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A nourishing bowl of Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the perfect cozy meal. It’s packed with juicy chicken, tender wild rice, and wholesome vegetables, so it’s a filling meal in a single bowl.
Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods, but it’s not always the most filling dish. This chicken and wild rice soup recipe doesn’t have that problem! Since wild rice is full of protein and fiber, this soup will leave you feeling satisfied long after dinner is over. There are over 25 grams of protein in a single bowl, so this is definitely a powerhouse soup.
If you like wild rice recipes, you will love my Turkey and Wild Rice Soup and this Pork Chop and Wild Rice Casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A Full, Flavorful Meal in a Bowl: Wild rice combined with vegetables and chicken makes a warm and fulfilling meal.
- Packed with Vegetables: This delicious soup is packed with carrots, celery, and onions, so it’s nourishing and great for you.
- Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes: When you think of soup, you may not think of a quick meal, but since you don’t want to overcook the rice, this one is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into equal 1” cubes so they cook evenly. You can also use chicken thighs or a precooked rotisserie chicken.
- Celery, Carrots, and Onions: This combination of veggies is also called a mirepoix, and it establishes the base flavor for most soups.
- Mushrooms: Not only are mushrooms a great source of fiber, but they’re also loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.
- Chicken Broth: You’ll need a low-sodium chicken stock to deepen the flavor of the soup.
- Seasonings: Every soup needs seasonings to enrich the flavors. For this recipe, use garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. You can use fresh, jarred, or powdered garlic.
- Wild Rice: Grab your favorite brand of wild rice to add right to the broth of the soup. It will soak up the flavor and turn tender after just a few minutes.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
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Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make It Creamy: You can add a ½ cup of low-fat half and half to the soup to for a thicker and creamier texture.
- Add More Veggies: While this soup is already loaded with vegetables, you can always add more! Spinach, kale, or parsnips are also great options.
- Try It Vegan: You can make this soup vegan by omitting the chicken and subbing the chicken broth with vegetable broth, like in my vegan wild rice casserole. You could also try adding a can of white beans if you want more protein.
How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This healthy chicken wild rice soup is like a warm hug on a chilly day. It’s filling, packed with fiber, and flavorful. If you’re a fan of easy dinners and wild rice, then this will be your new favorite soup!
- Step 1: Sauté Vegetables. Warm a large pot with a bit of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and bay leaves to the pot. Sauté them for 4-5 minutes until they become tender.
- Step 2: Cook the Chicken. Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the pot with the vegetables. Cook for about 7-8 minutes while stirring it to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Step 3: Add Broth and Simmer. Add the water, chicken stock, and thyme to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot. Let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Stir in the Wild Rice. Add the wild rice to the pot and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until the wild rice is tender. Serve while hot with slices of cauliflower bread on the side.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the Wild Rice: Many brands of wild rice are covered in dust or debris, so it’s important to rinse it well before adding it to your soup. This debris can contain extra starch that will over-thicken your broth.
- Different Brands Cook Differently: While my experience is that wild rice cooks in about 5 minutes, different brands of rice will cook differently. Be sure your rice is cooked thoroughly and tender before serving your soup.
- Add More Broth: The wild rice absorbs a lot of moisture in the soup, which can make it thick. Add more chicken stock, a ¼ cup at a time, until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this soup for 3 months, though be aware that the wild rice texture will change after freezing and thawing.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a cozy bowl of this wild rice chicken soup when you need a warm, filling meal. The wild rice is full of protein and fiber, so it will leave you feeling satisfied! You don’t need sides for this soup because of how filling it is, but you can definitely serve it with a salad or some bread.
- Soup and bread are always a great idea! My gluten-free honey oat bread is a delicious pairing!
- Pair a heavy meal, like this soup, with a light salad. This zucchini pasta salad is made with zucchini noodles, so it’s light and all fresh veggies.
- These healthy strawberry shortcakes are a light and delicious dessert to pair with your soup.
Recipe FAQs
It’s actually a grass! It improves digestion and helps lower cholesterol. It’s also full of nourishing minerals. My uncle harvests wild rice from a lake in Wisconsin, so I always have plenty of wild rice on hand.
Yes! This is a great Instant Pot recipe! Add all of the ingredients to your Instant Pot, then set it to High Manual Pressure for 30 minutes. Allow for a Natural Release for 10 minutes, then use the Quick Release to relieve the rest of the pressure.
You absolutely can make this in the crockpot! Add all of the ingredients, except the wild rice, to the crockpot and cook it on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Wait until the last hour to add the wild rice so it doesn’t overcook.
Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat on the stove until they’re fully heated. If the soup is too thick, add ¼ cup of broth to the leftovers to thin it. For a single bowl, reheat it in the microwave in 60-second intervals until it is heated through. Be sure to thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating it.
More Healthier Chicken Soup Recipes
If you tried this Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, cubed, uncooked
- 1 cup Celery, diced
- 1 cup Carrots, diced
- 1 cup White Onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 ½ ounces Mushrooms
- 1 cup Water
- 4 cups Chicken Stock, low sodium
- 2 tablespoons Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Wild Rice, uncooked, washed and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large pot, place extra virgin olive oil and bring to a medium heat.
- Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms and bay leaves. Sauté 4-5 minutes or until tender.
- Salt and pepper the chicken breast then add it to the pot with the veggies. Cook another 7-8 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the water, chicken stock and thyme. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes.
- Add the wild rice to the pot. Cook another 5 minutes until rice is tender.
Notes
- Rinse the wild rice to eliminate any extra starch. This helps keep the soup from thickening too much.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of low-fat half and half for a creamier texture.
- Different brands of wild rice cook at different speeds. Keep an eye on your rice to be sure it doesn’t overcook or undercook.
- If your soup is too thick, you can add more broth, a ¼ cup at a time, until it reaches the right consistency.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the serving size? 1 cup? More? Less?
Hi there! The serving size is listed right above the ingredients which is 6 servings so 1/6th of the recipe is going to be a serving.
Fantastic recipe! I love it so much:)
irinathayer.com
Doesn’t lid rice take longer than 5 minutes to cook?
Soup looks phenomenal!
Nope. Mine only took 5 minutes. Obviously, you will cook it longer if you need to. Different brands cook differently.
If I didn’t already have a freezer full of soup, this would be next on the l.ist! I love chicken and rice soup!
Wish you lived closer so I could bring you some!
I have all the ingredients and everything prepped and don’t see the actual directions? Am I missing something?
Hi Erin! It was hidden. It should be there now.
Man I wish I liked soup! It’s basically winter salad!
How can you not like soup?