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.
Table of Contents
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
Like this recipe?
Leave a commentRecipe Contributors
Cassy Joy Garcia
Recipe Developer
Brandi Schilhab
Copywriter
Jessica Gaertner
Photographer
Easy and YUMMY! I put two small chickens in the slow cooker and used that to shorten the prep time for dinner. May have lost some flavor from the browned chicken but the broth made up for it.
Ooooo great idea! We are so happy you loved it, Lynzy!
OMG! This was absolutely AMAZING! I am sooooo happy we tried it! So easy to prepare and my two girls… one will just eat anything because she ❤️ me and the other?!?! Well she will only try something new unless her boyfriend makes her! Cassy you saved the day with this one! ❤️❤️❤️
Haha that is awesome!! We are so happy y’all loved it! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share!!
Loved this recipe! The lemon juice was a nice touch and added great flavor!
Yay! We are so happy you loved it, Erin!
Perfect for a snowy Sunday! Creamy and filling. My son went for Seconds
Woohoo! Thank you, Katie!
This was delicious! My husband and I both enjoyed it. I really loved the wild rice in it. I was unsure how the creaminess of heavy cream would pair with everything, but it really added to the soup in a great way!
Awe yay! We are so glad you enjoyed it, Hayley!
Love this recipe! Made it tonight and the lemon juice perfectly balanced the creaminess and heartiness of the soup.
Yay! Thank you, Sydney!!
It was a solid recipe and I would make it again! The lemon really brightened it up. I also added mushrooms.
Thank you!
You are so welcome, Heather! So happy you enjoyed it!
This just became my favorite staple meal for cold winter nights. The wild rice makes it so hearty and filling. I recently made it while battling a cold and it was PERFECT! Easily swapped the flour for gluten free flour
Yay! We are so sorry about your cold, Hannah! No fun! We are so happy the soup was able to provide some comfort!
The perfect recipe for a cold winter night!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Kathryn!
Made this for friends coming to play over winter break. Moms and kids all loved it! I subbed half and half for the cream because it’s what I had, and it was still rich and delicious! Definitely added to my winter soup roster!
Awe! So sweet, Kristie! We are so glad it was a hit for everyone! Thank you for taking a moment to share!
We LOVED this recipe! My husband is not huge on soups, but he loved it and at the leftovers the next day. I addded a shallot as well and loved the flavor. Thanks for the inspiration!
That is AWESOME! So so happy y’all loved it, Megan! Great idea adding the shallot!
Forgot the stars! 5/5!!!
I made this today – my husband and daughter have the flu. So so yummy and easy! Love a great heartwarming soup. Also, I sub-Ed coconut milk and it was excellent!!!
UGH! We are so so sorry about your kiddo and husband, Kassandra! We are praying they start to feel better soon! We are so glad it was able to provide some comfort!
I have made this recipe several times now. I was searching for a soup comparable to Panera’s wild rice chicken soup and this satisfies my cravings! I always double the recipe and use Souper Cubes to freeze some for a quick lunch or for when we aren’t feeling well. It’s packed with protein and is really delicious. We just love it!
Yay for Super Cubes! And comparable to Panera?! So kind! We are so happy it was a hit, Holly!
Loved this soup – the whole fmaily loved it! I added some hot sauce when eating to add some kick, it was delicious!
Woohoo! So happy the whole fam loved it, Jamie!!