Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/29/23
chicken and wild rice soup

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Serving: 1 bowl
Yield: 8 cups

Chicken and wild rice soup is a warm and creamy, one-pot meal that will satisfy all of your cravings. All of the flavors blend together, while the rice cooks.

Bonus: It's easy to freeze. Simply freeze in individual portions before adding the cream. Then reheat with a bit of cream (about 1/4 cup) per portion on the stovetop. This soup is even better the next day. 

Serve with some homemade crusty bread and a simple salad for a complete meal that won’t leave anyone hungry.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced

  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 6 cups chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

  • 1 cup wild rice, uncooked

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    chicken and wild rice soup ingredients

  2. Coat chicken breasts in salt and pepper, then cover in flour. Reserve excess flour for later.

    chicken coated in flour

  3. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven that can contain entire soup (about 8 cups). Add chicken to pot and cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Chicken will not be cooked through. Remove chicken from pot, leaving oil behind.

    chicken cooked in olive oil

  4. Add diced onions and carrots. Sauté for 2 to 4 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables are softened.

    carrots and onions cooked in a pot

  5. Stir in mushrooms, minced garlic, and flour until combined. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat.

    vegetables sautéed in a pot

  6. Pour in chicken broth, stirring bottom of pot as you add broth to release any small bits that have stuck. Bring liquid to a boil.

    chicken broth with vegetables in a pot

  7. Add chicken, sage, thyme, and wild rice. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

    chicken and wild rice in a pot of soup

  8. Remove lid and take out chicken breasts. Chop or shred

    shredded chicken breast

  9. Return chicken back to pot, then stir in heavy cream. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat until soup is heated through and slightly thickened. (If you like a thicker soup you can whisk together another 1/4 cup of flour with 3 tablespoons of water, then whisk into soup until thickened.)

    chicken and rice soup

  10. Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with chopped parsley.

    chicken and wild rice soup

Recipe Variations



If you want a thinner, non-creamy soup (or if you’re dairy free) you can simply omit the cream all together. 


You can make this recipe even easier by just tossing in some leftover chicken breast or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken fresh.


You can use regular rice or brown rice but the cooking times will vary. White rice will take only 20 to 25 minutes while brown rice takes around 30.


Some other fun add-ins:

  • Sauté bacon in the pot after cooking the chicken. 
  • Add in some frozen spinach along with the cream for a little boost of nutrition. 
  • Cook some butternut squash in the soup along with the rice. Simple dice the squash and toss it in the pot.

Recipe Tips

Make sure to use actual wild rice not black rice, black rice will turn the soup a purple color. 


You can cut this recipe in half or double it if you are looking to make more. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
2131 Calories
113g Fat
106g Carbs
173g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 2131
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 113g 145%
Saturated Fat 50g 250%
Cholesterol 617mg 206%
Sodium 7288mg 317%
Total Carbohydrate 106g 39%
Dietary Fiber 15g 54%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 173g
Vitamin C 43mg 217%
Calcium 381mg 29%
Iron 15mg 81%
Potassium 3196mg 68%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)