If you're anything like me, I'm always on the hunt for good recipes to transform my Thanksgiving leftovers until another delicious meal. Today's recipe was given to me by a friend who lives in Minnesota, and it has become a family favorite.
Typically, I make this recipe with leftover chicken, but making it with my leftover Stoltzfus Meats Smoked Turkey added an extra layer to the depth of flavor already found in this soup!
What you'll need for this recipe:
1 stick (8 T) butter
1 large onion, diced (approx 2 cups)
3 large carrots, diced (approx 2 cups)
3 stalks celery, diced (appox 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 sprigs rosemary, chopped (approx 1 T)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 t nutmeg
2 cups rice blend (or 1 cup wild rice and 1 cup white rice)
4 cups smoked turkey, chopped
6 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 T flour, divided
Instructions:
- In a large glass measuring cup, whisk 4 T flour into 6 cups of milk. Set aside.
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add butter. When butter has melted, add carrots, onions, celery, and rosemary. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the rice and stir well. Add remaining 2 T flour and toss to coat the vegetables and rice in flour. Cook until the butter has been absorbed, and the flour is a warm yellow.
- Add the chicken stock and cream of chicken soup and simmer until the soup begins to thicken.
- Slowly add the milk to the pot, stirring frequently so that the milk does not scald. When the soup begins to simmer, lower the heat to low. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and continue to stir frequently.
- When rice is tender and soup reaches desired thickness, add smoked turkey and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving.
