Take the chill off with a bowl of Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup, a rich and crave-worthy soup that hits all those cozy feels. Filled with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and loads of aromatic vegetables, this perfectly textured soup is capped off by a luscious, creamy broth. Whether you’re craving a warming meal on a chilly evening or need a hearty dish to serve your loved ones, this classic soup delivers warmth and comfort with every spoonful.
Why I love this soup, and think you will, too!
As of the publishing of this post, we’re transitioning from summer to fall — that awkward stretch when we have 90ºF temps one day and almost-frost the next. And then repeat until November.
It’s also the time of year when I’m desperately craving thicker and heartier soups. Creamy Chicken Wild Rice spans the two seasons nicely. Chicken soup is lovely any time of year, and the creamy base and hearty, chewy wild rice create a soup that fills you up without making you want a nap. After all, there’s still so much to do here in late summer!
Things to love about this soup:
- It’s a comforting and satisfying meal, perfect for chilly weather.
- It’s packed with flavor thanks to the combination of chicken, wild rice, vegetables, and herbs.
- The creamy broth is smooth and rich, almost an indulgence but without going over the top.
- It’s a great way to use up extra chicken or vegetables.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends.
- Leftovers are even better the next day!
In-the-soup Roux
One of the time-saving and dirty-pot-sparing steps I take for this soup is making the roux right in the main pot, rather than making it separately at the end. I’ve seen lots of photos of chicken wild rice soup that look cheese-saucy rather than creamy. I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum: Cheese-saucy is a legit life choice.
But instead of making a creamy roux, I go for the veloute, which is one of the French mother sauces, made with chicken stock rather than dairy. Or, to be specific, mine is a little bit of a hybrid: mostly broth, a little bit of dairy.
Right in the soup pot: I make the blonde roux after the vegetables have softened, by adding flour to their mixture. And then the chicken broth goes in and creates a smooth, thick base, with a touch of half and half.
I add the rest of the dairy later in the cook, so it’s still a creamy soup but … less cheese-saucy. And one less pot to clean!
Wild about Wild Rice
Wild rice is not actually rice; although it’s an aquatic grass, it’s only very distantly related to white and brown rice. Wild rice is highly nutritious, with abundant fiber, protein, micronutrients, and antioxidants. It’s considered heart-healthy and has a low glycemic index.
I highly recommend using straight up wild rice for this soup, rather than a long grain and wild rice blend. Its nutty flavor and delightfully chewy texture can stand on its own in this soup.
Main Ingredients and Substitution Notes
Chicken — We start with sliced, raw chicken for this recipe, as it cooks up quickly and adds savory depth to the base of the soup. You can, however, use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Just add at it at the end of the recipe, along with the cooked wild rice.
Wild Rice — It might be tempting to reach for a rice blend, but like I said above, go with just the wild rice, if you can. During the pandemic, grocery stores around here severely contracted their inventory variety, and one of the many things they stopped carrying was wild rice. So frustrating.
An off-the-beaten-path store in my neighborhood carries tiny 1-cup packages, which would be plenty for this recipe, but by that time I had already ordered it from Amazon. Did you know that Minnesota is famous for its wild rice? I ended up buying a Minnesota brand from Amazon. Good stuff.
Keep in mind that wild rice takes a long time to cook, 40 to 50 minutes. You can cook the rice ahead of time and stash it in the fridge, or cook it simultaneously with the soup, and add it at the end.
Aromatics — I use lots of aromatic veggies in this soup, both for flavoring and texture. I love leeks in chicken soup, so those are in here, too!
Mustard — Yup. Totally not traditional, but I often include a generous amount of Dijon mustard to creamy soups, to cut the richness. Mustard adds a lot of umami to a recipe, so it helps counteract dairy’s tendency to dampen down flavor.
Liquids — As you would expect, I use both chicken broth and dairy in this soup. The most important part that the liquids play here is getting the thickness right: creamy and brothy, not too saucy. This is where a veloute shines, as explained above.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.
Step 1: Start the rice
Prepare the rice in a medium pot according to package directions, which usually recommends a rice to water ratio of 1:3 (e.g., 1 cup of rice per 3 cups of water). I almost always add extra water because I find that the rice soaks up the water faster than it finishes cooking. You can always drain off the extra water at the end.
The rice is cooked through when it begins to split along its seam. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
While the rice is cooking, start the soup. Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven and then add the seasoning-tossed chicken pieces. Cook the chicken all the way through, then remove to a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics
In the same pot, add the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots, and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The vegetables should be softened.
Step 4: Add the seasonings and make the roux
If the pot is dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic, mustard, poultry seasoning, and flour to the vegetables. Stir well to mix. Things will become quite pasty — that’s okay.
Pour a half cup of chicken broth and a quarter cup of half and half over the vegetables and stir well, breaking up lumps, until the thick vegetables smooth out a little.
Step 5: Cook the soup
Add the remaining chicken broth and bring the soup up to a lightly bubbly boil, then reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The soup will begin to thicken.
Add the remaining half and half, plus the lemon juice, and let the soup come back up to bubbling, and then turn off the heat.
Step 6: Finish the soup
Add the cooked chicken and wild rice to the pot, stirring well. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Then serve!
This is one of those soups that’s even better the next day, making it a great prep-ahead meal for delicious dinners and leftover lunches! I hope you’re inspired to try it now or in the heart of winter, when cooking hearty soups is life.
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 pound raw chicken breasts , cut into small, bite-sized pieces*
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning**
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 small onion , diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium leek , chopped, light green and white parts only
- 2 ribs celery , diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 medium carrot , diced or thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup half and half
- Juice from one lemon
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
Cook the rice:
- Prepare the rice according to package directions in a small to medium pot (generally speaking, a ratio of 1:3 rice to water; cook covered at an active simmer for about 40 minutes, until the rice resembles a hot dog bun). You can prepare the rice ahead of time and refrigerate, or cook it simultaneous to the soup. Wild rice usually takes about 40 minutes or so, and absorbs a lot of liquid, so it’s usually better to prepare the rice separately.
Prepare the soup:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium until the surface of the fat shimmers. Toss the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning and add to the pot. Saute the chicken pieces, stirring frequently, until they’re cooked through. Remove to a bowl. Don’t wipe out the pot.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil or butter to the pot, and dump in the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots. Let the vegetables cook for 10 minutes, until they soften. Covering with a lid helps things along.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and add the garlic, mustard, and another teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Stir well. The mixture will be quite pasty. Let the rawness of the flour cook off for a minute or two.
- Add about a 1/2 cup of the broth and a 1/4 cup of the half and half to the pot, and stir to full incorporate into the vegetable mixture (which will still be thick but should smooth out little). Then add the remaining broth to the pot, along with another teaspoon of the poultry seasoning, mixing well. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the soup to an active boil, and then reduce slightly to maintain a good, bubbly simmer. Cook the soup for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You’ll notice that the soup thickens as it cooks.
- Add the half and half, plus one tablespoon lemon juice. Let the soup come back up to bubbling, then turn off the heat. Add the cooked chicken and wild rice to the pot. Carefully taste the soup (it’s hot!), and add salt and black pepper as needed. If the flavor needs a little brightening, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
- If you have time, let the soup rest over just warm heat for a half hour or so, to let it thicken further.