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Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup is lightly creamy and brimming with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and plenty of vegetables. Swap the chicken for turkey to make this soup with Thanksgiving leftovers!

Overhead view of two blue bowls of chicken wild rice soup.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup is one of those quintessential Minnesota meals, like Tater Tot Hotdish and steaming bowls of Booyah. I first made this recipe after Blake and I were married, and I tweaked it for years until we both deemed it “perfect”. This was “our” chicken wild rice soup recipe!

This savory chicken and rice soup has a lightly creamy base, loaded with tender chicken, vegetables, and earthy, nutty wild rice. A sprinkling of fresh herbs brings the flavors together in the most beautiful way. We hope you like it as much as we do!

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Looking for more protein-packed soup recipes? Be sure to check out my coconut curry chicken soup, this flavorful Thai chicken soup, and my popular chicken tortilla soup!

A measuring cup filled with wild rice, surrounded by scattered rice grains on a countertop.

What You’ll Need

Wild rice, chicken (or turkey), and vegetables are the stars of this hearty soup recipe. Here’s everything you’ll need. Scroll to the recipe card below the post for a printable ingredients list.

What is Wild Rice?

Fun fact: Wild rice isn’t related to regular rice at all. It’s an aquatic grass native to North America, and the official state grain of Minnesota. In Minnesota, wild rice is hand-harvested in shallow lakes and rivers and then dried over fire. When cooked, the hard outer shell splits and curls. This gives the grain a tender, chewy texture. Combined with wild rice’s smoky, earthy, wonderfully nutty flavor, we can’t get enough!

A spoonful of cooked wild rice held over a pot of rice.

How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup

There’s just nothing quite as comforting as a pot of soup simmering on the stovetop on a cold winter day. Here’s a quick step-by-step to show you how to make this easy chicken wild rice soup. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.

Overhead view of a ladle serving chicken and wild rice soup from a pot.

Tips and Variations

This comforting soup is easy to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Can I Prepare This Soup Recipe In Advance?

Yes, an easy way to get a head start is to prepare the wild rice in advance. The wild rice can be prepared a day or two ahead of making the rest of the soup. Store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. This will speed up the cooking time for the rest of the soup if you’ll be pressed for time on the day you want to serve it.

Chicken wild rice soup in a blue bowl with a spoon.

How to Serve Creamy Wild Rice Soup

With chicken, wild rice, and vegetables all cooked into one dish, this creamy chicken wild rice soup is a complete meal on its own! Garnish your bowls with an extra squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or freshly grated parmesan.

If you’d like to round out a dinner table, pair bowls of soup with a family-style harvest salad and a side of warm crusty bread or homemade Rhodes rolls for dunking. This cranberry apple crisp is delicious for dessert.

Overhead view of three mugs of chicken wild rice soup.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

More Wild Rice Recipes

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Overhead view of cream chicken and wild rice soup in a blue bowl.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Yield: 8 servings
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
This hearty, flavorful chicken wild rice soup is pure comfort on a chilly day! It's lightly creamy with chicken, wild rice, and vegetables. Swap the chicken for turkey to make this soup with Thanksgiving leftovers!
4.5 Stars (65 Reviews)
Print

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked whole grain not cracked wild rice
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 large carrots sliced into 1/4” thick coins
  • 8 ounces fresh button mushrooms sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried
  • 4 cups cooked and coarsely shredded chicken or turkey smoked turkey is especially wonderful!
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • First, start cooking the wild rice, so it’s ready to add to the finished soup. Prepare according to the package instructions. This will take awhile – usually about 50 to 60 minutes, or even a bit more. Make sure the wild rice is cooked until most all of it is split open. It will have a curled appearance, with the dark outer shell broken open to reveal the lighter interior. The wild rice can even be prepared a day or two ahead of making the rest of the soup; just store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
  • The remainder of the recipe can be made all in one pot. I like to use this pot for a single recipe, and a 12 quart stock pot when I double the recipe. Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir well and sauté until the onion is transparent and softened.
  • Blend in flour, cooking until it bubbles a bit. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly. Turn up the heat a bit and bring the soup to a low boil. Boil for 1 minute.
  • Reduce heat slightly and add the cooked wild rice, half and half, soy sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and chicken or turkey. Simmer for 20 minutes or until thoroughly warmed.
  • Stir in the fresh lemon juice and taste test to see if it needs more salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or warm bread.

Notes

Thin any leftovers with additional chicken broth, if needed.
from a farmgirl’s dabbles

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 406kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 30g Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 13g Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 118mg Sodium: 544mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

This post was previously published in 2011. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2021.