Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Creamy chicken and wild rice soup with tender chicken, mushrooms, and nutty wild rice—Upper Midwest USA comfort in a bowl. Cook chicken to 165°F and simmer rice until tender; dairy finishes gently for a cozy weeknight dinner.
🛒Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup wild rice blend, rinsed
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons soft butter (optional beurre manié for thickening)
- Fresh parsley
🔧Kitchen Tools Needed
- Large pot
- Ladle
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cutting board
📝Instructions
- 1
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic 30 seconds.
- 2
Add chicken, wild rice, broth, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 45–50 minutes until rice is tender and chicken reaches 165°F.
- 3
Remove chicken; shred. Discard bay leaf. Return chicken to pot.
- 4
Stir in half-and-half. If thicker soup is desired, whisk in beurre manié and simmer 3–5 minutes. Do not hard-boil after adding dairy.
- 5
Garnish with parsley. Refrigerate within 2 hours up to 4 days; reheat to 165°F. Rice absorbs liquid—add broth when reheating.
🥗Nutrition Information
⚡Calories per serving: 360
🏷️Recipe Tags
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Instant Pot?
Sauté veggies, add remaining (except dairy), pressure cook High 25 minutes, natural release 10 minutes; shred chicken at 165°F, then add dairy on Sauté Low.
Rotisserie chicken?
Simmer rice in broth with veggies until tender (~45 minutes), then add 3 cups shredded cooked chicken and heat to 165°F before dairy.
Gluten-free thickener?
Skip flour; mash some rice or use a cornstarch slurry.
Wild rice only?
100% wild rice may need closer to 55–60 minutes.
Make ahead?
Cook through rice/chicken; add dairy when reheating for best texture.
