Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
In short: A creamy, chunky soup of chicken, chewy wild rice, mushrooms and vegetables in a thyme-scented broth, all cooked in one pot. It takes about 1 h 25 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 5 min
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 395 kcal
Chicken and wild rice soup is a cold-weather favorite in the northern United States and Canada, where wild rice has long been a local staple. The grains stay pleasantly chewy and a little nutty, and they thicken the soup as they cook alongside mushrooms, carrots and celery. A butter and flour base, then milk and cream at the end, make it rich without being heavy. Serve it with crusty bread and a green salad.
Instructions
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 6 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock until smooth, then add the wild rice, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through (74°C / 165°F) and the wild rice grains have split open and turned tender.
- Lift the chicken onto a board and shred it with two forks.
- Return the chicken to the pot and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the milk and cream and warm the soup for 5 minutes over low heat without boiling.
- Stir in the pepper and lemon juice, taste for salt, and serve hot with parsley.
Tips
- Wild rice cooking times vary by brand. Check the package and adjust, and remember that blends with white or brown rice usually cook faster than pure wild rice.
- The soup thickens as the rice swells. Loosen leftovers with a splash of stock or milk when you reheat them.
Questions and answers
Is wild rice actually rice?
Wild rice is the seed of an aquatic grass, not true rice. It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor and takes longer to cook than white rice.
Can I make creamy chicken and wild rice soup dairy-free?
Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter and replace the milk and cream with unsweetened oat milk or cashew cream. The flour still thickens the soup.
Can I use leftover cooked chicken and cooked wild rice?
Yes. Simmer the vegetables and stock for 10 minutes, then add about 2 cups of cooked chicken and 2 cups of cooked rice with the milk and cream, and warm everything through.
How long does it take to make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
About 1 h 25 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 5 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
About 395 kcal per serving, with 23 g of protein, 31 g of carbohydrates and 20 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 395 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1000 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
