This creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe has tender chicken, wild rice, and chopped veggies in a creamy, flavorful broth. It comforting and healthy, and you can make it on the stovetop in a slow cooker.
If you love soup recipes, try our Chicken and Dumplings, Roasted Cauliflower Soup, Creamy Zuppa Toscana, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Potato Leek Soup, or Broccoli Cheese Soup.
Soul-Warming Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Soul-Warming Chicken & Wild Rice SoupI love everything about this soup! It absolutely delicious, plus it’s a complete meal, with grains, veggies, and protein, and it will actually leave you feeling full. If you want an extra hearty, cozy meal, serve it with homemade rolls, breadsticks or level it up by serving in a bread bowl!
How to make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:
Sauté Veggies: Saute celery, carrots, and onion in oil. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. ADD butter and flour and whisk for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, bouillon, thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Add Chicken and bring soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding into small pieces. Stir evaporated milk, shredded chicken, and cooked wild rice into the soup.
Make Ahead Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This homemade chicken and wild rice soup recipe can be completely prepped ahead then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Recipe Variations:
Slow Cooker Instructions: Sauté veggies in skillet as directed, adding butter and flour. Pour into slow cooker, whisking in broth, seasonings and chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or High for 2 hours then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in milk and cooked rice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Vegetarian Wild Rice Soup: Omit chicken and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
More 30-Minute Meals:
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Korean Beef Tacos
- Boursin Pasta
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Tuscan Garlic Chicken
- Meatloaf Sandwich
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Chow Mein
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Recipe
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked wild rice*
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 2 carrots , diced
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste , better than bouillon base
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , or thighs
- 12 oz can evaporated milk , or use 6oz heavy cream and 6oz milk
Instructions
- Sauté Veggies: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil. Once hot, add celery, carrots and onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add butter and flour and whisk well for 1 minute.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bouillon, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding into small pieces.
- Stir in evaporated milk and cooked wild rice. Taste broth and adjust seasonings, adding more bouillon or spices, if needed, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe February 2015. Updated February 2019 and October 2024.
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This soup was delicious. I cooked it in my ninja slow cooker and it was really fast to put together.
We had this for dinner last night and we loved it. It was easy to prepare and delicious.
Simple, but absolutely delicious. Wild rice is too precious (costly). I cooked up a box of Rice a Roni that had some in it to add to the soup.
Great recipe! Tastes amazing. Perfect thickness. Better than any restaurant or cafe. I didn’t change anything or tweak it.
Would this be a good soup to freeze, would omit anything until reheated? Starting to make my postpartum freezer meal stash and I’d love to add this recipe to my list.
Yes, you could freeze this soup. Enjoy.
Hi. This soup is amazing and a staple in our house when it gets cold. If would love a link to the original recipe if you have it. I found that this new version isn’t as thick as the previous one and I have had issues with it separating out which I didn’t have with the older version. I also don’t keep evaporated milk at home. I would love the old measurements if you have them.
I noticed the recipe changed! Is there a way to post the old one in the comments? I do not have some of these things on hand, and want to have the old to reference for correct amounts of things. TIA!
Hi Shanna, here is the old recipe. I hope you try the updated one sometime too! 🙂
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice , wild rice
1 small yellow onion , chopped
2 medium carrots , diced
2 ribs celery , diced
6 Tablespoons butter , divided
1 clove garlic , minced
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (appx. 3 (14.5 oz) cans)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , halved
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream ,or half & half
Instructions:
Prepare rice according to package instructions.
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté until slightly tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Stir in the chicken broth, thyme, sage, rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and allow mixture to boil for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally to check on it.
Remove chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before chopping into small pieces.
In a separate medium saucepan melt remaining 5 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, whisking vigorously, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in cream.
Pour roux mixture into the soup pot and stir until smooth. Cook for a few more minutes. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed.
Reduce the heat to low and return chicken and add cooked rice to the soup. Serve warm.
Hi, I just noticed the recipe changed. I love the old recipe with heavy cream. Is there any way you can post that so I can save it? I’m sure this new recipe is delicious too. I just don’t have the ingredients for the new one.
Hi Kristi, I have improved this recipe over the years, so I wanted the old version to reflect it–same great flavors and basic ingredients, but even better and a more simplified process. To use heavy cream, add 6oz cream and 6oz regular milk of any kind, in place of 12oz evaporated milk.
Can u use rotisserie chicken for this recipe
I just finished this soup and found it to be delicious. I wanted to make Chicken Soup but was looking for something different and this fit the bill. My version is not as thick as i added 6 C of Chicken Stock instead of the 4 1/2C that the recipe called for. I did increase the amount of vegetables. This recipe will definitely go into my Soup Repertoire.