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, diced
- 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
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I made this for my family after traveling for Christmas. Wanted something comforting yet nutritious, and this did not disappoint. Used a rotisserie chicken and threw the bones in to simmer with the stock and veggies, then removed. I started with a 1/4 cup of cream and added another 1/4 cup. We didn’t need the full cup. Delicious!
Amazing tips, Emm!! Great idea adding the bones for some extra flavor! We are so happy you loved it!
Made this soup for dinner and had leftovers for lunch the next day. Super flavorful and comes together very easily. My rice and chicken cooked in half the time listed on the recipe, which is definitely not a bad thing, but make sure to watch your dish so the rice doesn’t become soggy! As a side note, I let my coworkers try some, and they’ve all requested I make a bigger batch and bring some for them!
Great tip, Erika! Thank you for taking a moment to share your feedback with us! So happy you and your coworkers loved it!!
Flavour was great, I liked the lemon and cream. My picky kid who hates rice ate it no problem!
I used left over chicken rather than cooking up fresh breasts and it still turned out great!
YAY! That is awesome, Ash! We are so so happy it was a hit!
I would have given 5 stars, but my family found it didn’t even need the cream – it was a beautiful velvety texture without it. I used chicken quarters since it was what I had (and they’re cheap!), and it came out amazing. The wild rice was wonderful and and the leftovers reheated really well.
Thank you for the feedback, Leslie! We are so happy y’all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share!
This soup is SO good and so easy to make! I really appreciate that it doesn’t have a ton of weird ingredients. Searing the chicken first gives the soup so much more flavor, and I love the pop of lemon!
Awe! Thank you, Natalie! We are so happy you loved it!
This soup was soooo good and super filling!! It’s now my favorite creamy soup. My husband who isn’t a fan of soup said “This soup is really good! You should make it again.” It’s also very easy to prepare. Definitely adding it to the rotation!
That is so sweet, Traci!!! We are so happy it was a hit with both of y’all!
Love this soup! It was easy to make and I doubled the recipe. Perfectly creamy and yet still light, soft rice and veggies, and we topped it with some red pepper and Parmesan to serve and we all got seconds. I had enough to have leftovers for the week’s lunches. Will 100% make again.
Serving with red pepper and parmesan sounds so yummy, Heather! We are so happy you loved it!!
Very yummy and hearty for a cold day. My rice did get a little mushy and I added more stock later to make it thin again but really good recipe overall. Will definitely make this again!
I’m sorry your rice was being finicky, Emily! Good idea on adding more stock to help thin it out! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
My husband is a T1D so rice messes with his blood sugar & we have to avoid it. I made this recipe with 1C quinoa as a substitute for the wild rice and it is still amazing!! This soup is a perfect pairing with a chunk of sourdough bread on a cold day!
Oooo quinoa sounds amazing! We are so happy y’all loved it, Kimmie!
This was so good! I loved all the veggies in it and it was so easy to make. I used sourdough starter instead of flour to thicken it, which made it a little more tangy. Will definitely make this again!
That is so cool that you make your own starter! Great idea to add that instead of the flour! We are so happy you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thank you for taking a moment to share!
I made this soup for the first time last week and it is one of the best recipes I have made in awhile…soooo good!! Reheated very well too!
That is so so kind, Lesley! We are so happy you loved it!!
Delicious and easy to make! The family loved it and it’s easy to reheat throughout the week for a 2nd or 3rd lunch/dinner option
Yay! We are so glad y’all love dit, Ashley!
This was delicious. I am wondering if I can freeze it to give it to someone?
Yay! Absolutely! Freeze in individual portions to make for easy reheating or freeze the whole thing and plan on reheating it all at once over the stove! Will be good for up to 3 months in the freezer!
Made this for the first time last night and it will definitely become a staple here. It was so easy and quick to get going. You just need to be prepared to be on hand for the whole cooking time for frequent stirs. Loved it!
Yay! We are so happy you enjoyed it, Jenny! Good tip on the frequent stirring!!
New favorite soup recipe! Such a great spin on a classic chicken soup. I opted for the gluten and dairy free modifications and it turned out so good! Really creamy and flavorful and the rice was cooked perfectly. It made for easy leftover lunches throughout the week and also took the hassle out of cooking wild rice! Definitely making it again.
WHAt?! That is awesome! We are so happy you loved it, Carly!