Refrigerator Soup

For this soup, I rummaged around my refrigerator and was determined to use up all of our leftover food and items that would soon be expiring. We had an un-opened package of turkey that was good for a few more days...so I centered my dish around that. We also had celery, frozen broccoli and corn. And in the pantry, we had cans of white beans, tomatoes, chicken stock and a box of wild rice. So, I decided to make a wild rice and turkey soup...

Here are all the spices I threw in it.

This actually turned out amazing! It was like minestrone soup on steroids. Super flavorful and really hearty. Loved the combination of veggies, rice, turkey and spices. My husband and I chowed down on this and even our 10 month old and 4 year old ate their fair share.

Below is a guideline of what I did. Take a peek in the back of your refrigerator and pantry and use what you have.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup (/stew)

1 pkg. ground turkey

1/2 tsp cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of salt

***

1 box Near East, Long Grain and Wild Rice (use seasoning packet too)*

1 (14.5) can chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (14 oz) can white beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 small onion, chopped small

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli

3 celery ribs, diced

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried Italian herb blend

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried chives

1/2 tsp ground beef bouillon

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pan, brown turkey with cumin, red pepper and salt. Cook until turkey is no longer pink.

In a soup pot add the rest of the ingredients* and stir to combine. Add in turkey mixture and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Taste and season as necessary.

* I cooked my rice in a rice cooker until al dente and then added it. If you want to just add the rice and seasoning packet with the rest of the ingredients and save a dirty pot, add 2 cups of water to the soup.