Turkey (or Chicken) Soup With Lemon and Rice

Updated Nov. 7, 2022

Turkey (or Chicken) Soup With Lemon and Rice
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
5(868)
Comments
Read comments

This comforting soup is inspired by a Middle Eastern chicken soup. It’s great with or without leftover turkey — don’t hesitate to pull turkey stock from the freezer and make it with just vegetables and rice.

Featured in: Taking Stock After Thanksgiving

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves six
  • 2quarts turkey stock or chicken stock
  • 4celery stalks, with leaves, thinly sliced
  • 2leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
  • 4garlic cloves, green shoots removed, thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 to 2 lemons, to taste
  • ½pound zucchini, sliced
  • 2cups shredded leftover turkey (optional)
  • ½cup basmati rice, cooked
  • ¼cup chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

241 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 1161 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring the stock to a simmer, and add the celery, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and leftover turkey, if you have it, and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the rice and the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but don’t add the cilantro until just before serving.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Ratings

5 out of 5
868 user ratings
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Comments

Strip the chicken from the rotisserie chicken. Save the meat and put all the remainder of the carcass including all the skin, bones, juices, etc, into a pot along with an onion (including skin), garlic, carrots, celery, spices, whatever and simmer for two hours. Strain and add as much of the chicken and rice as you want to the soup.. You can also add a heaping teaspoon of chicken bouillon to deepen the flavor

Cooking cooked turkey for 10-15 minutes would toughen it unless it's frozen. I like to put shredded cooked turkey or chicken in the bottom of each bowl and pour hot broth over it--not re-cooking it at all.

I do a chicken soup very similar to this. I make my own stock, and utilize every part of the chicken (except the skin). It is one of my ultimate comfort foods. I even have friends asking for it when they get sick. I have no scientific data to back it up, but I think it cures cancer.

I do a few things different. I use fresh ginger and lemon grass. If you want to put a neat spin on it sub out rice and use farro. Cook it separately, and add it in the end after it's off the burner.

Loved the simple flavors, but the lemon and cilantro bring in all together! Used leftover wild rice and it was fantastic.

Note from Annie, below. Saute prosciutto in a little olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Then heartier veggies. Then others and chicken broth. Maybe a little ginger somewhere along the line? Looks good!

Why not cook the rice in the soup? What am I missing?

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