Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is rich and creamy. It has an amazing texture and is filled with SO much flavor from the chicken, vegetables and wild rice. This soup is quick and easy to make, plus you can use rotisserie chicken to make it even easier.
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Hi there! This is Natalya from Momsdish. I like simple recipes that use a limited amount of ingredients. No-fuss meals mean eating homemade is accessible to everyone and every schedule.
If you follow my blog, you know that I am a self-proclaimed soup lover! And, if you love creamy, steamy goodness as much as I do, you are in for a treat. Simply put, I am thrilled for you to try this soup. All you need is a batch of soft dinner rolls and dinner is made!
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:
Chicken and wild rice soup is literally a comfy sweater in a bowl. We love warming up to a bowl of steamy soup on a cold day.
This is also a great soup to make when you are meal-prepping for the week. Make a big batch and have it on hand when your days get a bit hectic. Bonus: This soup gets better as the flavors mellow so your leftovers will just get tastier as the week goes on!
Packed with chicken, veggies, a wild rice blend (I love the Trader Joe’s bag or get a similar one here) and a dash of cream, this soup hits all the spots. What I love most about this dish is that I can whip it up all in one pot in under an hour. Hello, weeknight dinner rotation!
Hot tip: Have a rotisserie chicken hanging out in the fridge? Use it! Skip adding the raw chicken and shred up your store-bought bird. Once your rice is cooked and your broth is properly seasoned, simply add the shredded chicken into your pot until it is warmed up.
How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup:
- In a soup pot or Dutch Oven, saute veggies in butter until golden brown.
- Add a little flour and cook until fully incorporated.
- Add cubed chicken, rice, and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and simmer until rice is tender.
- Pour in heavy cream, continuously stirring to get a nice, smooth broth.
- Season to taste if needed and serve piping hot!
How to Store Chicken and Rice Soup:
Refrigerating is your best bet. The soup will stay fresh for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. Know that the soup will thicken as it cools. This is perfectly normal! Once you reheat it, it will loosen up again.
Can I Freeze Chicken Wild Rice Soup?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup. The cream will break up and separate as the soup freezes, making the reheating not so pretty.
How to Reheat Creamy Soups:
We recommend reheating only the portion you will use. Reheat on the Stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot and steaming and a safe 165˚F. Do not boil a creamy soup or it can separate. If you want the soup a little thinner, add a splash of water or chicken broth.
To microwave, place in a microwave-safe container, partially cover and heat on high heat, stirring every 20-30 seconds until soup reaches your desired temperature (at least 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer).
More Delicious Soup Recipes:
- Chicken Noodle Soup: A classic bowl of soup for a winter day or a pesky cold.
- Potato Soup: This is literally a loaded baked potato in soup form. So decadent and tasty.
- Taco Soup: Love tacos, but you’re living low-carb? This is the soup for you.
- Zuppa Toscana: Recreate this restaurant classic at home
- Cabbage Soup: I wouldn’t be Ukrainian if I didn’t suggest a cabbage soup. Healthy and hearty, this soup never disappoints.
- Minestrone Soup: A copycat recipe of Olive Garden’s famous soup.
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup carrots, diced into small cubes
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced into small cubes
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 cup wild rice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat a soup pot or Dutch Oven to medium heat. Saute carrots, onions, and celery in butter until golden brown.
- Add flour and stir until the flour is fully incorporated and the raw flavor is cooked out (about 2 minutes).
- Add wild rice, chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pour 8 cups chicken broth over the ingredients and let everything simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked to your desired doneness.
- Slowly pour in heavy cream, continuously stirring to create an even texture.
- Cook the soup for about 5 more minutes on medium-low. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the soup while it’s hot! When it cools down, it will thicken up. Reheat it to loosen up the broth.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This is an amazing soup, thanks for the recipe.
I added some garlic powder, a couple of dashes of red pepper flake, and a bay leaf. Unbelievably good.
Pairs really well with rosemary sourdough bread.
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
I swear I taste lemon in Panera’s Chicken and Wild Rice soup. Can this be added to take it to the next level?
Hi Bobbie! I think that would be fine. Let us know how it turns out.
Can this recipe be turned into a crockpot recipe? When would the rice be added?
Hi Vicki! I have not tested that to advise, but I imagine that may work. Let us know if you experiment.
This came out so creamy and so good. I had a little bit of garlic and dried red pepper flakes just to give it a kick but there’s nothing else you need to add to soup. This is a phenomenal soup. Great on cloudy, rainy days just hits the spot.
Thank you for the nice review, we’re so glad that you loved this soup!
Hi Natasha!
I made this soup and it turned out great! My friends really enjoyed it too!
Love your blog and all your recipes I’ve tried!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Diana!
Do you think any gluten free flour could be substituted – I wanted to try making it with oat flour. How do you think that would turn out?
Hi Sofie! I haven’t tried it with any GF substitutes to advise. Please let us know if you experiment with it.
I have made this soup from a different recipe, my questions is easy… should I keep the pot covered or uncovered during the time while cooking with the rice?
I love your recipes, and can’t wait to taste the results on this one. The pot is on the stove uncovered now.
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Hi Liz! We keep the pot uncovered.
I always leave the pot uncovered and it turns out perfect everytime
This has become a favorite in our house. Sometimes I leave the cream out to save calories.
Hi Tracy! I’m so glad you like this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Hello! I want to try this soup but can’t figure out if we use raw or cooked chicken when we begin! Please help!! And forgive me for my stupidity!
Hi Amy, we used raw chicken. I have a photo of the raw chicken in the recipe post. I hope this helps.
Greetings from Canada. This soup was so delicious, creamy and just perfect. I smoked the chicken, chopped it up and added it as I added the cream. Thank you for this recipe Nathasha, exactly what we needed after three days of -20F! We love your recipes here. When I cook one, I always say: Tonignt it’s a Natasha dinner!
Love it and it’s my pleasure! I hope you’ll enjoy all the recipes that you will try.
First time commenting. I’m sure I’ve made at least half of the recipes on your site, Natasha, and everything fantastic! I’ve been scrolling past this one thinking ‘meh’, but I’m trying to incorporate more soups (love ‘Mom’s Meatball Soup’ btw), so decided to give this a whirl … Wow! It was fantastic and so simple to make. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to give it a try!
Thank you so much, Danya! I appreciate the feedback. I’m so glad you love my recipes.
Hi Natasha, I see in your recipe nots that you don’t recommend freezing this soup, but other readers have commented that your clam chowder and Zuppa Toscana soup freeze well. Why would this soup be any different?
Hi Brooke! Many of my readers have commented on freezing the Zuppa Toscana and the Clam Chowder successfully but generally, I don’t recommend it because the cream can break up and separate as the soup freezes, making the reheating not so pretty.
Natasha, what do you think if adding a Kale like in Zuppa- Toscana to this soup? Do you think it will compete with wild rice? I like the texture of Kale in Zuppa and it adds something healthy to the soup. This soup is our favorite of all, so delicious and great texture. We use this exact rice as we love the taste and texture of it. Than you.
Hi Nikolai! I think that would be fine. Sounds like it would be a good addition.
Can I substitute something else for the heavy cream to cut calories but not lose flavor
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried a substitution for the heavy cream; one of our readers used light cream. If you experiment with a change, I would love to know how you like it.
I have tried the original recipe of the soup and it was delicious! I have also made a dairy free version using ghee instead of butter and unsweetned coconut milk in a can (thicker than from a container). It turned out really good. There was no obvious coconut flavor, it was barely barely detectable. The consistency was the same as well.
Thank you, Katie, for sharing that with us! 🙂
The flour burned quite quickly and the soup was ruined. If I make it again medium heat is way too high. The rice and veggies will need at least an hour to simmer it appears as well.
Hi John, make sure you use a heavy-bottomed pot which will help for even heat distribution and also adjust the heat as needed. Rice and veggies don’t normally take that long. I’d suggest cooking to your desired doneness but at an hour, it would be pretty mushy.
Love all your recipes. My favorite soup is the chicken wild rice soup.
Just made it for my husband without the cream as he had tummy issues. Wil
This freeze well without the cream as we’re going out of town.
Yours is always the the first and final recipe I go to and love! I just love you Natasha!! Thanks
Elisabeth Graf Kettler
Hi Elisabeth, thank you so much for trusting my recipes. Yes, it’s a good idea to omit the cream so you can freeze it and serve it later. Thanks for the review, we appreciate it!
I can safely say that this is my husbands #1 favorite soup, ever since we tried it the first time I made it. I love adding 1 tsp of cumin and one can of corn.
Hi Raya! I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoy this recipe! And thank you for the suggestion, that sounds like it would be delicious with cumin. Thanks for sharing that with us.
I did it yesterday for a family dinner and it turned out amazing.
Definitely a repeat
Thanks for the awesome feedback, May! Glad it was a huge hit.
Oh my gosh! Soooooo good! I couldn’t find any bagged wild rice so I used a wild/white rice boxed mix that has a seasoning packet in it and added that. It turned out perfectly – but your recipes always do! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Gayl!
Omg! Best chicken and wild rice soup! I made this for my family over the weekend and wow-so yummy!!!!! I should’ve made a double batch!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the excellent review.
I am originally from Minnesota! This is exactly how it is made. Mmmmm! I plan to make this for dinner this evening.
Good to know and sounds like a great plan, Holly. Please update us on how it goes.
I made it for dinner this evening! My husband who is also originally from Minnesota really enjoyed it! So did my kiddos!
That’s a win! I am happy you all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review.
It seems like a wild rice and regular rice blend, that’s not wild rice.
This is a great recipe! So simple and pretty easy to prep and cook. I will be making this more!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Arline!
This was delicious. My 9 year old son who is so picky loved it as well. Husband and daughter loved. I didn’t have wild rice on hand since we were snowed in. No heavy cream but had half and half on hand. I used basmati rice and it still was unreal. Would hands down make again. All your recipes never disappoint!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Renee!
I am wondering, do you want to cook the chicken, first? Or can it go in with everything? Thanks!
Hi Rachel, we don’t pre-cook the chicken, it will cook in the pot after it’s added in step 3.
Hi, I love your recipes. But I am confused by the picture on this chicken rice soup. What is in that small bowl in the picture. It appears to be a dark liquid or paste? No mention of it in the recipe.
Hi Jan, sorry for the confusion; that is a bouillon or chicken broth paste, so you could use water and that paste instead of chicken broth if that is what you have on hand.
This was such a satisfying soup! Perfect for a cold winter evening. We are a dairy free house but even without the cream it was still excellent. I added a little sweetened condensed coconut milk (1/4 cup) to give it that extra richness. Served it with homemade honey wheat dinner rolls and it was so good I went back for more. I think it would make a really delicious repurposed leftover meal if it was baked like a casserole with biscuits on top. Another simple but delicious meal from Natasha!
Hello Maran, that’s fantastic! Good to know that the substitutes that you used turned out great. Thanks a lot for sharing that with us!
I’m wondering if I use the rotisserie chicken as suggested here, what would be the ideal amount of chicken?
Hi Lori, I bet that could work! I would use about 1 lb of chicken. I hope you love it!
First time made exactly as recipe says. 2nd time I doubled on chicken thighs and wild rice (Lumberg Wild Blend). As well I mixed 1/2 cup of sweet cream with whole milk instead of 1 cup of sweet cream. 1 cup makes a bit too sweet for my taste.
3rd time I did add Shitaki mushrooms and even though it was nice to have a chewy texture it made soup color earthy and did not add flavor. Mushrooms are not needed here. But potato if you like are more texture in your soup is just fine. This is a great soup and healthy and equally good to Toscana but without being heavy. I will try to add Kale next time to see if it is good with Kale. Thank you for the recipe .
This recipe is so versatile! Thank you for sharing your tips with us!
My parents were born in Lvov,in 1939, before the war, left for Colombia. Peru and Colombia have a soup called Ajiaco. I think you should one day try it. It’s simple wonderfull.
That sounds interesting! I’ll have to do some research looking it up! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I’ve made this soup twice now. I normally make a new recipe exactly the way it is written the first time. The next time I change it up a bit to suit our tastes. So this time I added 1 cup of sliced Cremini mushrooms and another tbsp. of butter to the stock pot just after the vegetables had cooked. Cooked for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to combine before continuing with the recipe as written. Came out delicious. It was a big hit with our family.
That’s a great idea! We love mushrooms, so I bet that was a great addition here! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
This was delicious and so easy! Made exactly according to directions, except used table cream and a constancy slurry, instead of heavy cream ( none on hand) served with homemade herbed foccacia. Enough leftover for lunch.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
This recipe is simple and easy and the soup was delicious! I used my own whole chicken homemade chicken broth and used the chicken from making the broth. Since it was already cooked chicken, I waited until the wild rice was almost done and then added chicken a few minutes before adding heavy whipping cream! One of my favorite soups!
So great to hear that, Kimberly. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!
This looks delicious! What is the bbq sauce looking ingredient in the photos? I don’t see that in the recipe so just curious if that is an add in. Thank you!
Hi Colleen, sorry for the confusion; that is a bouillon or chicken broth paste, so you could use water and that paste instead of chicken broth if that is what you have on hand.
Hi Natasha,
Could you make this without the heavy cream?
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried a substitution for the heavy cream; one of our readers used light cream. If you experiment with a change, I would love to know how you like it.
I have had recipes before using a can of cream of mushroom soup instead of heavy whipping cream.
Does the chicken go in raw ?
Hi Gregg, it sure does. It cooks during the 30-minute simmer. We also have the raw chicken in the recipe post photos for guidance.
Could you turn this recipe into a Chicken wild rice Curry soup? And what would I add?
Hi Ken, I have not tested this with curry to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
This soup is fantastic! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks, Natasha!
You’re welcome, Kay! I’m so glad you enjoeyd this recipe!
Hey Natasha,
Can any other Rice be used?
Hi Tanya, this is the specific wild rice that I used in this recipe but I imagine another type should work too.
Sooo good! Thank you for this recipe, I feel like I can always trust what you post.
Thank you for your trust, Suz. I hope you will love every recipe that you will try!
I made this tonight. Didn’t have wild rice, so I used white jasmine. I also only had half and half. I used some home-made chicken broth with the store bought organic chicken broth. I added sliced mushrooms and frozen corn. I used boneless chicken thighs. Since my mom can’t have dairy, I put the soup aside without the cream and it was still delicious! Super good and easy soup to make! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Anita, thank you for sharing those substitutes with us.
Will any wild rice work?
Hello Rita, this is the specific wild rice that I used in this recipe but I imagine other type should work too.
I made this today for this weekend but forgot to buy chicken!! It’s yummy will add chicken Saturday. Easy easy & I haven’t added the whipping cream yet either!!
I’m happy you enjoyed that Tracy!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. I’ll make it again for sure! I threw in some rotisserie chicken which was flavorful and less time consuming than cooking breasts and shredding. I’ll also add mushrooms next time but that’s not a flavor for everyone. Overall this recipe was awesome and Will use again, thanks so much
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that Veronica!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. I’ll make it again for sure! I threw in some rotisserie chicken which was flavorful and less time consuming than cooking breasts and shredding. I’ll also add mushrooms next time but that’s not a flavor for everyone. Overall this recipe was awesome and Will use again, thanks so much
What’s the brown stuff for wild rice and chicken soup? I looks like bbq sauce. It is not listed in the ingredients or method.
Hi Toni, sorry for the confusion, that is a bouillon or chicken broth paste so you could use water and that paste instead of chicken broth if that is what you have on hand.
If I don’t have heavy whipping cream? What can I substitute?
Others used light cream and it worked too.
Should it be covered or uncovered while cooking?
Hi Julie, we kept this poy uncovered while cooking.
Thanks. I ended up venting the lid and that worked fine. My husband even said I could make it again once the weather cools down 😛
I love this soup! Any luck making it in the instant pot?!
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t tested this in an instant pot.
The recipe is amazing. My entire family loved it. Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear that Fatin!
Hi – I’m obsessed with your creamy chicken noodle soup (seriously make it every couple of weeks). Definitely want to try this one too. If I prefer shredded chicken in my soups instead of cubed, how might I adjust the steps to make that work? Also what seasonings would you recommend if I like adding extra flavor to my soups? Thank you!
Hi Elise, I haven’t tested this with shredded chicken but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I make it with a whole chicken, I cook it until it falls off the bone, and shred the rest. I use the broth to make the soup.
What is the creamy chicken soup recipe?
Hi Kristin, you can find my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe HERE.
This soup was easy to make! I did add more seasoning to it like garlic and onion power just because those are my favorites to add to soups. I was worried that my carrots were going to be super crunchy for only 30 mins of cooking, but the carrots were perfect. 1st time cooking with wild rice. served with crusty bread.
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Sarah!
First time I made this, my gf loved it so much she’s making it for her family.
Very tasty, very filling and most importantly very very easy to make. I added some finely chopped chillies as I like it hot!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Alex! Thank you for that great review!
What can I use to substitute flour. My husband can’t have any gluten.
Hi Noemi, I haven’t tried, but I think a cup for cup gluten-free flour would work here.
Chicken wild rice soup was a staple growing up in Minnesota. This recipe brought me straight back to all of the great memories! This was extremely easy to make and reheating it as leftovers by adding a bit of water worked wonderfully.
I love it when food brings back good old memories! Thank you for sharing some good vibes and for giving this recipe a great review!
I make this soup and excellent flavor, everyone at home loved it. And easy to cook. Now is on my cooking recipe list.
Sounds like you guys found your favorite recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup for a potluck when I knew several people cannot eat tomato or spicy foods. It was simply amazing and people were complimenting me asking for the recipe. I made the soup exactly as indicated with the exception of adding a few small fresh bay leaves and a bit of fresh thyme as they were on hand from a prior recipe. Even my husband loved it and wants the leftovers! If you knew him, you would know how rare that is.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Leslie!
this soup is absolutely delicious, i have made it already 4 times in the last 2 weeks…thank you Natasha
Sounds like you found a new favorite Barabara. That’s so great.
Ohh this soup made my bones dance! It’s a restaurant favorite of mine and have been dreaming of the day you re-create it so that I would know how to make it at home! BAM! you did it! I’ve made it twice in the last week and its a hot commodity in our household! Thanks for the goodness!
Love it! Thank you so much for your great feedback. Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Oh my goodness, this soup is delicious. Very easy to make.
Another winner from Natasha.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us, Vickie!
I bought exactly the same rice but it was still hard boiling after 30 minutes… I followed the recipe to a T. What could have happened?
Hi Alice, maybe it was a different blend that takes longer? Check what the package instructions say for cooking time – you may just need to cook it longer. Also, make sure it is at a simmer or low boil for the full 25 minutes + 5 minutes at the end.
Love this soup! This is AMAZING. Thanks so much Natasha and Vadim for all you do
You are so welcome. Thank you for your great feedback we appreciate it!
This soup was crazy good!!! I added mushrooms since I had some needing to be used and substituted light cream for heavy cream. Also, better than boullion was a fantastic suggestion as well! I am all the way up North in Bangor Maine and it’s storming outside so this soup was perfect!
That sounds amazing! I bet the mushrooms made it taste that much better! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Hi, what is in the bowl between the wild rice and the carrots? It looks like a sort of sauce, but it doesn’t get mentioned….
Hi Albert, great question! That is a product called “better than bouillion” which is a bouillion paste. You can either use that with water or use a chicken broth. Sorry for the confusion. I hope you love the soup!
This soup is amazing! Despite being super simple, it has plenty of flavor and is well balanced.
Isn’t the flavor amazing! Thank you for that wonderful review
I loved it and I love your method to cooking
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you.
Love this soup! I use a rotisserie chicken and do an extra step of simmering the chicken bones and scraps in the chicken stock for a while to give it super extra flavor.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with me.
This Chicken and rice soup is AMAZING! Probably my favorite soup I’ve found online!! And today is day one! Can’t wait till tomorrow since the flavors become more intense!!!! I didn’t see a video though on YouTube. Just the pic posting. I watch all your videos and have cooked a lot of your recipes! Thanks so much for all you do!!
I’m smiling big reading this comment. Thank you Jan!
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker?
Hi Barbara, I have not tested that but I imagine that may work. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
I didn’t try the slow cooker but used your method and we really enjoyed the soup. It was even better the second day!
I wanted to love this soup but my rice was still hard and half cooked after 30 min boiling it, and I bought exactly same rice that’s in the recipe. I had to dump it out
Hi Mary, I’m so sorry to hear that I have not had that experience and I’m more than happy to troubleshoot. Was anything else altered in the recipe?
No I didn’t alter anything. So I ended up boiling the soup for around an hour instead of 25 min, but in the end it was really delicious.
Looks very delicious, can this be made in an instant pot?
Hi Chris, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
If I substitute wild rice with white rice, would it be same measurement? I never cooked with wild rice.
Hello Olga, I haven’t personally tried using white rice to advise. But if you do an experiment please let us know and share with us your experience.
This soup is soooo amazing!! It is always a total hit with my family! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your great feedback, Chelsea! Glad you loved this.
I cant goethe wild rice right now
🙁 any thots on substitute? I do have regular white rice n I believe brown rice..
I love chicken and rice soup and your recipe is amazing! It turned out so creamy and delicious, I printed this recipe out and will be making it often!
Very nice and great to hear that this recipe has become a favorite! Thank you for your wonderful feedback.
YUM! Such an incredible soup!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thank you! I hope this chicken and rice soup becomes a new favorite for you.
This soup is so good on cold winter nights. I just adore creamy soups!
Same here – it’s comfort in a bowl and all I need for dinner because it’s so hearty.