Transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a cozy bowl of comfort with this smoked turkey rice soup. Made with leftover smoked turkey, fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and rice, it's perfect for warming up.
1. Fill a large stock pot with leftover smoked turkey parts (legs, neck, offal, wings, thighs, and any backs from spatchcocked birds).
2. Add in one large sweet onion (quartered), 3 to 4 chopped carrots, 3 to 4 chopped celery ribs, two bulbs of garlic, a couple of bay leaves, two teaspoons of poultry seasoning, and a bunch of thyme.
3. Cover with 6-8 cups of water. Simmer on a low boil for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bones.
4. Remove the pot from heat and strain the turkey broth, discarding the solids. Defat the turkey broth and pour it back into the stock pot.
5. Remove the meat from the bones, shred it, and add it back to the broth.
6. Season the broth and meat with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add fresh diced carrots, diced celery, diced sweet onion, and another bunch of thyme to the broth.
8. Stir in 1 to 1.5 cups of wild or regular long grain rice.
9. Simmer on a low boil until the rice is tender, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
10. Season to taste again with salt and pepper. Serve hot. This soup also freezes very well.
