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Simple Ground Turkey Soup with Rice

Simple Ground Turkey Soup with Rice

This simple ground turkey soup with rice is a satisfying and lighter chicken stock based soup that is full of ground turkey, carrots, potatoes, peas and white rice. Just right for a cold day or if you are wondering what to do with that extra pack of ground turkey in your fridge! Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free as well.

True story. We wanted to make chicken soup one day and didn’t have any chicken in the fridge. All we had was ground turkey, so we decided to try making soup with it. We followed our usual from scratch soup recipe, but added ground turkey, tweaked the seasoning, added rice. A this satisfying, protein packed, lighter ground turkey soup recipe was born.

Now we make it on the regular because it’s filling and satisfying, and our kids love it! It has also quickly become a reader favorite.

Ground turkey rice soup in a two bowls with spoons in them.

Why this recipe works

  • It is a great way to use up extra ground turkey and vegetables in the fridge.
  • Ground turkey is full of protein. Each serving of this soup has over 30 grams of protein!
  • It is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
  • It’s a tasty way to cook ground turkey. It full of sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley, which really compliments the flavors of the soup.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients needed to make ground turkey soup with rice.
  • Shallot and garlic– these help to season the turkey as well as the soup as a whole.
  • Ground turkey– we find using regular fat ground turkey( usually 93% lean/7% fat) has better flavor in cooking, but use whatever type of ground turkey you prefer.
  • Carrots and Celery– these both add crunch and flavor to the soup.
  • Yellow potatoes– these are a great carb source and add good texture to the soup.
  • Dried parsley, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano, rubbed sage– these herbs all season the soup and compliment the turkey flavor well.
  • Nutritional yeast– this is optional but, it adds great flavor to chicken stock based soups. If you have it on hand, we highly recommend adding it.
  • Chicken stock or chicken broth– try to use a brand that has minimal ingredients and no preservatives like Kettle and Fire.
  • Almond milk– this adds a bit of creaminess to the soup.
  • Peas– you can use fresh or frozen peas.
  • White rice– we like using basmati or Jasmin white rice in this recipe.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Additions/ Substitutions

  • Instead of shallots, you can use a white onion. You can also use 1 teaspoon of onion powder if you prefer as well.
  • Instead of yellow potatoes, you can use any potato of your choice.
  • Instead of ground turkey, you can also use ground chicken.
  • Instead of almond milk, you can use any non-dairy or regular milk of your choice
  • Instead of white rice, you can use brown rice but cooking time may vary.
  • Instead of chicken stock, you can use veggie stock or bone broth.

Step by step instructions

Sautéing shallot and garlic in a pan.

Step 1

Step 1: Sauté the shallot and garlic in a large soup pan.

Browning ground turkey.

Step 2

Step 2: Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook it until it is browned and cooked through.

Adding the veggies and chicken stock to the pan.

Step 3

Step 3: Add all of the ingredients except the rice to the pan. This includes the chicken broth, celery, carrots, potatoes, almond milk, peas, and all of the spices. Boil the soup for 10 minutes.

Adding the rice to the soup.

Step 4

Step 4: Add the rice. Then, let everything boil for another 20 minutes.

Creamy turkey rice soup in a two bowls with spices on top.

Step 5

Step 5: Serve in bowls.

Expert tips

  • Make sure the potatoes and carrots are cut into smaller slices/ cubes.
    • This allows them to cook all the way through more easily.
    • This also makes them easier to eat.
  • If you want to add even more protein to this soup, use bone broth.
  • Serve with a side of bread, it is satisfying to dunk into the soup!

Recipe FAQs

How do you store this soup?

In an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

How do you reheat it?

We like to either use the microwave or reheat it on the stove. We recommend adding some chicken stock or bone broth to the soup prior to heating it because the rice absorbs some of the liquid with time. This way, you get more of a soup texture.

How can you avoid bland turkey soup?

Seasoning! That is why we use sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper in this recipe. We also think the nutritional yeast adds even more flavor.

Up close photo of turkey soup with potatoes and carrots inside.

Prep 15 minutesCook 30 minutesTotal 45 minutesMakes 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced (or 1/2 of an onion minced)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 3-4 large carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 piece/rib of celery, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 pound yellow potatoes, diced into 1 inch sized cubes
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, (optional but adds great flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 3/4 cup white rice, (we used basmati)

Method

  1. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a large soup pan, along with the minced shallot and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the ground turkey to the pan. Break up the ground turkey while mixing it into the shallot and onion. Saute until the turkey is cooked through and light in color, 4-6 minutes.
  2. Lower heat to low. Add in the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, peas and almond milk.
  3. Increase heat until the soup boils, then reduce heat to low medium so that it simmers or soft boils. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the rice, and cook for 15-20 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.

Notes

  • Instead of shallots , you can use a white onion. You can also use 1 teaspoon of onion powder if you prefer as well.
  • Instead of yellow potatoes, you can use any potato of your choice.
  • Instead of ground turkey, you can also use ground chicken.
  • Instead of almond milk, you can use any non-dairy or regular milk of your choice
  • Instead of white rice, you can use brown rice but cooking time may vary.
  • Instead of chicken stock, you can use veggie stock or bone broth.

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