Get ready to cozy up with a spoonful of heaven in a bowl – this creamy chicken and wild rice soup is the ultimate comfort food. With tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and a velvety broth, you’ll be making this recipe all soup-season long.
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This recipe is…
This creamy chicken wild rice soup has everything you’d want in a comfort classic: succulent chicken, hearty wild rice, soft sautéed veggies, and the most delicious, creamy, velvety broth. Whether you’re a kitchen pro or a newbie that just wants to cook up some comfort food goodness without the fuss, this recipe has your back.
If you’re looking for more comfort food classics, look no further. This beef pot pie is unbelievably delicious, this chicken and dumplings recipe has been a reader favorite for many, many years, and this Zuppa Toscana recipe rivals the popular Olive Garden recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – this soup is made in one pot, making for an easy, fuss-free solution to mealtime.
- It’s creamy and delicious – this chicken wild rice soup is not your average recipe. It’s luscious, creamy, and will leave your guests’ bellies full and happy!
Recipe Ingredients
For such a rich, delicious recipe, the ingredient list is quite simple! You’ll need a handful of veggies, chicken (of course), wild rice, and a few extras to take the creaminess to the next level. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Wild rice – grab a wild rice mix (or blend) for this recipe.
- Chicken breasts – we used chicken breasts here, but chicken thighs work every bit as well. Feel free to use whichever you have on hand.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free – skip the heavy cream and use canned full-fat coconut milk instead to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Make it gluten-free – to make this recipe gluten-free, simply use a GF all-purpose flour (we used this King Arthur one).
How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below.
Step 1: Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat, and season the chicken with salt (1 teaspoon). Once the pot is hot, sear the chicken on one side for 3 minutes, flip, and sear for another 3 minutes on the other side, until golden brown. Set aside.
Step 2: Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot, and saute until the onions are translucent and veggies start to soften.
Step 3: Pour the flour over the veggies, toss to combine, then add in the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously to dissolve the flour. Once all of the broth is in, add the wild rice and thyme and return the chicken to the pot.
Step 4: Bring the soup to a simmer, then cover and let simmer for 50 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking. Test the rice for doneness. Pull chicken out, shred it, and return back to the soup.
Step 5: Stir in the cream, lemon juice, and pepper, and taste for salt. Garnish with additional thyme, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
If you have leftover cooked and shredded chicken on hand, feel free to use it in this recipe to save yourself a little bit of time and effort. If you don’t have leftovers on hand but you still want to skip cooking the chicken yourself, feel free to grab a rotisserie chicken!
How to Serve
Serve your soup all on its own (it’s a complete and DELICIOUS meal this way) or alongside a loaf of cheesy garlic bread if you really want to impress.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat the soup, simply pop a serving in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a small pot on the stovetop over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No need to pre cook the rice before tossing it into the soup! It’ll cook in the broth until soft.
If your rice is still crunchy, it’s because it hasn’t finished cooking. After your soup has simmered for 50 minutes, be sure to check the doneness of the rice before adding in the lemon juice and heavy cream. If the rice isn’t completely cooked, let the soup continue to simmer until it is.
You can, but it takes a lot. If you’re following this recipe and simmering your soup for 50 minutes, we can almost guarantee that your rice won’t be overcooked and mushy.
More Favorite Cozy Soup Recipes
If you tried this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1¼ pound chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 carrots, cut into coins
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat, and season the chicken with salt (1 teaspoon). Once the pot is hot, sear the chicken on one side for 3 minutes, flip, and sear for another 3 minutes on the other side, until golden brown. Set aside.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot, and saute until the onions are translucent and veggies start to soften.
- Pour the flour over the veggies, toss to combine, then add in the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously to dissolve the flour. Once all of the broth is in, add the wild rice and thyme and return the chicken to the pot.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, then cover and let simmer for 50 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking. Test the rice for doneness. Pull chicken out, shred it, and return back to the soup.
- Stir in the cream, lemon juice, and pepper, and taste for salt. Garnish with additional thyme, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it dairy-free – skip the heavy cream and use canned full-fat coconut milk instead to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Make it gluten-free – to make this recipe gluten-free, simply use a GF all-purpose flour (we used this King Arthur one).
Nutrition
This recipe is delicious! Even my husband, who doesn’t typically like soup, loved it.
I took advantage of my instant pot to make preparation a bit quicker. I cooked the wild rice with 2/3 of the broth in the instant pot (20 minutes on high pressure, 20 minute natural release) while I cooked the vegetables in a cast iron skillet. Added the flour, remaining broth, and other ingredients as directed. It was nice to not have to stir so frequently while waiting for the rice to cook. (I also happened to have cooked, shredded chicken already on hand from making stock, so I just added that in at the end.)
I will definitely make again, and a double bath for the freezer!
So smart using the instant pot, Julia! We are so happy you and your husband enjoyed it!
This turned out really tasty! However, a little goopy. I think it was because I used plain white rice – I think the white rice would not have been so goopy. Almost like a congee but I’m not complaining because the flavor was all there. Can’t wait to make it again!
We are really happy you enjoyed it! Totally see how it could be a bit goopy using white rice. We hope you give it another shot with the wild rice!!
love this recipe! I’ve made it with heavy cream and with coconut milk and it comes out great each time.
Awww yay!! So so happy you love it, Gina!!