Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

Creamy chicken and wild rice soup recipe is packed with vegetable, creamy broth, and flavorful herbs. It’s the perfect soup for simmering on these chilly evenings.

I am often asked how I have the motivation and energy to cook three meals a day, from scratch, every single day.

It can really seem like a lot – especially when it comes to the dishes – but eating ‘real’ food is very important to our family. 

There have been a few tricks that I have learned to make things easier. For instance, we frequently rely on leftovers. 

I love making a few whole chickens at a time, then saving the meat for later meals like southwest chicken salad, sourdough chicken pot pie, or a quick soup.

During the fall and winter months (also knows as soup season around these parts), you will often find a pot of soup or chili bubbling away on the stove all day long.

We eat it for lunch and dinner. If someone is hungry between meals, they can grab a ladle of soup.

This homemade soup tastes the best when it has had opportunity to sit for a while. Simmer away on the stove for a few hours, if you so desire. 

It is a seriously delicious meal, and one of my favorite soups for a cold day. You will want to print the recipe off to make it over and over again.

There’s so much flavor packed into this rich, creamy chicken soup. It is so filling, but I highly recommend serving it with a side of crusty bread.

Nothing beats dipping warm sourdough bread, smothered with butter, into your hot soup. Nothing. 

Yum.

Tips

• You can use homemade or store-bought chicken broth. I highly recommend making your own bone broth. Not only does it taste better, but it is packed full of trace minerals and healthy collagen. It is a much more satisfactory product overall.
• You can use fresh herbs if you have them in your garden.
• The longer the soup sits, the more the flavors develop. So if you’re able to make it earlier in the day and have it sit for several hours before reheating it, the lemon flavors really come out best. Store in the fridge or continue to simmer on the stove.
• Use organic lemon, if possible, when you’re using the zest.
• Make a double batch to have leftovers all week.

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Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Ingredients

Butter – or olive oil

Carrot

Celery

Onion

Salt and black pepper

Hearty wild rice blend – If you do not have wild rice you could also substitute with white rice or brown rice.

Chicken stock or broth: I like to use homemade broth because it is inexpensive and super healthy. Try this Instant Pot recipe.

Seasonings: dried rosemary, thyme, celery seed, bay leaves (optional)

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz) cut into small cubes. Could also substitute with skinless chicken thighs.

Lemon – Juice and zest. This adds a bright and fresh flavor to the soup.

Whole milk

Whipping cream: Could also use heavy cream or light cream.

To Thicken:

Butter

Flour – all-purpose flour, einkorn. You could also make this gluten free by making a cornstarch slurry out of water and cornstarch.

Tools you may need:

Dutch oven

Knife

Cutting board

Zester

Measuring cups and spoons

FAQ:

Can you make this soup gluten free?

Yes. Instead of making the flour and butter roux, create a corn starch slurry. You’ll need 1-2 tbsp of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cool water. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. 

Add a little bit of the cornstarch slurry to the bubbly soup a few minutes before serving. Stir and allow it to come to a simmer, and watch it thicken. Keep adding a little more slurry until it reaches the thickness you prefer.

Can you make it in the slow cooker?

Yes. Add all of the ingredients (except for the flour, butter, cream, and milk) to the slow cooker. I would recommend leaving the chicken breasts whole. Cook on low for five hours. Take out chicken and shred. Add it back to the slow cooker.

Create the roux in a separate pot and add it to the slow cooker. Add the cream and stir until soup has thickened. Serve.

Can you make this in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker?

Press the sauté setting. Add butter, carrots, celery and leek (or onion) and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Add the chicken broth, diced chicken, wild rice, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, celery seed, and bay leaf. 

Place the lid on, and lock. Select High Pressure. Adjust time to 5 minutes cook time and start.

Allow the pressure cooker to cook and then when the timer goes off, allow it to natural release for 5-10 minutes. Switch to venting to quick release the rest of the pressure.

Create the roux in a separate pot. Turn the IP to sauté, add to the flour mixture to the simmering soup. Whisk until dissolved.

Turn off the IP at add remaining ingredients.

How do you add rice to soup without it getting mushy?

The best way to avoid mushy rice is to cook the rice separate from the soup. Then add in as much rice as you want in each bowl. 

This works especially well if you plan to make this for more than one meal, say for meal prep. That way it doesn’t get all mushy as it sits in the fridge.

How To Make Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and leek (or onion) and cook until the vegetables are tender. Cooking the vegetables first, before adding stock, adds a lot of flavor.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the wild rice, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, celery seed, and bay leaf. 

Raise the heat slightly to allow soup to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 

Add chicken pieces, simmer for approximately 20 minutes more until chicken is cooked and rice is tender. 

To finish the soup, add zest of one lemon and lemon juice, whole milk, and cream. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. 

To thicken the soup, melt 1⁄4 cup of butter in a separate small pot and whisk 1⁄4 cup of flour into it and stir for a minute or two. 

Add this flour mixture to the soup to thicken. Repeat if you like your soup extra thick. 

Bring the creamy wild rice soup back up to temperature and serve with fresh thyme sprinkled on top.

Storage:

Place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Freeze up to 3 months. Because this soup contains cream, it can be trickier to freeze. You could also freeze the soup base and leave out the milk and cream and add it when you reheat add it to the soup.

Find More Recipes Straight From The Farmhouse

• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Sourdough Dinner Rolls
• Sourdough Fried Chicken
• Round Steak With Caramelized Onions And Mushrooms
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Easy Chicken Kale Soup Recipe

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.