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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Easy to make. Very delicious. I added extra carrots.
Yay! Thank you Hannah! Great idea to add some extra carrots! For sure one of my favorite parts of this soup!
I was so excited to make this soup and it lived up to every bit of that excitement! Super easy to make and so incredibly delicious!! I shared the recipe right away with several family members and friends. Will definitely be on repeat at my house!
That is so so kind, Becky! We are so happy you loved it!
This soup is delicious, and I cannot wait to make this again! It was a bowl of comfort on a cold day. Our whole family enjoyed!
Awe yay! Thank you, Susie!
Love this dish. First time ever using wild rice, looking forward to using it again. Recipe fed 3 adults, 2 kids and an 8 month old, I did use low sodium broth since I am cooking for an 8 month old, everyone said they loved the soup! Thank you for sharing!
That is amazing, Emilee! We are so happy it was a hit for the whole fam! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share!
This recipe was surprisingly delicious for how easy it was! And dare I say it was even more delicious in leftover form! I will say you definitely want to make a double batch because we went through it QUICK! Definitely will be making it again!
That is awesome, Jessica!! We are so so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Loved this soup! Very comforting, perfect for winter.
I prefer thicker soups, so I cut down on the chicken broth to 5 cups. Also added some mushrooms I had lying around. Would definitely make again!
YUM! Mushrooms sound delicious! Great idea to cut down on the broth for a thicker soup! Thank you, Laura!
This recipe was a hit! My kids devoured it. It’s a recipe that feels like “home”. Perfect for winter. I’ll be putting this in my rotation for sure!
We are so glad it was a hit, Amber! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m planning to make this for a potluck, and triple the recipe! How would you suggest I make it in advance to reheat the next day? I don’t want the rice to absorb the liquid overnight!
Great question, Janna! I think your best bet is going to be making it and then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready too reheat it over the stove. The rice will absorb some liquid, but not enough to make a huge difference! Some are even saying it’s better the next day!
This soup is PHENOMENAL! It has so much flavor with just a few basic ingredients. Perfect soup to feel warm and cozy when it’s chilly outside. I’ll be freezing individual servings so I can have this all winter. I only wish I had crusty bread to eat with it! Yum!
YAY! We are so happy you loved it, Erin! Thank you so much for sharing!
Last night was so rainy and cold and I miraculously had all of these ingredients on hand– except for the heavy cream, which I substituted a can of cream of cauliflower for (+to up the veggie content!). This recipe totally hit the spot! I left my phone in another room to charge after a long work day, cozied up on the couch under a blanket w/ my pup, and settled in to binge a comfort show. I sometimes stray away from F&F recipes but when I return, it feels like a homecoming. 🙂 Thanks for making a rainy day brighter for me w/ this recipe- it felt like a hug!
Great question, Christine! Did some chatting here at the office… chopped rutabaga could be a good option as it’s pretty mild in flavor and has nearly half the carbs as the same amount of potato. Chopped cauliflower could work too. Omitting the potatoes is probably your best bet as you won’t have to worry about the cook time for the other options and making sure they are soft and cooked all the way through. You will still be left with a SUPER tasty and comforting soup! I hope this helps! I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a definitive answer! Let us know if you try any of these options or something else and how you liked it!!
Awe yay! That sounds like the most amazing cozy evening…totally jealous!! We are so so happy you loved it, Mallory! Thank you for taking a moment to share this with us!
Is the nutrition info at the bottom for one serving? It seems very high given the ingredients
Hi Maura! We’ve double checked the nutrition label… it reflects information for a single serving.
Hi, how many cup(s) per serving? Wondering if I should make a double batch
The Fed and Fit team does it again! This soup is amazing! it’s definitely going into my Fed and Fit recipe box, and will be in regular rotation in my house!
Aweee! So sweet, Kim! Thank you! We are so glad you love it!
Such a delicious soup! Definitely one of those comfort meals especially on a winters day. Made for great leftovers as well!
Yay! We are so happy you love it, Stephanie!
Oh my gosh, this recipe is amazing! I am a huge fan of chicken and wild rice soup and this recipe was probably the best I’ve ever made. The lemon juice at the end was perfection! This will absolutely be in my winter soup rotation.
WHAT?! That is so so kind, Megan! Thank you! We are so happy you loved it!
I was out of thyme so I used rosemary and oregano. I also added mushrooms – super delicious! Thanks for a warm yummy soup on a cold winter day.
That sounds so yummy! Great idea on the mushrooms! We are so happy you loved it, Amy!