Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is luxuriously thick, hearty and satisfying, and made with everyday ingredients. Make a big pot then reheat all week for cozy, ready-made lunches.
The first time my husband took a bite of Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup, he declared it “the hotness” (and not just because it was literally molten hot).
If you know my husband then you know this is extremely high praise, and I 100% agree that each spoonful of this thick and hearty soup is decadent and satisfying in the way that only creamy soups can be.
Brothy soups — you know I love ya — but when outside temperatures plummet and the coziest of recipes is needed to warm you from the inside out, Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is just the ticket.
This is a 2-4 bowl minimum kind of soup!
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
This recipe tastes like the Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup from Panera (YES!) except it’s gluten free and made from scratch with just a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Veggies: carrots, celery, and shallots or onions make up the veggie portion of the soup.
- Garlic: adds TONS of flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: for sauteing the vegetables.
- Dried herbs and seasonings: poultry seasoning, dried thyme, salt, and pepper provide lots of cozy, slow-cooked flavor to each bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup.
- Chicken stock or broth: forms the base of the soup.
- Chicken breasts: are poached in the stock or broth to keep them tender and juicy, then are chopped or shredded. Feel free to use leftover rotisserie or baked chicken instead.
- Wild Rice Blend: I typically use Lundberg Wild Blend Rice for all of my wild rice-based dishes, though I’ve found that Rice Select’s Royal Blend Wild Rice has a particular type of rice that puffs and curls like the Panera Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup does. SO RANDOM, I know, but I really like using the Rice Select blend for this particular soup. Lundberg works great too!
- Butter: is whisked with flour to thicken the soup.
- Gluten free flour: use the blend you keep on hand for gluten free baking, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, vs a single flour like almond flour or coconut flour. You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t need to eat GF.
- Milk: whatever you keep on hand for drinking. I’ve made this soup with everything from unsweetened almond milk to whole milk with fantastic results — no heavy cream needed!
How to Store and Reheat
My recipe for Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup makes enough to feed an army, which is great because it’s reheats super well for easy, cozy lunches throughout the week.
- To store: cool the soup down to warm or room temperature then cover the soup pot with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or, scoop the soup into individual-sized storage containers with lids and refrigerate.
- To reheat: add chicken broth or stock to the pot then reheat over medium heat until warmed through. Or, add a splash of stock or broth to the individual storage container then stir and microwave until warmed through.
I do not recommend freezing this soup — cooked rice has a tendency to turn to mush one frozen then reheated!
Try Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Start by adding minced carrots, celery, and shallots or onion to extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper then sauté until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add fresh garlic, poultry seasoning, and dried thyme then saute until the garlic is very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken stock or broth to the pot then place a lid on top and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
Once the broth is boiling, add chicken breasts that have been cut in half then place the lid back on top, turn the heat down to low, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board then chop or shred it once it’s cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, add a wild rice blend to the pot then place a lid back on top and simmer the rice until it’s al dente, 20-30 minutes depending on the brand used, stirring occasionally.
Again, I really love Rice Select’s Royal Blend Wild Rice for this soup, but my typical go-to, Lundberg Wild Blend Rice, works great too!
Recipe Tip
No matter what brand you go with, ensure you’re using a wild rice-brown rice BLEND, vs straight wild rice or brown rice.
When the rice has 10 minutes or so left to cook, create a white sauce made with roux and milk to thicken our chicken wild rice soup. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat then whisk in gluten free flour and cook while whisking for one minute.
Stream in milk (any kind), while whisking to create a smooth sauce then cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture has slightly thickened, stirring slowly yet constantly. If the rice still has a little bit of time left to cook, remove the pan from the heat then place a lid on top to keep the mixture warm.
Once the rice is al dente, stream in the milk + butter + flour mixture while whisking the soup constantly. Add the chicken then give everything a big stir to combine and cook until the rice is fully cooked and the soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.
That’s all she wrote! This simple yet stunning and cozy wild rice soup recipe with chicken is one you will make over and over again. SO satisfying, SO thick and hearty — you’ll love every drop. Enjoy!
More Cozy and Hearty Soups
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped, ~1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 shallot or small yellow onion, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth, plus more for reheating
- 1 lb chicken breasts, ~2 chicken breasts, sliced in half
- 1 cup wild blend rice, see notes
- 1/2 cup butter, or vegan butter
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend, see notes
- 2 cups milk, any kind
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Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat then add the carrots, celery, and shallots or onions. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Tip: place a lid on top of the pot with a splash of stock or water to speed up the softening process if desired. Add the garlic, poultry seasoning, and dried thyme then saute until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
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Add the chicken stock or broth to the pot then turn the heat to high, place a lid on top, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken breast halves then place the lid back on top. Turn the heat down to low then simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board then, once cool enough to handle, chop or shred. Place chicken inside a bowl or storage container then refrigerate until ready to add back into the soup.
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Meanwhile add the rice to the pot then stir to combine. Place a lid on top then simmer until the rice is al dente, 20-30 minutes depending on the brand, stirring occasionally.
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When the rice has 10 minutes or so left to simmer, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the gluten free flour then cook while whisking for 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the milk while whisking to create a smooth sauce then switch to a spatula and cook while stirring until the mixture is thick and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat then place a lid on top and set aside.
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Once the rice is al dente, slowly stream in the butter/flour/milk mixture while whisking the soup constantly. Add the chicken then cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, or until the soup has thickened and the rice is tender. Taste then add more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat then let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly before scooping into bowls then serving.
Calories: 364kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 516mg, Potassium: 580mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2983IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 112mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin