Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Hearty, delicious, this chicken wild rice soup is a pure comfort food at it's best! Creamy soup packed with earthy flavors of the mushrooms and fresh herbs. Easy to make, this soup will keep you warm on a fall or wintry cold nights. This recipe can be made gluten-free, dairy-free!

Chicken wild rice soup is a thick and creamy soup, without any cream. This hearty, and a delicious soup, is made with chicken, wild rice, fresh vegetables and greens.

CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

Quick, and healthy, this chicken wild rice soup is super satisfying and is loaded with tons of flavors. Love how well the flavors come together in a bowl. Flavorful and easy to make, this is a perfect soup for cooler month. I love to make a huge batch of this soup, and freeze some.

The key ingredient, or I must say star of this recipe is wild rice. You can use wild rice, wild blend rice or brown rice, works fine in this recipe. I used wild blend rice, as that’s what I had in hand.

For protein, I added some chicken breasts. It adds some meaty flavor and warmth to this soup, much needed on this cold blistery day!

I love to use fresh veggies in season. To add medley of colors and flavors, I used some onions, garlic, carrots, celery and my favorite mushrooms. I prefer cremini mushrooms, you can use mushrooms of your choice.

Fresh herbs are a great flavor buster. Feel free to use fresh or dried herbs to your liking.

Of all the spices, one spice I absolutely love is nutmeg. I think it adds a ton of flavor to this soup. Just a few grates of nutmeg is all you need to add that magical touch to this soup.

Chicken or vegetable broth for some additional flavor and nutrient value. You can use water in this recipe, works just fine.

For the richness in the soup you can use heavy cream, half and half or milk, works absolutely great. I did not use any cream in my soup, I found this soup just creamy and delectable as is.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

1 cup wild blend rice or wild rice, uncooked

2 medium chicken breasts, (around 1 lbs.)

8 ounce cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; plus as needed

4 ounce kale leaves, roughly chopped; discard the woody, thick stems

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 whole bay leaf

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE ROUX

4 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil; For dairy free use oil

¼ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour

2 cups milk (recipe uses whole milk); For dairy free use plant-based milk

Pic Shown: Chicken Wild Rice Soup

DIRECTIONS FOR CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

I always look for some quick and hearty recipes that are easy to make and can feed an army. This chicken wild rice soup is delicious and super easy to make. It is one of my go to recipes for a hearty, comforting and flavorful meals!

This chicken wild rice soup requires minimum of prep and sautéing, which is why I love to make this soup quite often. It tastes as if this soup has been simmered for hours and only gets better with time.

I love to cook in an Instant Pot. The best part of cooking in Instant Pot is it requires zero monitoring, just set it and forget it. How cool it is? Here’s how I make this cozy and delicious chicken wild rice soup in an Instant Pot.

INSTANT POT CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

Add all the ingredients (except kale), to the inner pot. Add broth, mix well.

Turn ON pressure cook (high) for 30 minutes. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release.

For the roux, in a saucepan, melt butter over a medium high heat. Add flour and sauté for a minute, or the raw smell of flour is gone.

Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer the mixture for 2-3 minutes, to slightly thicken.

Open the Instant Pot lid. Discard bay leaf, and sprigs of fresh herbs (if using). Remove the chicken, shred or dice into small pieces. Return the chicken pieces to the inner pot.

Turn on sauté mode (normal). Add kale, roux mixture and freshly grated nutmeg.

Simmer the soup for 3-5 minutes, or to a desired consistency. Stir the soup in-between. Turn OFF sauté.

Note: The soup will thicken as it cools down.

Enjoy chicken wild rice soup with some salad and some crusty bread!

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

STOVE TOP CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, add all the ingredients (except kale). Add broth, mix well.

Bring the soup to a boil, cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low. Simmer the soup for 45-50 minutes, or the rice is tender.

For the roux, in a saucepan, melt butter over a medium high heat. Add flour and sauté for a minute, or the raw smell of flour is gone.

Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer the mixture for 2-3 minutes, to slightly thicken.

Discard bay leaf, and sprigs of fresh herbs (if using). Remove the chicken, shred or dice into small pieces. Return the chicken pieces to the inner pot.

Add kale, roux mixture and freshly grated nutmeg.

Simmer the soup for 3-5 minutes, or to a desired consistency. Stir the soup in-between. Turn OFF heat.

Note: The soup will thicken as it cools down.

Enjoy chicken wild rice soup with some salad and some crusty bread!

Pic Shown: Chicken Wild Rice Soup

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

Wild rice, or wild blend rice (used for this recipe) works just fine. Cooking requirements remain the same for both varieties of rice. I have tried this recipe with brown rice and it tastes amazing. Cooking time for brown rice is 22 minutes. 

I prefer boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. Chicken thighs would work great too.

Use any combination of your favorite mushrooms - Cremini, button or portabella mushrooms. 

You can use mirepoix (pre-made mixture of onions, carrots, celery), around 3 cups for this recipe. 

Fresh or frozen greens may be used in this recipe. Spinach, kale, beet greens are some of my favorite greens, I use one or combination of greens.

Potatoes are naturally starchy and can be used in the soup as a thickening agent. They release their starches, as they get cooked, making the soup naturally thick and creamy.

I like combination of herbs, thyme and rosemary. Fresh or dried herbs may be used in this recipe.

One spice I absolutely love having in this soup is nutmeg. Nutmeg is great flavor enhancing spice. Just a pinch of nutmeg goes a long way. I like to use fresh nutmeg, over the powdered one. I use cheese grater and grate the nutmeg straight into the pot, just a few grates is all you need to add flavor buster.

To balance the sodium level in the soup, I prefer low-sodium broth. Vegetable or chicken broth, either one works fine.

Garlic adds lots of flavors to this soup. Fresh, or around a teaspoon of garlic powder, works just fine.

White or yellow onions works best in this recipe, as they are mild in flavor.

Fresh parsley, chives, green onions may be used as a garnish and for added flavor.

Pic Shown: Chicken Wild Rice Soup

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT VARIETY OF RICE TO USE

You can use wild rice, or wild blend rice (which is what I used for this recipe). Cooking requirements remain the same for both varieties of rice.

I have tried this recipe with brown rice and it tastes amazing. Cooking time for brown rice is 22 minutes. Use rice of your choice.

IS IT REQUIRED TO SOAK WILD RICE

Soaking the rice does help reduce the cooking time. If you are using a pressure cooker, soaking the rice is not required.

I use Instant pot to cook the rice and it does an amazing job! The rice is cooked to perfection for this chicken wild rice soup.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK WILD RICE

If you are using a pressure cooker, it takes around 30 minutes of cooking with complete natural pressure release for a perfect cooked wild rice.

On a stove top, it takes around 45-50 minutes for wild rice to get cooked.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF WILD RICE IS COOKED

Wild rice is tender with a little bite to it. Similar to what we refer to al dente pasta.

Cooked wild rice is no longer hard or chewy. You will notice some of the kernels have burst open, indicating the doneness of rice.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE SOUP

The all-purpose flour helps give soup a nice thick consistency. There are some other ways to thicken the soup without using all-purpose flour. Here are some gluten-free substitutes:

USE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR

Arrowroot flour, Sorghum flour, Chickpea flour, Corn flour (white or yellow) are all starch-based, gluten-free flours and can be used as a thickening agents.

For gluten-free chicken wild rice soup, use cornstarch instead of flour. To prepare cornstarch slurry, take equal quantity of cornstarch and water, and mix. Gradually add the slurry to the soup until thickened to a desired consistency. 

USE A POTATO

Other way you could make this a gluten-free is by using a potato. Yes, a potato gives this soup a nice thick texture without actually using any flour.

Take a medium size potato, peel, chop, add it to the soup. The starch from the potato acts as thickening agent. It adds some creaminess to the soup as well. This is by far the easiest and the simplest way of making a gluten-free soup.

Does adding a potato make this soup taste like potato soup??- Not at all. As we are adding a small quantity of potato, it does not overpower the soup at all. All it does is give a nice thick consistency to the soup without any flour.

I sometimes even add some potato flakes or even some leftover potatoes to thicken the soup naturally.

HOW TO NATURALLY THICKEN THE SOUP

There are many ways to thicken the soup naturally without using any flour or cornstarch. Here are some of the ways that I find very convenient using these basic pantry ingredients.

USE POTATO

For best results, use Russet or baking potatoes. They release their starches, as they get cooked, making the soup naturally thick and creamy.

USE POTATO FLAKES

Potatoes are naturally gluten-free and are high in natural starch. Adding potato flakes, helps thicken the soup without actually using any flour or cornstarch, keeping the soup gluten-free.

The starch from the potato flakes, acts as a thickening agent. This is by far the easiest and the simplest way of making a gluten-free soup. Add ⅓ cup of potato flakes, in place of roux.

You can use some mashed potatoes to thicken the soup as well.

BLEND SOUP

You don’t need any thickening agent, simply blend the soup to the desired consistency. Potatoes add thickness and creaminess to the soup.

HOW TO SERVE CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

I like to serve this soup piping hot, top it with some freshly crushed black pepper. Enjoy it in a classic way, with some crusty bread or with some crackers like my kids love it. Or serve it in a Homemade Bread Bowls for a café style dining experience and impress your guests.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

The chicken wild rice mushroom soup stays good for 3-4 days in refrigerator. The soup thickens as it sits. Add a splash of broth or milk, reheat well in a microwave or on a low heat on a stove top.

DOES CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP FREEZE WELL

Yes, you can freeze chicken wild rice soup for up to a month.

Cool chicken wild rice soup at room temperature. Divide it into freezer safe containers and store into freezer. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator. Serve hot!!

★ If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Please rate the recipe and/or leave a comment on the blog. Tag me on Instagram @livingsmartandhealthy or #livingsmartandhealthy

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Some soup recipes from blog!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup 

Tomato Bisque

Olive Garden Inspired Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Corn Chowder

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Minestrone Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Moroccan Chickpea Tomato Soup

 Pic Shown: Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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