Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup are perfect for dinner or a quick lunch. With a touch of bacon and mushrooms, this soup is creamy and hearty!

I love a good soup and this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is exactly what the doctor ordered. It is full of tender chicken and thick wild rice, while the touch of bacon and slivered almonds delivers a winter warming touch. This soup has been requested for years from my family in the winter time. The best thing about this soup is that it only uses items commonly found at the grocery store.

I typically make this soup on the stovetop, but I’ve included an Crock pot option below as well.  Plus I’ve also included options for how to make this soup gluten-free or even vegetarian.

Alright, let’s check out this chicken and wild rice soup, friends!

Tips for Making Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I really only have two big tips for making this soup

1. Don’t skip the slivered almonds unless you can’t have nuts. Those little toasted goodies bring out the flavors of the soup.
2. Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice is probably the easiest to find in the grocery store for this soup. However, you can use any brand you like. I do use the seasoning packet in the soup as well!

Can I freeze this soup?

Milk and dairy that have been mixed into a soup does not freeze well. The milk may curdle so I don’t recommend freezing this soup. However, you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I use leftover chicken or turkey?

Yes. You can use leftover cooked chicken or turkey. I have also used plain rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to cut down on the prep time.

CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Although I LOVE this soup as is, I understand other have diet restrictions, time limits, or maybe just want to experiment. For example, feel free to…

• Make it in the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot: See instructions in the recipe box below.
• Make it gluten-free: Omit the all-purpose flour, and make a cornstarch slurry (with equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to thicken the soup instead.  Once the rice has cooked, add in 1-2 tablespoons of the slurry to the soup at a time until the broth reaches your desired level of thickness.
• Make it vegetarian: Swap out chickpeas for chicken and veggie stock in place of chicken stock to make this soup vegetarian.  You can also use coconut milk instead of milk.
• Skip the thickener: If you would like a thinner broth, feel free to omit the flour (or cornstarch) altogether. 
• Use a different rice or orzo: I like this soup for it’s ease of finding ingredients. However, feel free to add other rice or increase the amount of wild rice in the soup. The cooking time will be different depending upon which type of rice/pasta that you choose.

What to Serve with Soup

If I am making this chicken and wild rice soup for dinner, I usually serve a simple side salad and/or a warm, crusty bread like a French bread or ciabatta.

LOOKING FOR MORE HEARTY SOUP RECIPES? CHECK THESE OUT:

• Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup
• Cabbage Beef Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Creamy Seafood Chowder Soup
• Broccoli Cheese Soup with Real Cheese

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A filling soup that takes advantage of easy to find ingredients. The slivered almonds make all the difference in this Chicken and Wild Rice soup.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8 cups

Calories: 324kcal

Ingredients

• 6 oz box of long grain and wild rice original or chicken flavor, Uncle Ben’s (use the seasoning packet)
• 4 strips of bacon diced
• 4 oz button mushrooms sliced
• ½ cup yellow onion diced
• 3 Carrots diced
• ½ cup Celery diced
• 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp sherry
• 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth 1-12 fl oz can
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ cup Milk any percentage is fine
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup sour cream
• salt and pepper
• Toasted slivered almonds

Instructions

• Cook rice according to package directions .
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute bacon pieces until crisp, about 8-9 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
• With the drippings still in the pan, lower heat to medium, and add mushrooms and onions. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add carrots and celery and cook an additional 5 minutes.
• Stir in flour and and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add sherry and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up the bits on bottom.
• Stir in broth, cooked wild rice, chicken, and thyme. Bring soup to a boil. Add milk, heavy cream, sour cream, and bacon pieces.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to warm soup to temperature but not boil. Garnish with almonds and bacon if desired.

Notes

I use Uncle Ben’s original or chicken flavor for this soup because it is the easiest to find. I do like a mix of wild rice and long grain, rather than 100% wild rice. 

Instant Pot Option: To make slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup, you will need to add 1 extra can of chicken stock in addition to the recipe. To make pressure cooker chicken and wild rice soup, simply add the mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, 1 can chicken stock, uncooked chicken breasts, wild rice, and thyme to your Instant Pot.  Cover, seal and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release, followed by a quick release.  Meanwhile in a separate saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté bacon pieces until crisp, about 8-9 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Whisk in the flour until combined and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Deglaze the pot with sherry. Then whisk in 1 can of chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, and sour cream until combined and continue heating until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and add the mixture to the soup. 

Crock-Pot Option: To make slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup, you will need to add 1 extra can of chicken stock in addition to the recipe. In the crockpot, add the mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, chicken stock, uncooked chicken breasts, thyme, and wild rice to a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the rice is tender.  Meanwhile in a separate saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté bacon pieces until crisp, about 8-9 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Whisk in the flour until combined and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Deglaze the pot with sherry. Then whisk in the milk, heavy cream, and sour cream until combined and continue heating until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and add the mixture to the soup. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fat: 16g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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