Bouillon cubes and most store-bought stocks are loaded with sodium, often over 800mg per cup. Building the broth here from a simmered turkey carcass, or bone-in thighs if you don't have leftovers, skips that shortcut entirely.
Rice added toward the end soaks up that homemade broth, and fresh dill stirred in at the finish keeps the whole pot tasting bright rather than heavy.
This recipe is written to be low in sodium, not as medical advice. If you're managing a heart, kidney, or blood pressure condition that requires a sodium-restricted diet, work with a doctor or registered dietitian on your specific daily limit.
A Short History
Simmering a picked-over bird carcass with vegetables into broth, then finishing it with rice or noodles, is one of the oldest ways cooks have stretched a single roasted bird into a second meal. The practice spans nearly every culture that roasts whole poultry, from Jewish chicken soup traditions to Eastern European and Middle Eastern versions built the same way, waste nothing, simmer the bones, and turn the result into something new.
In the United States, turkey soup specifically became a post-holiday tradition tied directly to Thanksgiving and Christmas, when a large roasted turkey leaves behind a carcass too good to throw away and more meat than a single meal will use. Rice, rather than noodles, became the common American version in households that kept rice as a pantry staple, and dill entered many versions through Eastern European immigrant cooking, where dill and poultry broth are a long-standing pairing.
The Four Components
- Protein. Turkey, shredded from the carcass or thighs.
- Starch. White or brown rice.
- Vegetable. Carrot, celery, and onion.
- Sauce. A homemade broth, no bouillon needed.
Choosing the Turkey
A carcass left over from a whole roasted turkey, with some meat still clinging to the bones, makes the most flavorful broth because the bones themselves, not just the meat, release collagen and flavor as they simmer for an hour. If you don't have a leftover carcass, bone-in thighs are the closest substitute since the bone still contributes body to the broth that boneless meat alone cannot.
Whichever you use, don't skip picking every bit of usable meat off the carcass or bones after simmering; it is easy to leave meat behind in the crevices, and that meat is what gives the finished soup its substance. Shred it into bite sized pieces rather than leaving large chunks, so it distributes evenly through each bowl.
The Technique That Makes It: A Long, Low Simmer
The entire flavor of this soup rests on the broth, and the broth's depth comes from time at a bare simmer, not a rolling boil. A hard boil emulsifies fat into the liquid and makes the broth cloudy and greasy tasting, while a gentle simmer lets flavor extract from the bones slowly while the fat stays mostly on the surface, where it can be skimmed off.
Skimming the foam that rises in the first fifteen or twenty minutes removes proteins that would otherwise cloud the broth and give it a slightly bitter edge. After that initial skim, let the pot alone at the lowest simmer that still shows a few slow bubbles; resist the urge to turn up the heat to speed things along, since that is exactly what turns a clear, clean broth into a murky one.
Low-Sodium Turkey and Rice Soup
Serves six. Prep fifteen minutes, cook one hour twenty minutes, total about one hour thirty five minutes.
Ingredients
Protein
- 1 turkey carcass, or 2 pounds bone-in turkey thighs
Starch
- 1 cup rice, rinsed
Vegetable
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped, plus 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped, plus 2 celery stalks diced
Sauce
- 10 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
The broth
- Combine the turkey carcass, water, quartered onion, roughly chopped carrots and celery, and bay leaves in a large pot. Bring to a bare simmer and skim any foam that rises in the first 15 to 20 minutes. Simmer 1 hour total.
Straining and picking the meat
- Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and pick any meat from the carcass to reserve. If using thighs, remove them now, shred the meat, and discard the bones.
Finishing the soup
- Return the broth to the pot with the diced carrots and celery. Simmer 10 minutes, then add the rice and cook 15 to 18 minutes until tender.
Last additions
- Stir in the shredded turkey and fresh dill, and season with black pepper before serving.
Doneness
Since the turkey is already fully cooked from roasting, or from a full simmer if using raw thighs, the test here is really about the rice: it should be tender all the way through with no hard center, and the soup should be at a gentle simmer, not boiling, when it goes into bowls.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated from the ingredients as written, not lab-verified. This is not medical or nutrition advice; work with a doctor or registered dietitian to confirm this fits your specific sodium limit.
- Calories 240
- Fat 5 g
- Saturated fat 1 g
- Cholesterol 55 mg
- Sodium 85 mg
- Carbohydrates 26 g
- Fiber 2 g
- Sugar 3 g
- Protein 22 g
Get Ahead: A Timing Plan
- Up to three days ahead: the broth can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to finish the soup.
- While it simmers: skim any foam that rises to the top for a clearer broth.
- Last step: stir in the fresh dill right before serving so it stays vibrant.
Wine Pairing
A light, brothy soup like this wants a wine that won't overpower it, with enough acidity to cut through the richness of the turkey fat.
- Dry Riesling has the acidity to cut through the broth without clashing with the dill.
- Sauvignon Blanc brings a clean, herbal edge that echoes the dill and celery.
- Gruner Veltliner for a peppery, food-friendly white that pairs well with simple broths.
Building the Meal Around It
Serve with crusty bread, or alongside Low-Sodium Mushroom Risotto for a soup and grain night. A simple green salad rounds it out into a full, light meal.
Cooking for a Crowd
This soup scales up easily since it is mostly a large pot of simmering liquid; just make sure the pot is big enough to hold the carcass fully submerged. For a bigger batch, make the broth a day or two ahead so the flavors have time to settle, and finish the rice separately just before serving if the crowd won't eat the whole pot at once, since rice continues to absorb broth and can turn the soup thick and starchy if it sits too long.
Troubleshooting
- Cloudy, greasy broth. It boiled too hard instead of simmering gently. Keep it at the lowest simmer that still shows a few slow bubbles.
- Soup turns thick and starchy after sitting. The rice kept absorbing broth in the pot. Cook the rice separately and add it to individual bowls if storing leftovers.
- Bland broth. The simmer was too short, or too much water was used relative to the carcass. Simmer the full hour and don't over-dilute.
- Dill tastes muted. It was added too early and cooked out. Stir it in at the very end, off or just before serving.
Variations
- Chicken version. Use a chicken carcass or bone-in thighs in place of turkey.
- Noodle swap. Replace the rice with egg noodles for a more classic chicken-soup style.
- Add greens. Stir in a couple handfuls of chopped spinach or kale in the last few minutes for extra vegetables.
- Lemon dill finish. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice along with the dill for extra brightness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a store-bought low-sodium broth instead?
Yes, look for one labeled no-salt-added or low-sodium, and adjust seasoning to taste at the end.
Can I use chicken instead of turkey?
Yes, a chicken carcass or bone-in thighs work exactly the same way.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, though it's best to freeze the broth and turkey without the rice, since rice can turn mushy after thawing; add freshly cooked rice when reheating.
How long does the broth keep in the fridge?
Homemade broth keeps about three to four days refrigerated, or up to three months frozen.
Can I use brown rice instead of white?
Yes, but it takes longer to cook, closer to 35 to 40 minutes, so add it earlier or par cook it first.
Why does my homemade broth taste weaker than store-bought?
Store-bought broths often add salt and flavor enhancers to boost taste. A longer simmer time, or reducing the broth slightly after straining, deepens homemade flavor without added sodium.
More Low-Sodium Recipes
Looking for something else? Low-Sodium Split Pea Soup, Low-Sodium Mushroom Risotto, and the full Low-Sodium collection.
Who Is Writing This
I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
If a recipe is missing something you needed, or a step didn't make sense, tell me. Get in touch and I'll fix it.
Cook Bolder, Serve Wiser, Eat Better.