Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
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A cozy bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup filled with wholesome veggies and nutty wild rice. It’s a hearty meal in itself—and a delicious way to use up leftover chicken or turkey.
This creamy chicken and wild rice soup, adapted from Food & Wine, is the perfect chilly-night dinner: cozy, hearty, and incredibly easy to pull together. It’s loaded with tender veggies, nutty wild rice, and chicken all simmered in a lightly creamy broth that tastes like it cooked all day (even though it definitely didn’t).
This soup is a complete meal in one bowl, and it’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken or Thanksgiving turkey. Serve it with a simple salad and some crusty bread, and you’ve got the kind of cozy, satisfying meal that makes everyone happy with very little effort.
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Butter, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic: It all starts with butter, which adds richness and helps the aromatics soften and release their flavor. The mix of veggies adds flavor, texture, and wholesome goodness to every spoonful.
- All-purpose flour: Sprinkled over the veggies, it cooks into a light roux that thickens the soup just enough for body without making it heavy.
- Chicken broth: Adds depth and brings all the flavors together. Using a good-quality broth really makes a difference here.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried, thyme adds a subtle earthy note that pairs nicely with the chicken and rice.
- Wild rice blend: Nutty, chewy, and hearty—it’s what gives this soup its satisfying texture.
- Chicken: Cooked chicken (or turkey), cut into bite-sized pieces, adds protein and that classic comforting flavor.
- Heavy cream: A splash of cream at the end gives the soup its silky, rich finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Cook the aromatics. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Thicken the soup. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 1 minute to cook off the raw flavor.
Step 3: Simmer the rice, then stir in the good stuff. Pour in the broth and water, then stir in the rice. Bring it to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer until the rice and veggies are tender, about 45 minutes. Add the chicken and cream and cook for a few more minutes, just until everything is heated through.
Step 4: Adjust seasoning and serve. Give the soup a taste and add a little more salt or pepper if it needs it, then ladle into bowls and serve warm. Leftovers keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge, so it’s great to make ahead or enjoy throughout the week.
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Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 celery ribs, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
- 2 carrots, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme (or ¾ teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup (5 oz) wild rice blend (such as Lundberg)
- 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just start to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until evenly coated and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the broth, water, and rice to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables and rice are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Add the chicken and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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Excellent!!! I used precooked wild rice (omitted additional water) and leftover chicken from a roaster. Also did not have to cook as long.
This is another wonderful recipe from you. I never used wild rice before and I love it in this soup. It made enough I shared with family members and they all raved about it too.
I will make this again and again.
Thank you
This was such and fast and delicious recipe. I used a bit of left over Thanksgiving turkey and my wife tells me this is her new number one favorite. I am slowing falling in love with cooking, who doesn’t want a great meal, and your recipes are fantastic.
To quote my wife, More Please.
Tim
I’m sure this will be amazing as so many of your recipes we have tried!
We make wild rice each year, is it possible to use already cooked wild rice, if so cook veggies down 1st and then add and what quantity? I know our rice is already cooked and even though wild rice is sturdy i also wonder about ur thoughts on quality? Could it be too mushy? Thanks so much!
Hi Martha, I think it should be OK as long as you add the rice at the end along with the chicken. And one cup of uncooked wild rice should yield about 3½ cups of cooked rice. I’d love to hear how the soup comes out!
Excellent. Made as written, with turkey and turkey stock. Going forward I would add more veggies and rice. Good comfort food soup.
Hi Jenny I have everything but the rice, can this be made successfully with regular rice? Thanks,
Sue
Hi Sue, I think the wild rice is what makes this soup special, and it holds its shape better, but technically, white rice will work. Just keep in mind that white rice will cook for less time (consult the package for specifics).
Thank you Jenn, I got the wild rice and the soup was just delicious. Having it again tonight as leftovers. Another great recipe.
This soup was so great! Simple directions and a great use of Thanksgiving turkey. Looks exactly like the picture!
So simple, but so good! Such an easy way to use left over turkey. Added bonus that my little kids loved it.
This is one of the best soups I have ever made. For such an easy recipe, it is packed with flavor. Followed the recipe exactly and everyone loved it.
I added 1 C water for a thicker soup.
DELICIOUS
I’ve never commented before, but I have to say this soup is exceptional. Made strictly following the recipe, its flavor and texture belie the simplicity of the ingredients. A squeeze of lemon before serving recommended.
Amazing. Substituted with half and half cream as that was what I had on hand. Used rotissiere chicken meat also,so good.