Chicken Wild Rice Hearty Soup (Print)
Tender chicken and wild rice combined with vegetables create a creamy, flavorful warm bowl.
# What You Need:
→ Meat & Rice
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (approximately 10.5 oz)
02 - 1 cup wild rice, rinsed (6 oz)
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Broth & Seasonings
08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
13 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Cream Base
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 3 tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour
16 - 1 cup whole milk (8 fl oz)
17 - ½ cup heavy cream (4 fl oz)
# How to Make:
01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
02 - Add diced chicken to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pieces begin to turn opaque.
03 - Stir in wild rice, chicken broth, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes until rice is tender.
04 - While soup simmers, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes to form a roux. Gradually whisk in milk, bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream.
05 - Remove bay leaf from soup. Stir in the creamy roux mixture. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through and creamy.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's the kind of soup that feels like you've been simmering it all day, but it comes together in just over an hour—the secret is letting the wild rice do the work while you handle everything else.
- There's a creaminess here that doesn't feel heavy or fussy, just genuinely satisfying and perfect for those days when you need comfort food that's actually good for you.
- Once you make it once, you'll find yourself coming back to it again and again, tweaking it slightly each time until it becomes your own version of home.
02 -
- The wild rice takes a full 40 to 45 minutes to become tender, and there's no way around it—rushing it leaves you with soup full of crunchy, unpleasant rice. Set a timer and be patient; it's worth it.
- Making the roux and cream base separately, then stirring it in at the end, prevents lumps far better than trying to thicken the soup directly. I learned this the hard way after more than one batch of lumpy soup.
03 -
- If your cream base looks like it might have lumps, strain it through a fine sieve before adding it to the pot—smooth soup is always worth the extra 30 seconds.
- Taste as you go, especially with seasoning. What tastes right to your palate is the right amount, and broth brands vary in how salty they are.