet. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Create a roux with a 1:1 flour-to-oil ratio (by weight) and cook it for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until it turns light blonde, which develops nutty flavors and ensures proper thickening without raw flour taste in your finished soup.technique1:1 ratio, 3-4 minutes, light blonde color
- ✓Simmer smoked turkey legs at 180-190°F (just below boiling) for the first 90 minutes to extract collagen into gelatin without toughening the meat, then increase to a gentle rolling boil for the final 90 minutes to break down connective tissue completely.timing180-190°F for 90 min, then rolling boil for 90 min
- ✓Skim fat after the first hour while it's still hot and emulsified, then skim again after the second hour when fat has separated and rises clearly—this removes up to 60% of excess fat and prevents greasy mouthfeel.techniqueSkim twice: after 1 hour and 3 hours total
- ✓Add heavy cream at 160-170°F (not boiling) and stir constantly for 60 seconds to emulsify it into the soup; temperatures above 180°F can break the cream and create a grainy, separated texture.timing160-170°F, 60 seconds of stirring
- ✓Cook wild rice separately for 45-50 minutes until 65-70% tender, then add to the soup in the last 15 minutes rather than cooking it directly in broth, which prevents it from absorbing excess salt and keeps grains distinct instead of mushy.techniquePre-cook 45-50 min to 65-70% doneness, add in final 15 min