Gluten Free Turkey Quinoa Soup

Why We Like This Recipe

It never fails for our family to make too much food on any one of the holidays. We always have a lot of turkey as we love to make extras and have leftovers for days. One of the favourite recipes we make with our leftover turkey meat is this gluten free turkey quinoa soup. 

We love a quick and easy meal. In our experience as a family that lives with multiple allergies and medical conditions that require us to restrict certain foods we know how tiring it can be to have to make dinner every night.

It can also be expensive. By using up leftovers in different dishes helps us keep our food budget down and keep the kids interested in eating the dinners we make.

The Ingredient Low Down

Avocado Oil

Another neutral oil will work well. The oil is just to help soften the sautéed vegetables. Ensure any neutral oil used is safe for high temperatures. 

Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion, and Garlic

We are big fans of using fresh veggies but they are not always in the budget. Frozen varieties can be used instead with the same results. If using frozen, they may take a minute or two longer to come up to temperature

GF Rice Flour

To thicken the soup just a bit gluten free rice flour or gluten free 1 to 1 flour. Either one can be used here, depending on what is safest for your allergies. It is used to make a foux and not much is needed so either will work but they may not get the golden colour that wheat flour does when cooked in a roux.

Turkey Broth 

Turkey or Chicken broth can be used. If you have a safe commercially made broth it can be used here to make the meal even quicker. We usually use our own homemade broth, our chicken stock recipe can also be made from turkey bones.

Spices

In this recipe we use sea salt, sage, thyme, marjoram, pepper, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and nutmeg. All the spices were dried and ground. When buying spices always make sure they are gluten free and free from cross contact with allergens.

Cooked Turkey Meat

If you are using poultry meat you didn't cook, make sure it is free from top allergens and gluten. Many in-store cooked rotisserie chickens or deli turkey may have come in contact with allergens.  For the how-to roast a whole turkey easily, check out our recipe for Holiday Roast Turkey Recipe.

Dairy-Free Milk

Any gluten free, tree nut free, and soy free Dairy-Free milk will work to give a bit of creaminess to the soup. We prefer to use rice or gluten free oat milk. Coconut milk will work but it may give a bit of a sweeter soup. 

Cooked Quinoa

The quinoa we cooked was made from about 1.5 cups dried. Always make sure to use quinoa that is free from cross contact with allergens in the packaging and processing of the product. We also always thoroughly rinse any grains.

Instructions To Make Gluten Free Quinoa Soup

Step 1

Heat avocado oil over medium high heat in a large stock pot. 

Step 2

To the pot add celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Stir well and sauté until the onions are translucent and carrots have softened. About 5 mins. 

Step 3

Sprinkle in rice flour mix. Stir continuously and cook for 2 mins. 

Step 4

Slowly pour in broth whilst scraping the bottom of the pot. Get up all the browned bits of flour. Keep pouring until all the stock has been added. 

Step 5

Add in the diced cooked Turkey meat. Sprinkle in spices, salt, and pepper. Stir to incorporate spices and turkey meat. 

Step 6

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat so the soup simmers. Let simmer for 25 mins. 

Step 7

Pour in plant based milk and cooked quinoa. Mix well.

Step 8

Bring the soup back up to a simmer. This may take up to 3 minutes. Serve. 

Substitutions, Variations, & Adaptations

• Rice - instead of quinoa cooked rice can be used. White, long grain, or wild rice works well with this recipe.
• Noodles - small gluten free and egg free noodles can be used in place of quinoa.
• Vegan - Leave out the turkey and replace the turkey broth with soy and gluten free vegetable broth. For extra texture, roasted jackfruit can be added to the soup.
• Other meats - cooked chicken can be used instead of turkey.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Storage

When storing gluten free turkey quinoa soup use an airtight container for best results. 

Fridge

In the refrigerator the soup will keep for up to 3 days. Use or freeze before the end of the 72 hours. 

Freezer

The soup will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. If you know beforehand you are going to split the soup and freeze it, skip the quinoa. Add freshly cooked quinoa while reheating, if possible. 

Reheating

To follow best food safety practices only reheat the turkey soup once. If reheating after freezing, heat when fully thawed. Do not reheat from frozen. 

Stove Top

This method is the best method for reheating gluten free turkey quinoa soup. In a large enough pot to accommodate the amount of soup you need to reheat, bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Serve warmed through. 

You will need to add water to the soup as the quinoa will absorb the stock while stored. If too much water is added, cook until the liquid is reduced. 

Equipment

• Large Soup Pot - To make this soup you will need a large soup pot.
• Cooking Utensils - For stirring the soup.
• Knife and Cutting Board or Food Processor - To mince the vegetables. If you want to save time or energy use a food processor to do the work for you.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons - For measuring the ingredients and spices.

Got Leftover Turkey?

Using any leftover turkey from cooked individual breasts or a whole roast turkey helps to make for amazing leftovers and to stretch the food budget. 

This can be making a broth out of the carcass and bones and any clean veg bits in good shape like to start. Carrot ends, celery tips and bottom, onion and garlic ends and so forth added to a giant pot with the turkey bones left over from a large gathering and loads of water to cover them. Let it boil then reduce to a hard simmer for 6-8 hours, topping up water as needed. 

You can do the same with roast chicken and leftover meat. 

What To Serve With

We usually serve gluten free turkey quinoa soup with gluten free crackers, like Made Good Stars, plain rice cakes, or gluten free rolls. If we are exceptionally hungry we will serve a salad with the soup. 

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
• Always check ingredients for allergens
• Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Allergy Resources

If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you. 

For additional  resources please check out the following allergy education and advocacy pages:

In the United States:

• Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) - Home Page
• Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) - Home Page
• U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Food Allergies - Home Page
• Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in The United States of America
• Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA - Recalls
• US Food & Drug Administration, FDA - Recalls
• Celiac Disease Foundation - Home Page
• National Celiac Association (NCA) - Home Page
• Beyond Celiac - Home Page
• Celiac.com - Home Page 

In Canada

• Food Allergy Canada - Home Page
• Celiac Canada - Home Page
• The Government of Canada - Health Site- Food Allergies
• The Government of Canada - Food Allergen Labelling, the List of Ingredients and Allergens on Food Labels, and Allergens and Gluten Sources Labelling

Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in Canada