Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup

1. 1

   In a very large stock pot, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.

2. 2

   Chop 3 cups celery. I used almost a whole medium head of celery, including the leaves at the end. (They add great flavor!) Instead of pulling off individual stalks, just start chopping the whole head from the leafed end. See photos.

3. 3

   Chop 2 large onions. Add celery and onions to the pot with the melted butter.

4. 4

   Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning.

5. 5

   Saute for 13-14 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent.

6. 6

   Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.

7. 7

   Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/2 cup flour and stir for 1 more minute.

8. 8

   SLOWLY add 12 cups Zoup! Chicken Bone Broth, stirring the whole time. You don't want lumps of flour so make sure to stir up those vegetables. 

9. 9

   Add 5 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf.

10. 10

    Peel 8 medium to large carrots, and cut off the ends. Use a food processor to shred the carrots. You can do this using a cheese grater if you don't have a food processor. You can also chop the carrots into rounds if you like. But shredded carrots is what gives this soup the texture I love, so keep that in mind. (Shredded carrots are what made Nana's Beef Barley Soup internet famous.) It's going to taste good either way, no matter how you prepare your carrots. 

11. 11

    Add all the shredded carrots and turn the heat to high. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Don't walk away and let it boil over! 

12. 12

    When the soup is boiling, add 4 cups leftover cooked turkey meat. I like a mixture of dark and white meat, but you can use whatever you have. (You can also use cooked chicken!) Lower the heat to a simmer, somewhere between low and medium low depending on your stove. There should be slow bubbles happening but nothing too active. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

13. 13

    Add 1 and 1/2 cups quick cooking wild rice blend* (see note!) and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat back down and simmer for another 15-30 minutes, until your rice is tender. 

14. 14

    When the rice is cooked, turn the heat all the way to low and stir in 1 and 1/2 cups cream.

15. 15

    Stir in 1/4 cup lemon juice. This gives the soup a bright and lemony flavor, so if you are not into that, start with 2 tablespoons and add more from there.

16. 16

    Use a sharp knife to chop 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon sage, and 2 tablespoons parsley. You can adjust these amounts to taste. Stir the herbs into the soup and turn off the heat. 

17. 17

    Add salt and pepper to taste. Don't skip this step! I added at least 1 more teaspoon salt, but this will depend on how salty your leftovers were. 

18. 18

    Don't forget to remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.

19. 19

    Serve with fresh herbs sprinkled on top and another drizzle of cream, if you want. 

20. 20

    This makes a really big batch of soup! Soup freezes beautifully, so I put half in a ziplock and am saving it for a rainy day. I also put some of the finished soup back into one of the Zoup broth jars, which are almost exactly 1 quart, and gave it to a friend. 

Slow cooker instructions

1. 1

   Follow instructions through step 7 (sprinkling on the flour), except you can use a large skillet to cook the onion and celery (instead of a large stock pot.) 

2. 2

   Slowly pour in about 3-4 cups of broth, stirring the whole time so that your flour doesn't get lumpy. Transfer the mixture to a large crock pot (at least 6 quarts).

3. 3

   Add all the remaining broth, the bay leaf, and 5 sprigs of thyme. 

4. 4

   Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.

5. 5

   Add the shredded carrots and turkey, and cook on low for another hour.

6. 6

   Add the wild rice and cook for another 30-60 minutes, until the rice is tender. 

7. 7

   Stir in the cream, lemon juice, and all the fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Put the lid back on to warm it back up for a few minutes, if necessary, otherwise serve immediately.