Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Creamy, rich soup full of herb spiced chicken, hearty wild rice, and tender veggies. The ultimate comfort food!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 2/3 cups uncooked wild rice
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3 large stalks celery, diced
- 4 large carrots, diced
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp parsley
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp sage
- salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups heavy cream I often sub 1/2 to 1 cup of milk in for equal parts of the heavy cream to lighten this up a bit.
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently lower in your chicken & cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until 165° F in the center. (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 then shred or 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.
- Prepare the Veggies: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and spices and cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes - to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly stir in the cream, and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth (it may not be super smooth - see photo above - it's fine if the butter separates some!). Cook 3-4 more minutes, to thicken and to soften the vegetables a bit more.
- Finish the Soup: Stir 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 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 usually end up adding a few more splashes of everything.)
- Serve + Store: Serve with crusty bread - yum! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Notes
Note: If you prefer a slightly less thick soup, swap out some of the heavy cream for milk.
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.