Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
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.
Servings: 4 servings
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 775kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 1109mg | Potassium: 1546mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3374IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 3mg
