Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe

An overhead view of a wide, shallow soup bowl filled with a serving of Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with slices of toast on both sides of the bowl.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe

Course: Appetizer or Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Calories: 444kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

A cozy, hearty soup with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, savory vegetables, and a silky cream broth—perfect for chilly evenings.

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Equipment

1 large soup pot

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice or blend, uncooked
2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, or chicken thighs
salt and pepper
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery chopped
8 oz baby Bella mushrooms sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour see NOTES
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon Italian parsley chopped, plus extra for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the wild rice according to its package directions. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.
1 cup wild rice
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 4 minutes per side; it doesn’t need to cook all the way through yet. Transfer to a plate.
2 lbs chicken breasts, salt and pepper, 2 tbsp unsalted butter , 1 tbsp olive oil
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the pot. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and the mushrooms have released their moisture. Add the garlic and thyme; cook for 30 seconds.
1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 8 oz baby Bella mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried thyme
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the broth, stirring to dissolve the flour. Add the bay leaves and return the chicken to the pot. Season with 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
¼ cup all-purpose flour, 6 cups chicken stock, 2 bay leaves
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat, cover partially, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred or chop it. Discard the bay leaf.
Stir the cooked rice and cream into the soup. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes—don’t let it boil hard. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then taste and add more salt if needed.
1 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp Italian parsley

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.

Cook the wild rice separately according to the package directions, then stir it into the soup near the end. This helps keep the broth from becoming too thick.
For a thicker soup if you forgot the flour, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the gently simmering soup and cook for 1–2 minutes, adding more slurry if needed.
Add the cream near the end and keep the soup at a gentle simmer; avoid boiling it hard.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. The rice will continue absorbing broth, so add a splash of broth when reheating.

Nutrition