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
Very easy and delicious! I used pre-chopped veggies to make it even quicker to throw together in the pot. This will stay in the rotation for a long time.
Yay! We are so glad you enjoyed it, Amber!
I really loved this soup! it was so easy to make and my kids loved it which is a win! Will definitely be adding this to the meal rotation.
YAY! That is the biggest win! We are so happy y’all loved it, Kayli!
This recipe is soo good ! It was the perfect comfort meal for all of these cold winter days we have been having lately! I did use rotisserie chicken in place of cooking my own
Yay! We are so glad you enjoyed it, Shawn!
I loved how creamy this turned out! I used coconut milk instead of cream to make it dairy free and I honestly didn’t notice the difference. It’s been great for a snowed in week to keep me warm. Will definitely make again!
That is so great, Kristin! We are so happy you loved it!
Warmed my soul this cold week!
Oh yay! We are so glad you enjoyed it, Jillian!
I made this recipe for my family and everyone loved it so much! One small variation I did, I cooked the rice in the instant pot separately so I didn’t have to monitor and worry about it sticking to the pan or not cooking thoroughly. I added it in at the end and it was perfect! Such a delicious addition to our meal routine!
That is such an amazing idea, Marie! We are so happy you loved it!
This looks amazing. I need to try it. Love that is is creamy and not brothy
Awe yay! Let us know what you think!
I have made this for the family 3 times and they are still asking for it. So yummy!
This was so delicious and creamy! Hit the spot on a snowy winter day! Super easy to make too!
Oh yay! We are so glad you loved it, Lisa!
This soup was DELICIOUS! I also brought some to a friend who was sick and she loved it and asked for the recipe. I saved myself some time by using shredded chicken that I always keep in the fridge to make dinner time a little easier. It turned out great! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
YAY! We are so so happy y’all loved it, Alison!
Can I process this soup in quart jars in a pressure canner
This was definitely an easy weeknight meal! Bonus — it was also delicious, warm and comforting. I roasted a chicken earlier in the week to make chicken and dumplings, and saved half for this recipe. I did not use the juiced lemon, just because I don’t like lemon and didn’t want to taste it, even though it’s probably not even noticeable. Also I used half and half because that’s what was in my fridge this week. I will definitely make again, and I’m adding it to my “Meal Ministry” list of foods to take to families who are in need of a meal.
That is amazing, Barbara! We are so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! We are snowed in today so I made soup. We enjoyed it so much that I will be making it again.
You are so so welcome, Karen! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Y’all stay warm!
So good!!!
Yay! Thank you, Rebecca!
I will definitely be making this again. I did t have heavy cream so I used coconut milk and it was great! Also subbed dried thyme for fresh and it worked just fine. Very good!
Great tips, Shondra! Thank you for taking a moment to share! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
Easy to make and the kids gobbled it up! We had all the ingredients on hand and were able to make it on our snow day. After shoveling, coming inside and having this yummy, warm cup of deliciousness was very rewarding! Thank you!
That is amazing, Theresa! We are so happy it was able to provide y’all with some warmth!