Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

...And so it begins, the quest to use the Thanksgiving leftovers in creative ways! Yes, everyone makes turkey soup - it seems a shame to waste that carcass - but adding wild rice  really brings something more to the soup.

Wild rice adds an earthy, almost grassy flavor to this soup, which it should since wild rice is actually a grass seed rather than a grain. Here's my last post on wild rice and the particular reverence it receives in Minnesota. But you don't need to have an Ojibwe connection to find some good rice. Check out your local natural food grocery store for some. If you can buy it in bulk, it's more affordable.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

2 cups chopped, cooked turkey meat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5 cups turkey stock
2/3 cup wild rice
1 teaspoon thyme
salt
pepper

In a large sauce pan heat olive oil and add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add carrot and celery and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add stock and rice and bring to boil. Cook for 30 minutes until rice is cooked (it will curl up and split open). Add turkey and thyme and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragu at The Perfect Pantry
Roasted Pumpkin Feta Cake at Honey From Rock 
Fabada Asturiana (Asturian Bean Stew) at An Edible Mosiac