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Two ceramic soup bowls with a brown rims are filled with chicken and wild rice soup. The soup is garnished with black pepper and finely chopped herbs. The bowls sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a blue and white striped linen napkin, a small white pinch bowl filled with finely chopped herbs, and pieces of torn crusty bread resting alongside. A metal spoon rests inside of the bowl at center.

Quick & Easy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 1x
  • Category: Soup, Stew, & Chili Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Here in Minnesota, chicken and wild rice soup is a low-key BIG deal. Wild rice is our official state grain, & there’s nothing we Minnesotans love more than enjoying it in a comforting casserole or cozy soup. Chicken and wild rice soup is iconic Minnesota comfort food!

There are plenty of recipes out there, but this is the one my family most often enjoys. It goes from stovetop to table in 30 minutes or less thanks to a couple of savvy shortcut ingredients:

  • Shredded rotisserie chicken. Keep things quick & easy by grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the store, or make this recipe whenever you have leftovers from a Sunday roast chicken or a holiday dinner like Thanksgiving. 
  • Cooked wild rice. The secret to a quick wild rice soup is starting with already-cooked wild rice. There are plenty of store-bought options these days, but I often simmer a big batch at the beginning of the cold season, storing leftovers in individual freezer containers for easy grab & go prep down the road. Learn more in the Recipe Notes, below!
  • Rice flour.  Rather than preparing a traditional roux, this chicken wild rice soup recipe is thickened to a perfectly creamy texture with a rice flour slurry. It cuts down on cooking time, dishes to wash, and keeps this recipe naturally gluten-free! Learn more in the Recipe Notes, below!

Despite these shortcuts & a relatively quick simmer, you’ll love the rich flavor of this soup. We make it whenever we’re craving something extra cozy & comforting – & I hope you love it too! ♡

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 – 3 ½ cups shredded or diced chicken (approx. 1 lb chicken meat or 1 store bought rotisserie chicken)
  • 3 cups cooked wild rice (see Recipe Notes)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled as desired & diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella), trimmed & sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons chicken base
  • ½ cup rice flour (see Recipe Notes)
  • 4 cups chicken broth or stock, divided
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 3 cups half & half
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Soften the veggies: Add the butter to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-qt capacity) over medium heat. Once melted, add in the carrot, celery, onion, & mushroom. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened slightly, 6-8 minutes. If you haven’t already, this is a great time to shred or dice the cooked chicken.How to make easy chicken and wild rice soup, step 1: Soften the veggies. Cooked carrot, celery, onion, & mushrooms rest at the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
  2. Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic, dried poultry seasoning, & chicken base to the pot, stirring to coat the softened veggies. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.How to make easy chicken and wild rice soup, step 2: Cook the aromatics. Cooked carrot, celery, onion, & mushrooms combine with garlic, dried poultry seasoning, & chicken base. The veggies and aromatics rest at the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
  3. Build the chicken & wild rice soup: Create a slurry by whisking the rice flour into 1 cup of the chicken stock – be sure to whisk very well to eliminate any lumps or bumps. Pour the chicken stock & the rice flour slurry into the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the stock thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir the shredded/diced chicken, wild rice, & slivered almonds into the soup. Increase heat to medium-high to bring the soup to a steady simmer, then cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to bring the flavors together.The beginning of easy chicken and wild rice soup fills a large heavy-bottomed pot that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
  4. Finish the soup: Stir the half & half into the soup, cooking for about 5 minutes more to ensure it’s warmed through without boiling it. Turn off the heat & stir in the lemon juice. Taste & season with additional salt & ground pepper as needed.Finished creamy chicken and wild rice soup fills a large heavy-bottomed pot that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
  5. Serve: Portion the chicken and wild rice soup into soup bowls, topping with finely chopped fresh herbs or freshly cracked black pepper as desired. Enjoy!Two ceramic soup bowls with a brown rims are filled with chicken and wild rice soup. The soup is garnished with black pepper and finely chopped herbs. The bowls sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a blue and white striped linen napkin, a small white pinch bowl filled with finely chopped herbs, and pieces of torn crusty bread resting alongside. A metal spoon rests inside of the bowl at center.

Equipment

Notes

  • Ingredient Notes:
    • Wild rice: Using pre-cooked wild rice is secret to making this recipe quick & easy. There are a few different options, based on your preferences. You can use a packet of cooked wild rice, which are often sold near dry & minute rice varieties in the rice & grains aisle, & simply reheat it in the microwave according to package directions. Second, if you enjoy wild rice recipes, you can also cook up a big batch of wild rice at the beginning of soup season & store it in the freezer for later use – this is my preferred method. I rinse the dry wild rice well, then add it to 6 cups of boiling chicken stock (or water, or vegetable stock) with a few bay leaves. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the wild rice is tender, about 45-55 minutes. Drain, cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or portion into smaller freezer containers & freeze up to 3 months. 1 cup dry rice yields 3-4 cups cooked wild rice.
    • Rice flour: Rather than creating a roux with all-purpose flour, the use of a rice flour slurry keeps this wild rice soup recipe entirely gluten-free. For smooth & creamy results, be sure to use finely ground rice flour (vs a more coarsely textured “stone-ground”) – this is the rice flour we always use. If you do not keep rice flour on hand, you can create a similar slurry using 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch OR an equal amount of all-purpose flour (not gluten-free).
  • Storage & Freezing:
    • Storage & Reheating: This quick chicken wild rice soup is incredibly meal prep & make-ahead friendly – it stores so well & it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits & its flavors meld together. Cool leftover chicken wild rice soup completely, then transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
    • Freezer Instructions: This chicken wild rice soup is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions – Souper Cubes are our favorite! – & freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen chicken wild rice soup in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop.
  • 20-Minute Meal Prep: With the wild rice cooked, all of the prep work involved in this recipe is shredding cooked chicken & chopping the veggies. Take care of this in advance, storing in airtight containers in the refrigerator & when you’re ready to prep your soup, all you have to do is get cooking – seriously so easy!
    • Chicken Prep: Dice or shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (10 minutes active prep)
    • Veggie Prep: Dice 1 medium yellow onion, 3 medium carrots (peel as desired), & 3 stalks celery. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/easy-chicken-wild-rice-soup/