Try this creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe on cold days for a deliciously filling lunch or dinner! With fresh veggies, tender chicken, and hearty wild rice, this is the ultimate healthy comfort food for lazy winter days.
Love creamy chicken soups? You’ll also love this Chicken Pot Pie Soup, this Chicken Gnocchi Soup and this White Lasagna Soup!
Table of Contents
I know none of you are surprised that I’m sharing yet another new soup recipe today!
This delicious soup is filled with nutrients from vegetables as well as wild rice grains. It is also creamy and filling, ticking all of my boxes making it a truly comforting soup.
It’s a really useful recipe to have on hand on those busy days when you haven’t planned dinner. You can cook the chicken breasts straight from the freezer, so there’s no need to wait around for them to thaw!
It’s a great soup to make in big batches at the weekend and keep in the fridge to reheat throughout the week. If you prefer, you can even cook the rice separately and add it just before serving.
W love one-pot soup recipes like this — they make mealtimes so easy!
If you want some other one-pot soup ideas, check out this Sausage & Potato Soup with Kale, my tomato-y Chicken Tortilla Soup, and this delicious One-Pot Minestrone Soup!
Ingredients Needed:
- Onion, celery, and carrots: this classic mirepoix makes the savory flavor base for this soup.
- Garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper: minced garlic and dried herbs are so flavorful! I use regular table salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Chicken breasts: I love using boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this soup because they cook so well with little help. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would also work well.
- Chicken broth: I use a low-sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth when possible. If you use a salted broth, reduce the amount that is added, and taste test it.
- Cream: heavy cream or evaporated milk is best for this soup to make it thicker and so creamy. They don’t curdle when added and cook well when heated.
- Corn starch: this will thicken the soup slightly.
- Wild Rice: a long grain wild rice is ideal for this soup, but you can use a long-grain white rice and wild rice blend if you prefer.
How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup
This homemade soup is super easy to make. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Sauté and season. Sauté the vegetables until soft. Add seasonings and stir.
- Add chicken, broth, and rice. Add chicken broth, chicken breasts, and wild rice, and simmer.
- Shred chicken. Remove chicken and shred, then stir back in.
- Thicken. Mix the cream and cornstarch and stir into the soup to thicken.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup FAQs
Wild Rice is not actually rice! Wild rice is a grain, and unlike rice, it is an edible grass seed. It is used in similar ways to rice and also looks like rice, hence its name. Wild rice is rich in antioxidants and is considered much healthier than white rice.
We love this soup as is, but you can always mix it up!
Adding some lemon juice to the chicken soup will give it an added citrusy freshness, or you could add some Worcestershire sauce for a bit of umami flavor. Alternatively, use chicken stock instead of chicken broth, or add a little bit of stock to the soup for a more intense flavor.
Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
As long as you use evaporated milk or heavy cream, this soup will freeze great! Low fat dairy can have a funny texture when thawed. Store it in an airtight container or in Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave — adding broth or cream to thin if necessary.
Tips and Notes
- Soup will thicken as it cools. Add in some extra broth if you need to before serving, or after reheating it from being in the fridge.
- Fresh veggies. Use fresh veggies that you chop yourself for the best flavor. Pre-chopped ones tend to get dry, so using fresh vegetables that you’ve chopped yourself will give you the best set of flavors. Frozen veggies are a great shortcut!
- Rice. Substitute the wild rice with long-grain white rice like in my Chicken and Rice Soup, or use brown rice – simply cook until tender.
- Frozen or pre-shredded chicken. Use whole frozen chicken breasts and submerge them in the broth to simmer while the rice cooks. Pre-cooked shredded chicken also works great.
- Cook rice. Cook the rice separately if you prefer, but since this recipe is meant to be thick and creamy, I like to cook it in the soup. The starch from the rice helps to thicken the soup. (If you prefer, you can rinse it before adding it to the pot).
- Flour. If you don’t have cornstarch you can use a little bit of all-purpose flour to thicken the soup instead. Mix until thoroughly dissolved in the cream before adding.
Vegetable Soup Variations
- Add veggies. Soup recipes are great for adding more veggies. Use whatever is in season, or even the leftovers you have in the fridge. Potatoes would work well to bulk it up and make it more filling, or to help it go further.
- Make it spicy. Add red pepper flakes on top, some chopped jalapenos, or some chili powder to your soup for a bit of heat.
- Herbs. Use some fresh herbs to garnish your soup, like fresh parsley or
Serving Suggestions
Chicken wild rice soup is filling, but you can turn it into a complete meal for the whole family with some sides. Bread is my favorite side to have with soups. Try a slice of this Whole Wheat Bread with butter or these Homemade Breadsticks.
Add some veggies to the table with these Roasted Green Beans, some Roasted Carrots, or even my delicious Creamed Corn!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1½ teaspoon salt*
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- ¾ cup long grain wild rice
- 1 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.
- Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add garlic, parsley, salt, thyme and pepper and cook 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth, chicken breasts and rice. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Remove chicken and shred, then stir back in.
- Whisk together the cream and corn starch and stir into the soup. Cook and stir until thickened.
Notes
- Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Make sure you use high fat cream or evaporated milk, then store it in an airtight container or in Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
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Sarah A. says
This is INCREDIBLE! I decided to cook it in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes and finished with the cream and cornstarch. Simply delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback about making it in the pressure cooker!
Sheryl says
I’m having trouble finding wild rice. Would brown rice work? And if so, should I use the same amount as the wild?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheryl! I would recommend using long-grain white rice instead.
Sheryl says
Do you have directions for making this in the instant pot?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheryl! No, I’m sorry I don’t.
Karina says
Hello Ashley. Could you do this recipe in a crockpot? High or Low? how many hours? Thanks, looks delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Karina! I haven’t tried it myself but it would likely be similar to this recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/chicken-rice-soup/ Hope this helps!