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Rich, creamy, and oh so comforting, this chicken and wild rice soup is better than anything you’ll find at a restaurant! Easy to make, savory, and filling, this is one of my favorite soups when the cooler weather season comes around.

Overhead view of a large heavy pot containing creamy chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms and carrots. A wooden spoon rests in the soup.

🥣 What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • There are few things better than a big bowl of warm chicken and wild rice soup on a cool day. It’s hearty and filling, rich and creamy, comforting and cozy.
  • On top of all of those wonderful qualities, this ALSO happens to be super easy to make – a perfect one-pot meal! Want to make the recipe even easier than it already is? Rather than cooking chicken specifically for your soup, use leftover chicken OR a rotisserie chicken from the store.
  • Every serving is packed full of generous amounts of fresh veggies. Tender mushrooms, bright celery, savory onions, and earthy carrots not only give the soup pops of color and texture, they also add tons of flavor and nutrients.

🥕 Chef’s Tips

  • Do you need to wash or rinse the wild rice before cooking it in the soup? Not for this recipe! You’re welcome to if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. Typically, you want to rinse rice before using it in most recipes, to remove the excess starch and keep it from becoming sticky or gummy. That starch can help thicken the liquid in the chicken and wild rice soup, though, so it’s not a problem to leave it as-is.
  • Looking to stock up your freezer with meals to get through the season? You’ll definitely want this one in the rotation. Just prepare the recipe as written below, then let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or sealable, freezer-safe bags. Pop it in the freezer and enjoy it anytime within the next 2 months! Just let it defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat it on the stovetop. Add more liquid as needed if the soup’s too thick.
Overhead view of a bowl of chicken and wild rice soup resting on a wooden table next to a pot of soup.

Soup Recipes You’re Sure to Love

Overhead view of a large heavy pot containing creamy chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms and carrots. A wooden spoon rests in the soup.
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
5 from 1 vote

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 1 hour 15 minutes
Total 1 hour 30 minutes
The ultimate comfort food for cool weather and cozy evenings. Rich, creamy, and super satisfying.
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4 servings

Equipment

  • Large saucepan or large pot
  • Large wooden spoon
  • ladle
  • Serving bowls

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter 1 stick, cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup sliced carrots
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 large pinch salt more or less to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup dry white wine or ¼ cup chicken broth
  • 12 ounces cooked chicken chopped into bite-size pieces, see Notes
  • ⅔ cup uncooked wild rice or wild rice blend
  • 1 cup heavy cream at room temperature

Instructions

  • Heat large saucepan over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add butter and olive oil. Let butter melt completely, swirling pan occasionally to coat bottom of pan with liquid.
  • When butter is melted (but not bubbling or browned), add celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, garlic, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper to saucepan. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat under pot to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables just begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes.
    Overhead view of veggies for chicken and wild rice soup in a large heavy soup pot.
  • When veggies start to soften, sprinkle flour over top of mixture and stir to evenly coat veggies in flour. Cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
  • Pour in white and chicken broth in gradual increments, whisking constantly while adding liquids to saucepan. Once liquids are incorporated, add wild rice and stir.
  • Bring liquids to low boil over medium heat while scraping bottom of saucepan to prevent rice or veggies from sticking. When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
    Overhead view of chicken and wild rice soup in a large heavy soup pot.
  • When veggies are tender, add cooked chicken and more salt if desired. Continue simmering soup over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until rice is tender.
  • When rice is tender, remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir in heavy cream until fully incorporated. Taste and season soup with additional salt and pepper if desired, then ladle soup into bowls and serve warm.
  • Chicken: 12 ounces of cooked chicken is roughly 2 to 3 cups chopped. You can use a rotisserie chicken, or cook 1 pound boneless chicken breasts specifically for this soup.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, or skip the flour entirely. Without the flour, the consistency will be thinner, but still delicious!
  • Make it Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Omit the chicken entirely, or replace it with chickpeas or your favorite beans.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 728calProtein: 38gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 2088mgPotassium: 801mgTotal Carbs: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gNet Carbs: 39gVitamin A: 3996IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

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2 Comments

  1. I’ve never made chicken & wild rice soup, just used your recipe & turned out amazing! Will definitely make again. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

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