This soup is hearty, nourishing and perfect for the cold winter weather! It truly warms you from the inside out.
Table of Contents
What is wild rice?
Interestingly enough, wild rice is not a grain. Wild rice is the perfect substitute for those observing a grain-free diet! Technically, it is an aquatic grass and grows differently than other rice. Despite not being a grain, wild rice has its name due to how similar it is in shape to rice. It also cooks similarly to rice.
Compared to white and brown rice, wild rice is much healthier for you! It is packed full of antioxidants and contains more potassium and zinc than regular rice. Wild rice also has a high protein content and makes for a great supplement to those practicing a plant-based diet.
Wild rice can be three distinctly different colors: white, brown, and black. However, regardless of the color they all cook and taste the same. Most commonly, you will find wild rice packaged as a combination of all three colors or simply black.
Why do you need to remove the bay leaves from the soup before serving?
Bay leaves are a fragrant herb used in many soup and broth recipes. It has an earthy taste, and helps to round out the flavors of other ingredients. Bay leaves are native to the Mediterranean region, and grow from the bay laurel tree. Because of this, they are commonly used in Mediterranean recipes and Middle Eastern cuisines.
In the US bay leaves are stored dry, but some specialty stores may carry fresh bay leaves. Ideally, you want to buy bay leaves dry, unless a recipe specifically suggests otherwise. Fresh bay leaves are much more overpowering and can carry a strong minty flavor that may throw off the flavors of your dish.
Dried bay leaves, while more subtle in flavor, still aren’t typically consumed. If you use a bay leaf, you should remove it from soups and broth before serving. Bay leaves emit a mild flavor when cooking in liquid, but are extremely bitter when you bite into it.
You can make this soup dairy free!
That’s correct, this recipe can easily be adjusted to accommodate a dairy-free diet. Whether you have a dairy allergy, or are trying to cut back on your carbon footprint, there are plenty of reasons to practice a dairy-free lifestyle.
To make this a dairy free recipe, simply replace the milk and heavy cream with your favorite dairy-free alternative. Oat milk has a mild flavor and thick texture that can match that of milk and heavy cream.
Another option would be to use coconut milk and coconut cream, but keep in mind that this will change the flavor of the dish overall. It will still be delicious, but different!
How to make our chicken wild rice soup
- Drizzle olive oil in a deep dish pot or Dutch oven. You will want to use a pot that has a top you can cover it with.
- Place the pot on medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, onions and garlic. Sauté the ingredients until everything starts to soften and brown a little bit. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken breast to the pan on top of the cooked veggies. Season the chicken with salt, pepper oregano and two bay leaves. Pour the broth 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream into the pot, followed by the wild rice. Lastly, add the contents of the seasoning packet.
- Give everything a quick mix. Bring the pot up to a boil over high heat, then lower it to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
- While the rice and chicken are cooking, make a thickening mixture. Combine flour, remaining milk, and heavy cream using a whisk. Set aside.
- Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard.
- Next, remove the chicken from the soup and shred it with a fork. Add the shredded chicken back into the soup, followed by the thickener and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes until thickened. Mix everything together.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
How to store our chicken and wild rice soup
You can store this quick and easy recipe in the fridge or the freezer. Pack it into an airtight container and it will last for 3-5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. To make reheating from the freezer even easier, freeze in portion sizes so that you don’t have to defrost more than you need!
If you are meal-prepping for the week, make sure to allow some time for your soup to cool down before storing it. Ideally, your soup will go into the fridge when it is warm, not hot. You want to avoid placing piping hot soup directly in the fridge as it can bring down the temperature of your fridge.
Common Questions about Chicken Wild Rice Soup
High altitude, older rice, or not enough liquid can all lead to harder rice. Sometimes wild rice just needs a bit more time – keep simmering and testing until it’s tender with just a slight chew. Adding more hot broth if needed will help it cook properly.
The key is not overcooking it – wild rice should be tender but still have a slight bite to it. You can also cook the rice separately and add it to individual bowls if you’re planning to have leftovers, which prevents it from absorbing too much liquid.
The classic combo includes carrots, celery, and onions, but you can totally jazz it up! Try adding mushrooms for an earthy flavor, or throw in some kale or spinach at the end for extra nutrition and color.
Using rotisserie chicken is a brilliant shortcut that adds tons of flavor! Just be sure to adjust when you add it to the soup to account for the fact that it’s already cooked. Give the veggies and wild rice time to cook in the broth before adding the cooked chicken towards the end.
Other soup recipes to try:
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Roasted Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup with Ditalini
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 stalks chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 medium chopped yellow onion
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk divided
- 1 cup heavy cream divided
- 6 ounces long grain & wild rice with seasoning packet
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil in a deep dish pot or dutch oven. Place the pot on medium high heat. Add the celery, carrots, onions and garlic. Sauté the ingredients until everything starts to soften and brown a little bit. This should take about 10 minutes.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 4 stalks chopped celery, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 medium chopped yellow onion, 4 cloves minced garlic
- Add the chicken breast to the pan on top of the cooked veggies. Season the chicken with salt, pepper oregano, and two bay leaves. Pour the broth, 1 cup milk, and 1/2 cup heavy cream into the pot, followed by the wild rice. Lastly, add the contents of the seasoning packet.1 pound chicken breast, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 5 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 6 ounces long grain & wild rice with seasoning packet
- Give everything a quick mix. Bring the pot up to a boil over high heat, then lower it to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
- While the rice and chicken are cooking, make a thickening mixture. Combine flour, remaining milk and heavy cream using a whisk. Set aside.1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard. Next, remove the chicken from the soup and shred with a fork. Add the shredded chicken back into the soup, followed by the thickener, let simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens. Mix everything together. Serve hot and enjoy!
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
One missing coma on this recipes caused me to get it wrong, but I made it work.
In step 2: it’s ALL of the broth and just ONE cup of the milk, not one cup broth and milk. My soup turned out OK just a little bit milkier and creamier than intended.
So sorry for this, Christy. Thanks for the heads up! We hope you still enjoyed the soup.
xo,
Alia and Radwa
where would I get the 6 oz grain & wild rice with seasoning packet for the chicken wild rice soup
Hi Gloria,
Both Ben’s and Near East produce the 6 ounce boxes of the Long Grain & wild rice. You can find it online or at grocery stores in the aisle that has grains. Hope that helps!
xo,
Alia & Radwa