This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe is easy to make with juicy shredded chicken, tender vegetables, and hearty wild rice in the most creamy, flavorful broth. Both satisfying and delicious, it’s the perfect cozy weeknight dinner. Stovetop and Slow Cooker instructions are included.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
This creamy chicken and wild rice soup is next-level cozy and delicious. Beloved for its light and comforting cream broth and chewy wild rice, it packs everything you could want (or need) into one pot. My whole family loves this soup. Even my 11-year-old always goes back for seconds! It’s versatile and so easy to make; add your favorite veggies, like kale, mushrooms, or butternut squash.
Don’t miss any of my pro tips below to absolutely ace this recipe! I’m so excited for you to try it!
Why This Recipe Works
- Unlike noodles or other types of rice, wild rice holds up well and maintains its texture despite longer cooking times.
- Combining all-purpose flour (to make a roux), flavorful chicken broth, and just a splash of heavy cream creates a luxurious and flavorful broth that doesn’t feel heavy.
- The chicken cooks directly in the broth as the rice cooks, adding flavor and saving time.
- The recipe can be easily modified to suit various dietary needs, from gluten-free to dairy-free.
Ingredients
Below are descriptions of the key ingredients in this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe, including possible substitutions. You can find the printable recipe with measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- Butter: To cook the vegetables and mix with the flour to make a roux.
- Mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion): These vegetables are cooked over low heat slowly to sweeten the ingredients rather than caramelize them. Try not to rush this step.
- Seasoning and Aromatics: This recipe includes minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- All-purpose flour: The flour is combined with the softened vegetables and cooked over low heat until golden. This helps thicken the soup and add flavor.
- Wild rice: Double-check that you’re using 100% wild rice and not black rice (which will turn your soup purple). You may also use a wild rice blend; however, not all blends are gluten-free, and some grains in the blend may not hold up after extended cooking.
- Chicken broth (plus water): Use your favorite store-bought or homemade version. Veggie stock will also work.
- Chicken: In this recipe, I’ve added 1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts to the soup and let them cook along with the rice, then shred them afterward. If you have pre-shredded chicken, feel free to add it instead (about 5-10 minutes before serving).
- Heavy whipping cream: Half-and-half will also work.
What is Wild Rice?
Wild rice, despite its name, isn’t rice but rather the seed of an aquatic grass that grows wild in the shallow waters and slow-flowing streams of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, and the Great Lakes region of North America. It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor and is valued for its high protein content and rich content of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and essential minerals like magnesium and phosphorus.
One benefit of adding wild rice (vs. other types of rice) to soup is that even after long periods of cooking or reheating, wild rice never turns to mush. It always maintains some texture and chewiness, making leftovers as fabulous on day three as on day one.
How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup
1. Soften the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot (at least 7.5 quarts) and set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, approximately 10-15 minutes. In the last minute, stir in the minced garlic and fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle with flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix thoroughly until the flour is fully incorporated with the veggies. Continue to cook, stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes or until the flour is lightly toasted. Adding flour to the butter-coated veggies makes a roux, which will help thicken the broth once it’s added. Reduce the heat to avoid burning the flour.
3. Add the rice. Mixing well to combine.
4. Add the stock and simmer. Slowly add the stock and water to the pot, stirring continuously. Mix thoroughly to prevent the flour from clumping. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for approximately 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cook the chicken. Add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes or until their internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Immediately remove the chicken to a clean plate using kitchen tongs (over-cooking will result in dry, chewy chicken).
6. Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks (or your hands). Return to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for an additional 5 minutes—season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove from heat and add the heavy cream. Stir in as much (or as little) heavy whipping cream as you’d like (I added approximately 3/4 cup).
8. Serve. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme, if desired.
Crock-Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Soften the vegetables: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, cooking until they are just beginning to soften (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for another minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Combine in a large Crock-Pot: Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crockpot. Add the wild rice, chicken broth, water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts or thighs on top of the rice and vegetable mixture.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Remove the chicken from the crockpot. Shred it with two forks and return it to the pot.
- Add the cream and season: Stir in the heavy whipping cream. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Cook on high for about 10 minutes until everything is heated through and the soup has thickened slightly.
Pro Tips
- Rice: This soup can be made with other types of rice. I recommend using brown rice or long-grain white rice (Jasmine rice would be perfect in this soup). Short-grain rice is not recommended. Leftover or pre-cooked rice can also be added to individual bowls when serving.
- Cooking wild rice: In my experience, it takes at least 75-90 minutes for wild rice to cook (or until it is soft enough to enjoy). If this is your first time cooking wild rice, plan additional time just in case, or cut the cooking time in half by soaking the rice in cold water overnight.
- Chicken: I usually add boneless skinless chicken breasts since they’re easiest to shred. Unfortunately, given their low-fat content, they can easily overcook. Remove them from the soup broth once their internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Alternatively, bone-in chicken thighs or pre-cooked shredded chicken can also be used.
- Vegetables: Mushrooms are my favorite addition to this soup. You can cook them at the same time as the onion, carrot, and celery, or sauté them in a bit of butter separately and add them to the soup just before serving. Other delicious veggie additions include kale, potatoes, or butternut squash.
- To make this soup gluten-free, swap regular all-purpose flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour, or mix one tablespoon with about two tablespoons of cold water to make a thick cornstarch slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry toward the end of cooking, starting with half and adding more as needed.
- For a non-creamy version, try my other Chicken and Rice Soup recipe or this One-Pot Chicken, Kale, and Rice Soup.
- To make this soup vegan, swap the butter for olive oil or a plant-based butter substitute, use low-sodium vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, and swap the cream for a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk.
Storage and Freezing
Leftovers: Store directly in the pot covered with a lid or transfer to air-tight containers with tight-fitting lids for up to 3 days. In general, I do not recommend freezing cream-filled soup as the texture changes after thawing. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often, or microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring between each for even cooking.
RECIPE CARD
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 medium onions - diced
- 5 ribs celery - chopped
- 4 large carrots - chopped
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme - chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - plus more to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour - (use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make this recipe gluten-free)
- 1 ¼ cups wild rice
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth - or other broth such as vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts - (or chicken thighs)
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream - plus more if desired
- Fresh chopped parsley or thyme - to garnish
Instructions
Stovetop
- Cook the veggies. Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, approximately 10-15 minutes. In the last minute, stir in the minced garlic and fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix thoroughly until the flour is fully incorporated with the veggies. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 3-5 minutes or until the flour is lightly toasted. Reduce the heat to avoid burning the flour.
- Add the rice. Mixing well to combine.
- Add the stock and simmer. Slowly add the stock and water to the pot, stirring continuously. Mix thoroughly to prevent the flour from clumping. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for approximately 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes or until their internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Immediately remove the chicken to a clean plate using kitchen tongs (over-cooking will result in dry, chewy chicken).
- Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks (or your hands). Return to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for an additional 5 minutes—season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and add the heavy cream. Stir in as much (or as little) heavy whipping cream as you’d like (I added approximately 3/4 cup).
- Serve. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme, if desired.
Slow Cooker
- Soften the vegetables: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, cooking until they are just beginning to soften (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for another minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Combine: Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crockpot. Add the wild rice, chicken broth, water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts or thighs on the rice and vegetable mixture.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Remove the chicken from the crockpot. Shred it with two forks and return it to the po
- Add the cream and season: Stir in the heavy whipping cream. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Cook on high for about 10 minutes until everything is heated through and the soup has thickened slightly.
Jessica’s Notes
- Rice: This soup can be made with other types of rice. I recommend using brown rice or long-grain white rice (Jasmine rice would be perfect in this soup). Short-grain rice is not recommended. Leftover or pre-cooked rice can also be added to individual bowls when serving.
- Cooking wild rice: In my experience, it takes at least 75-90 minutes to cook (or until it is soft enough to enjoy). If this is your first time cooking wild rice, plan additional time just in case, or cut the cooking time in half by soaking the rice in cold water overnight.
- Chicken: I usually add boneless, skinless chicken breasts since they’re easiest to shred. Unfortunately, given their low fat content, they can easily overcook. Remove them from the soup broth once their internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer. Alternatively, bone-in chicken thighs or precooked shredded chicken can also be used.
- To make this soup gluten-free, swap regular all-purpose flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour, or mix one tablespoon with about two tablespoons of cold water to make a thick cornstarch slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry toward the end of cooking, starting with half and adding more as needed.
- For a non-creamy version, try my other Chicken and Rice Soup recipe or this One-Pot Chicken, Kale, and Rice Soup.
- To make this soup vegan, swap the butter for olive oil or a plant-based butter substitute, use low-sodium vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, and swap the cream for a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk.
- Store leftovers directly in the pot covered with a lid or transfer them to air-tight containers with tight-fitting lids for up to 3 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
It was good! I didn’t change a thing!
Thanks for the good feedback and rating Monique 🙂
Where is the amount of ingredients???
Found It finally. 7pm
no worries, we all have those days 🙂
Wow that’s alot of calories !!! But it looks and sounds delicious!