A creamy, hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe that comes together in under an hour while being super easy and flavorful. Made with succulent chicken, wild rice, and tender vegetables stewed in a rich broth that comforts the soul. A touch of bacon and slivered almonds take this soup to the next level. Crockpot, Instant Pot & Stove Top instructions included!
I love a good, comforting soup and this creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is exactly the one-pot dinner we all need in our lives right now. It is full of tender chicken and thick wild rice, while the touch of bacon and slivered almonds delivers a winter warming touch.
I have been making this soup for YEARS and I can definitely say it is the best ever! It has additions I never see in other recipes. Amazingly simple with minimal prep, 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 a slow cooker and instant pot option below as well. Plus, I’ve also included some awesome shortcuts that brings the cooking time down to 30 minutes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is an overview of what you will need to make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. There are also some notes on substitutions if you need them.
Chicken: I generally use chicken breasts for this recipe, but skinless chicken thighs is a flavorful option. I even have a secret way to cut the cooking time in half by using a pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie in the instructions.
Veggies: The mixture of carrots, onions, and celery form a classic mirepoix for a perfectly flavorful base. The mushrooms are the perfect complement to the chicken and wild rice. You can, however, add or subtract anything you wish.
Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice: This is the perfect ingredient for slightly nutty, super flavorful in every bite soup. You can use any brand you like, but I find using all wild rice to be a little too much. I do use the seasoning packet! You can also use other rice like jasmine or even orzo as well, but it won’t taste the same.
Cooking Sherry: Sherry cooking wine has a sweet aroma and golden color. Its taste is close to a dry drinking sherry with a slightly nutty flavor. You can use a drinking sherry, which will have less salt and may taste a little different. If you do not have sherry on hand, you can use a dry white wine.
Dairy: I use a combination of milk (lighter), cream (for creaminess), and sour cream (thicker), that makes the soup creamy but still light.
Chicken broth. I use low-sodium chicken broth as the seasoning packet for the rice already has quite a bit of salt. Always make sure to taste-test before serving!
Bacon: I just can’t imagine this soup without the bits of crisp bacon. It explodes the flavor!
Slivered Almonds: I toast these in the oven for a few minutes. This are like the garnish, but way better. Don’t skip the slivered almonds, you will thank me!
How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup
These instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but this is a visual reference if you need it.
- Crisp the bacon. Crispen it completely and remove the bacon but leave the drippings. (photo 1)
- Cook the veggies. Cook the mushrooms and onions first as they take the longest, then add the celery and carrots. The carrots should be tender-crisp when done, not super soft. (photo 2 & 3)
- Thicken the base. This is where we add the flour and sherry to thicken the base before adding the broth. (photo 4)
- Cook the chicken and rice. The chicken and the rice cook right in the same pot! Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
- Shred the chicken. You can use two forks or my quick method below.
- Finishing touches. Add the dairy ingredients for creaminess and the bacon for even more flavor. My personal opinion, but the slivered almonds add a nuttiness like no other!
How To Toast Almonds: Toasted, slivered almonds make this soup the absolute best! To toast the almonds, spread them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Put in the oven on broil. Set the time for 6 minutes. They should start to just slightly brown. If not done, set the timer for 1-2 more minutes and check. Almonds can burn quickly so keep an eye on them.
The Easiest Way to Shred Chicken – Dump the whole, cooked chicken breasts into a kitchen aid or other stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low speed (2) and mix until the chicken is magically shredded! You can increase the speed after it gets most of the giant chunks. Otherwise, you can shred with two forks.
Slow Cooker Directions
- In the crockpot, add the mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, 2 cups chicken stock, uncooked chicken breasts, thyme, to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Cook rice according to package directions in a separate saucepan with 2 ¼ cups chicken broth.
- 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 to soup.
- Shred the chicken. Add the rice, bacon, and chicken into the soup. Garnish with slivered almonds.
Instant Pot Note*: The directions are the same as a slow cooker, except cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release.
Recipe Shortcuts for 30 min Dinner
I make every recipe on this blog pretty regularly, so I often come up with my own notes on various things I have tried. This recipe is designed as a one-pot meal but can be done quicker with two modifications.
If you cook the rice separately (with 2 of the cups of the chicken broth) and use a rotisserie or pre-grilled chicken, you can take off the 20 minutes of simmering. Both can be done while the base is making and it times perfectly. Add them in just before serving.
Storage Suggestions
Store: Store the soup in a well-sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Lasts 3-4 days.
Freeze: As with most soups with dairy in it, I generally do not freeze this soup.
Make Ahead: Like most rice and noodles-based soups, the rice will continue to swell and pull in the broth while it sits in the refrigerator. It does change the texture somewhat. To combat this, I use the “Recipe shortcuts for dinner in 30 minutes” above. Basically, I cook the chicken and rice separate from the pot and then add it in just before serving or reheating.
Ideas to Make it Your Own
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.
- 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 its 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.
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
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can use leftover cooked chicken or turkey. I often use plain rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
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.
Yes! 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.
This recipe is designed as a one-pot meal, so the rice cooks in the soup. However, to keep the rice from becoming mushy as leftovers, you can cook it separately and add just before serving.
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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 strips Bacon diced
- 4 oz Mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup Yellow Onion diced
- 3 Carrots diced
- ½ cup Celery diced
- 3 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoon Sherry
- 5 cups Chicken Broth 40 ounces
- 6 oz Long grain and Wild rice I use Uncle Ben's Original
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts
- ½ teaspoon Thyme, dried
- ½ cup Milk any percentage is fine
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ cup Toasted, Slivered Almonds see note at the bottom for how to toast almonds
Instructions
- 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 cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sherry and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up the bits on bottom.
- Stir in broth and thyme. Bring soup to a boil.
- Add in the wild rice and seasoning packet. Stir. Sink the chicken breast cutlets into the soup. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, and rice is fully cooked (about 20 minutes). Remove chicken and shred.
- Put shredded chicken back in. Add milk, heavy cream, sour cream, and bacon pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Garnish with almonds and more bacon if desired.
Notes
- In the crockpot, add the mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, 2 cups chicken stock, uncooked chicken breasts, thyme, to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Cook rice according to package directions in a separate saucepan with 2 ¼ cups chicken broth.
- 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 to soup.
- Shred the chicken. Add the rice, bacon, and chicken into the soup. Garnish with slivered almonds.
Rebecca says
Oh god that soup again. SO DELICIOUS! This wild rice one though- it’s getting pinned.
Rachel says
haha, I do make quite a few soups. Nothing beats good soup in winter or on busy weeks where I can feed the family without cooking for a few days.
Erlene says
We love wild rice soup. I make mine a little different and have never added almond slivers, but I’ll try it the next time I make it.
Rachel says
I was surprised the first time I tried the almonds in the soup. The nuttiness makes sense with the wild rice but now I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Erika says
Hi Rachel, this recipe looks delicious! Thank you for joining the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop! 🙂
Erika