Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the ultimate comfort food! It’s rich and creamy, full of tender veggies, herbed chicken, and hearty wild rice. Don’t forget the crusty bread for dunking!
This recipe was originally published in February of 2018. I just updated it with new photos – the recipe has not changed.
I cannot go through the fall or winter (or spring) without eating my way through multiple batches of this Chicken Wild Rice Soup. It’s SO good. Get yourself some crusty bread for dunking, and it’s the ultimate comfort food situation. Homemade soup is not super hard to make at all – promise you can handle this!
The whole thing only takes about an hour to make from start to finish – and it makes a huge batch! It’s well worth the little bit of extra effort. Let’s dive in!
How to Make Homemade Chicken Wild Rice Soup:
First, saute your chopped carrots, celery, and onion with plenty of spices in some hot, sizzly buttah. Yes, that’s right – I said this soup was the ultimate comfort food didn’t I?
Next, stir in the flour and then gradually whisk in the heavy cream. This is now the “roux” – it’s what allows the soup to thicken up to that nice creamy, rich texture we all love! I know it looks weird (the photo on the right) but just trust.
(I’ve also had the roux turn out much smoother, where the butter wasn’t separating. The final soup turned out just fine each time!)
Next, slowly add this mixture to a pot that has our cooked chicken, wild rice, and broth. Whisk while you add it and watch the soup thicken up! Simmer to cook the wild rice, and you’re done! See how easy that was? Oh – one other pro tip – use fresh herbs if possible in this soup! It adds an extra punch of flavor.
This soup is so good for the soul – warm, creamy, comforting and it pairs perfectly with a hunk of crusty bread. Did I mention that earlier? Well, just making sure you don’t forget the bread – the whole dunking situation here is pretty perfect.
I loveee how simple this soup is to make – and I love how much it makes! You won’t be sad when you’re on day 3 of these leftovers. In fact, your co-workers will likely ask you what that glorious smell is wafting through your cubicle. Point them in this direction! 🙂
Happy cooking, friends!
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Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Creamy, rich soup full of herb spiced chicken, hearty wild rice, and tender veggies. The ultimate comfort food!
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 2/3 cups wild rice
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBS all-purpose flour
- 10 TBS butter
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp sage
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
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Prepare the Chicken: Boil chicken in a pot of salted water on the stove for about 15 minutes, or until done. (The time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts - cut them into big chunks for faster cooking.) Once done, let rest for a few minutes (otherwise the chicken will just shred) and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Add to a large pot with the broth. Bring to a boil, then stir in the rice. Add salt + pepper to taste, then cover the pot and remove from heat.
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Prepare the Veggies: Melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and spices and cook until the vegetables start to soften. Add the flour gradually, while whisking constantly, to form a roux. Continue whisking the mixture while cooking it for another 5 minutes - to cook out any raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the cream, and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth (it may not be super smooth - see photo above - it's fine if the butter separates some!).
Cook a few more minutes, to thicken and to soften the vegetables a bit more, if needed (taste them and see if they're tender enough for you).
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Finish the Soup: Slowly whisk this mixture into the big pot with the broth, rice, and chicken. Let simmer over low heat until everything is warmed through and until the rice is done, about 10-15 more minutes. I usually leave the lid on here, but I keep it cracked open by leaving the spoon in the pot. Give it a stir occasionally during this last bit of cook time.
Taste, and add more seasoning as desired. I wrote the seasoning measurements on the conservative side, but I always end up adding more of everything.
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Serve + Store: Serve with crusty bread - YUM! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
Note: If you prefer a slightly less thick soup, swap out some of the heavy cream for milk. Or, keep all the heavy cream and stir some milk in at the end, when everything is combined in the same pot.
Note: To Make this in the Crock Pot - Add all ingredients EXCEPT the flour, butter, and heavy cream to the slow cooker. I like to rub the raw chicken breasts with a little extra of the spices called for in the recipe. Cook on low 5-8 hours. Check it at the 5-6 hour mark - the chicken will likely be done, but check that the veggies are tender enough for you and that the rice is done (taste it to see if it's cooked).
Once done, remove the chicken breasts and leave the crock pot on warm. Let the chicken breasts rest before you slice them so they don't completely shred to pieces. (I prefer chunks not shredded chicken). While the chicken rests, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until totally combined - let cook (it will be bubbling quite a bit) for 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream slowly, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Add to the crock pot and stir it in. Cut up the chicken and return it to the crock pot. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. To thicken the soup up more (if desired) stir together 2 TBSP flour with 2 TBSP of the soup liquid in a small bowl until the flour is dissolved. Add to the crockpot and stir in.
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Shannon J. says
This soup is delicious! My husband, Mike, has made it several times, and last year we bought a big bag of wild rice from Wisconsin so we’d have plenty to make it again and again!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Shannon! So glad you’ve enjoyed this soup. We’re making it for Christmas Eve! 🙂
Sarah says
Can I substitute cup for cup gluten free flour?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Sarah! I have not tested that myself BUT I’m confident that it should work. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Leah says
So uncooked rice?
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, measure the rice when it’s uncooked, and then follow the recipe to cook it in the soup pot with the broth. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Jen says
My wild rice was nowhere near done within that time frame. What did I do wrong?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Jen! Sorry to hear that – I actually just discovered this week that there’s wild rice that takes 45 minutes to cook, according to the package, and then there’s the kind that I always use that takes 15 minutes to cook. I wonder if you maybe used the longer cooking type? If so, I’m so sorry that wasn’t specified in the recipe – I didn’t realize there were two types (sold by the same brand – so you have to take a good look to notice the difference!) until this week. I’m going to add a note to the recipe now.
Gilly says
I really loved the soup, I did make one change. I don’t eat dairy. I used plant based butter and plant based half and half. I have been looking for a good chicken and wild rice soup recipe for awhile! So, glad to finally find one.
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed this soup, Gilly! 🙂
Taryn VP says
My husband said that this was the best chicken wild rice soup he’s ever had and I have to agree with him! So delicious and creamy and easy to substitute ingredients if you don’t consume dairy. I would highly recommend giving this recipe a try!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Taryn! Glad you loved this soup as much as we do. 🙂
Yasmeen says
This looks great! Definitely trying it out
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much!
Wells Baum says
Getting the ingredients and trying it this weekend. Looks delicious!
Stephanie Simmons says
Sounds like the perfect way to start your weekend! 🙂
Mimi says
Such a beautiful soup. I don’t think I’ve ever used wild rice in a soup. I mean, it’s not a huge culinary stretch! It’s just that I tend to think barley, or tortellini… but now I need to rethink things!
Stephanie Simmons says
Haha – it’s definitely worth a try! So yummy 🙂 Oooo I’ve never tried barley! I need to try that now!