Enjoy this soup for its heartiness, for its many textures and its herby, oniony broth, for the nutty taste of the wild rice...you get the picture. It's obviously a good way to use leftover holiday bird, but substitute chicken and it becomes that much more flexible.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 whole bay leaves
1 teaspoon crushed dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 quarts (16 cups) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups wild rice mix
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks, beaten
4 cups diced cooked turkey
3 cups sliced mushrooms

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, onion, red onion, green onions and almonds; sauté until onions are fragrant and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves, dill weed and turmeric. Heat thoroughly; set aside.
2. In a large stockpot, bring chicken broth to a boil; adding wild rice mix, white rice and salt. Reduce heat, add onion mixture, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Stir 1 cup of the hot soup into egg yolks; return to the soup. Add turkey and mushrooms. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.
4. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Makes 12 servings.