Honey & Lemon Roasted Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

The Country Club Favorite We Served Every Monday — and the Perfect Black Friday Leftover Dish

Black Friday at home usually means one thing:
leftover turkey.

And today, I’m sharing one of the most requested soups I ever made in my 35+ years as a chef — a soup that became a tradition at the country club where I worked.

Every Monday, after the weekend brunch carving station, we turned the roasted turkey into one dish and one dish only:

Honey & Lemon Roasted Turkey and Wild Rice Soup.

We didn’t make sandwiches.
We didn’t make casseroles.
We made this — because customers loved it so much they looked forward to it every single week.

Today, it becomes your perfect post-Thanksgiving, Black Friday recipe.

The Story Behind This Soup

Every Sunday, the club offered a carved, beautifully roasted turkey on the brunch line. On Monday, the members expected this soup — rich, bright, savory, and deeply comforting.

This wasn’t just a way to use leftovers.
It was tradition.
It was a signature.
It was something the members asked for by name.

And now I’m sharing it here on Digital-Growth-Group.com as part of the same spirit — good food, good memories, and a good story behind every recipe.

Recipe Overview

Ready in: 90 minutes
Prep time: 60 minutes
Serves: 8 people
Perfect for: Black Friday leftovers

Ingredients

For the Stock Base:

Turkey carcass
All vegetable scraps from prep
½ extra onion
1 whole carrot, chunked
Celery ends & bases
3 bay leaves
4 quarts chicken stock
4 quarts water

For the Soup:

1.5 onions, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
3 large carrots, diced
3 Tbsp minced garlic
Great Northern wild rice (cooked per package)
Leftover roasted turkey, diced
2 Tbsp fresh minced thyme
½ Tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp sage
Salt & pepper to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp local honey
Olive oil

Preparation

1. Make the Signature Stock

Place the following in a large stockpot:

Turkey carcass
Onion scraps
Carrot ends
Celery trimmings
Bay leaves
4 quarts chicken stock
4 quarts water

Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to 4 quarts of liquid (about 1 hour).
Strain and set the liquid aside.

2. Prepare the Wild Rice

Cook according to package instructions and set aside.

3. Sauté the Vegetables

In the stock pot, add:

Olive oil
Garlic
Diced onions, celery, and carrots

Cook until vegetables are translucent and aromatic.

4. Add Seasonings & Turkey

Stir in:

Poultry seasoning
Sage
Salt & pepper
Fresh thyme
Diced leftover turkey

5. Build the Soup

Add the strained turkey stock back into the pot.
Bring to a simmer.

6. Finish With Lemon & Honey

Add:

Lemon zest
Lemon juice
Honey

Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Simmer & Serve

Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
Add wild rice just before serving.

Why This Is Perfect for Black Friday

Uses the whole turkey — carcass included
Bright flavors cut through the heaviness of holiday meals
Feeds a big family of 8
Keeps beautifully for leftovers
Comforting, refreshing, and simple
One pot, one tradition

This is the kind of dish that doesn’t just use leftovers —
it becomes the recipe people ask for every year.

Chef Tips From a 35-Year Culinary Career

Always add the rice last — it keeps the soup from turning mushy.
Lemon brightens the roasted flavors.
Honey adds balance without sweetness.
Homemade stock from the carcass is the secret that makes it restaurant-quality.

Want More Recipes?

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📧 gregory@digital-growth-group.com

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