Creamy chicken and wild rice soup is a hearty comfort food made with tender chicken, wild rice, vegetables, and a creamy broth. It's also a great way to use leftover chicken and rice. It's a satisfying soup that's perfect for lunch or dinner, especially with a piece of crusty bread on the side.
What's great about this recipe
- It's a comforting soup that's perfect for chilly nights.
- With chicken, wild rice, and vegetables, it's wholesome, hearty, and filling.
- It's easy to make with simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- It's budget-friendly and makes a satisfying lunch or dinner.
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Budget Check
- The full recipe is about $12-$14
- Per serving (6 servings): about $2.00-$2.35
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. national averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region.
Ingredients you'll need
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- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter works well.
- Vegetables - Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic add flavor to the soup.
- Thyme - Fresh thyme adds flavor to the broth as the soup simmers.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is cooked with the butter and vegetables to help thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth - Use your favorite chicken broth. If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium broth and adjust the salt at the end.
- Wild rice mix - We use a mix of wild rice, whole grain brown rice, black rice, and red rice. Use your favorite and cook it according to the package directions.
- Chicken - Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast works well. We use poached chicken breast, but leftover roasted chicken is also a good option.
- Half-and-half - Gives the soup a creamy finish without using heavy cream.
- Seasoning - Black pepper and salt, if needed.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make chicken and wild rice soup
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the flour, stir well. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Use a whisk to help dissolve the flour. Add the thyme bundle to the soup.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use tongs to remove the thyme. Add the cooked chicken and wild rice. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and add the half-and-half and black pepper. Stir to combine. Return the pot to low heat and warm through.
Taste the soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe tips and notes
- If you're not using leftover rice, start the wild rice mix first since it can take a while to cook. The mix we use takes about an hour.
- If you don't have a wild rice mix, cook about ¼ cup of plain wild rice and combine it with enough cooked white rice to make the 2 cups needed for the soup.
- Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine so they're easy to remove after the soup simmers.
- If you poach the chicken, strain and save the cooking broth and use it as part of the chicken broth called for in the recipe.
- The soup will thicken as it cools.
Storing and reheating
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For food safety, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
To freeze, transfer the soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving some room for expansion. Label and date. Freeze for 2-3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the soup gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or reheat individual portions in the microwave. Heat leftovers to 165°F.
If you enjoyed this creamy chicken and wild rice soup, try our homemade cream of chicken soup for another comfort favorite. Our ham and wild rice soup is a great way to use up leftovers too. If you want something light yet creamy, cream of celery soup or mushroom soup will hit the spot.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 2 Medium Carrots diced (about ¾ - 1 cup diced)
- 1 Celery Rib diced (about ¼ cup diced)
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 8 cups Chicken Broth
- 3-4 Thyme Sprigs tied together with kitchen twine
- 2 cups Cooked Wild Rice Mix we used a mix of wild, whole grain brown, red and black rice prepared to package directions.
- 2 cups Cooked Chicken diced or shredded (about ¾-1 pound chicken breast)
- ½ cup Half and Half
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Salt if needed at the end
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted and starts to foam, add the onions, carrots and celery.
- Cook the vegetables gently for 5 minutes until the onions become translucent and start to soften, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the flour while stirring constantly until well incorporated. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly to cook out the flour taste a bit.
- Slowly add in the chicken broth while stirring until it is incorporated. Use a whisk to make it easier to dissolve the flour. If you don't have one, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.
- Add the thyme bundle to the soup.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a gentle simmer (it will take about 3-5 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover the pot and continue simmering for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the soup at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
- Use tongs to remove the thyme bundle.
- Add the cooked chicken and wild rice. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the half-and-half. Stir to combine.
- Add the black pepper and stir.
- Return the pot to low heat and warm through. Do not let it come to a boil. Taste the chicken and wild rice soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours.
Notes
- If you're not using leftover rice, start the wild rice mix first since it can take a while to cook. The mix we use takes about an hour.
- If you don't have a wild rice mix, cook about ¼ cup of plain wild rice and combine it with enough cooked white rice to make the 2 cups needed for the soup.
- Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine so they're easy to remove after the soup simmers.
- If you poach the chicken, strain and save the cooking broth and use it as part of the chicken broth called for in the recipe.
- The soup will thicken as it cools.
- If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium chicken broth and adjust the salt at the end, if needed.
💌 Save this recipe
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By submitting this form, you agree to receive this recipe plus occasional emails from Cook2eatwell.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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