Chicken Wild Rice Souprn

overhead shot of a bowl full of soup with a spoon

Rich and creamy, this chicken wild rice soup is a hearty comfort food dish packed with chicken, veggies and rice.

Table of Contents

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
How to Make This Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
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When winter is in full swing, a hearty bowl of this creamy chicken wild rice soup will hit the spot. Hearty, warming and full of delicious flavor, this great soup is packed with tender chicken, rice, veggies all in a savory broth.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Ingredients

Chicken Wild Rice Soup raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion (¼-inch pieces)
1 cup chopped celery (¼-inch pieces)
1 cup chopped carrot (¼-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder (or 2 cubes)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken stock, unsalted
1 pound (2 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup wild rice blend (I used RiceSelect Royal Blend)
1 cup heavy cream

PRO TIP:

If you do not use unsalted or low-sodium stock/broth, you may want to reduce the amount of additional salt you add to your soup. You will need to adjust to taste.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

CHICKEN: You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts in this great recipe if your family prefers dark meat.

You can make this an even easier and quicker meal by using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.

RICE: I used a wild rice blend for this comforting soup recipe because it cooks up easily and adds great flavor to the soup.

There are many brands out there, but you will want to make sure that if you use a boxed blend with a seasoning packet that you will discard for this recipe.

CREAM: Heavy cream adds a wonderful richness to this chicken and wild rice soup. You can substitute half & half, coconut milk, or whole milk if you desire. I would not, however, use low-fat or skim milk as it may water down your final recipe.

BROTH: Chicken stock adds great flavor to this delicious soup. It is more concentrated and flavorful than chicken broth.

Stock is made using the bones and the meat and aromatics (such as vegetables and herbs) to create a rich and flavorful cooking liquid. Broth is typically a lighter cooking liquid that only uses the meat and not as many vegetables and herbs to flavor it.

Whichever you use, make sure to use the low or no salt added kind.

How to Make This Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

STEP ONE: In a large 8-quart stockpot on medium-high heat, add the unsalted butter, chopped yellow onion, chopped celery, chopped carrots, minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, chicken bouillon powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

A great trick for removing the leaves off of fresh thyme is to hold each sprig at the top and run your fingers down the twig to pull off all the tiny leaves.

Alternatively, you can just add a few whole sprigs of fresh thyme to your soup. You will want to remember to pull out the sprigs before serving your soup.

STEP TWO: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken stock and boneless skinless chicken breasts to the stockpot. Gently boil the chicken for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

chicken stock and chicken breast added to the stockpot

STEP THREE: With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken breast to a plate to cool slightly before shredding it using two forks or your hands.

STEP FOUR: To the stockpot, with the chicken removed, add the condensed cream of chicken soup and stir to incorporate the condensed soup into the chicken broth.

condensed cream of chicken soup added to the stockpot

STEP FIVE: Bring the liquids in the stockpot to a boil and add the uncooked rice blend. Cover the pot with the lid and reduce the heat to low heat. Cook the rice for 20 minutes.

STEP SIX: Once the wild rice is cooked, turn off the heat, remove the lid to the pot and add the shredded chicken and heavy cream. Stir to combine. You can garnish your soup with some additional fresh thyme leaves.

chicken and heavy cream added to the stockpot

PRO TIP:

This soup should be served immediately as the rice will continue to absorb the liquids from the soup the longer it sits.

How To Serve

You can serve individual portions of this chicken wild rice soup with a side of buttered french bread, dinner rolls, or some saltine crackers.

If you’d like to add a little bit of fresh veggies on the side, our cucumber salad would be a tasty choice.

Check out more homemade soup recipes for the next time you feel the chill. Our beer cheese soup and crack chicken noodle soup are cozy and creamy options.

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Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store any leftovers of this creamy soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can thin out your soup, if needed, with a splash of extra chicken stock when reheating individual servings.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this soup. The dairy in this soup may separate and curdle and the rice will end up soggy when thawed.

close up shot of a pot of soup with a ladle filled with soup

Soup is the ultimate comfort food on a cold day. Fresh herbs, a delicious creamy broth, tender chicken and rice all work together to give this soup the best flavor.

Whip up a batch of this delicious chicken and rice soup when you are looking for a cozy dish.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use homemade chicken broth?

This easy chicken soup recipe would be delicious using either homemade or store-bought chicken broth.

Can I use leftover chicken in this recipe?

A great time saver would be to use leftovers or rotisserie chicken that has already been cooked. You can then skip the step where the chicken has to be boiled for 20 minutes.

Can I freeze this soup?

We don’t recommend freezing this soup. The dairy in this soup may separate and curdle and the rice will end up soggy when thawed.

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