Recipes, Soups and Stews
Wild Rice Soup Featuring Butternut Squash and Turkey
Have you ever tried wild rice soup?
This time of year, heart-warming and soul-soothing stews and soups make a regular appearance at my table. Soups, stews, chilli and other one-pot meals are my go-to when the weather turns frosty.
And let’s be honest: I love soup when the fridge is full of miscellaneous bits and pieces from meals earlier in the week. And this Hearty Wild Rice, Butternut Squash & Turkey Soup fits the bill!
I love meals like these because they don’t require much babysitting. You can set them on the stove, check on them every once in a while, and they take care of themselves.
I wish children were more like that, haha.
Just be sure not to overcook the vegetables, or no one will be happy with the soggy, grey results.
Nutritional Benefits of Wild Rice
I wanted to highlight wild rice because it’s not a food that I often cook with. The cook time is substantial so it’s not ideal for most weeknights. Weekends, sure, but not a weeknight when time is limited and big and little mouths are hungry.
Here is a bit of nutritional know-how about wild rice, although it is not technically even rice at all. It is actually a type of North American marsh grass that is nutty and chewy once cooked. It is high in protein and fibre, and low in calories and fat.
Toothsome would be a good way to describe it!
It offers decent amounts of magnesium and B vitamins, provides significant potassium, some niacin and zinc. The flavour of this Hearty Wild Rice, Butternut Squash & Turkey Soup is smoky, layered and spicy.
You can, however, adjust the spiciness up or down based on how much ground cayenne and/or red chilli flakes you add.
I used some incredibly flavourful, organic and antibiotic-free turkey that I cooked, chopped and froze after Thanksgiving. However, you could substitute chicken, beans or another favourite source of protein. Taste as you go and at the end so you can make this suitable for your family.
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Here’s how to make this Hearty Wild Rice, Butternut Squash and Turkey Soup.
Hearty Wild Rice, Butternut Squash & Turkey Soup
This Hearty Wild Rice, Butternut Squash & Turkey Soup is the perfect comfort food for cooler months. Packed with nutrient-rich vegetables, tender turkey, and hearty wild rice, it’s a deliciously satisfying and wholesome meal. This gluten-free, one-pot recipe is easy to make and filling. It's also perfect for cozy family dinners or meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1 very large Vidalia onion chopped
- 1 cup wild rice or a wild rice/brown rice blend
- 1 large carrot about 1 cup, chopped
- 3 cups butternut squash about 500 g, peeled and chopped
- ½ small head of green cabbage I used Savoy and this was about 200 g, sliced thinly
- 7-8 cups homemade stock You can substitute water if you don’t have homemade stock, chicken or turkey stock.
- 2 ½ cups of cooked, roughly chopped turkey I like organic, antibiotic-free, when I can find it.
- 2 ½ Tbsp ground turmeric
- 2 ½ Tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne optional for spiciness
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes optional for spiciness, use up to 1 tsp
- 1 tsp sea vegetable powder optional – this provides extra minerals and salty flavour
- Sea salt I use around 2 Tbsp
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh minced parsley or cilantro to garnish optional
Instructions
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Rinse wild rice in a strainer until the water runs clear. Set aside.
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Add the onion to a large stock pot and sweat with a tablespoon of coconut oil for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add wild rice and mix to coat well.
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Add 3 cups of homemade stock or water, cover and bring to a boil. Once at a low boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
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Add carrots, butternut squash, cabbage, turkey and 4 cups of stock or water. Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables are tender.
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Add additional water if needed for a thinner soup.
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Add spices and season.
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Serve as is or with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to adjust or swap out the vegetables in this wild rice soup.
This wild rice soup might also be a great candidate for the crock pot or pressure cooker if you want dinner to practically cook itself. I haven’t tried this myself, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
What’s your favourite comfort dish when the weather turns cold?
Life is a plate… Eat up!
Ashleigh