Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Warm up with a bowl of my creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. This easy recipe is perfect for a cozy night in and will satisfy all your comfort food cravings! Pair with a slice of crusty sourdough bread for a supremely satisfying meal.

Another day, another creamy soup recipe on Nusde… What can I say, I love soup season!! This creamy chicken and wild rice soup is the latest addition to our soup recipe roster and my-oh-my is it a KEEPER!

Wild rice and mushrooms are such a classic pair, rooted in American comfort food, especially around the Great Lakes where wild rice has its origins. In this recipe, I throw in some chicken to make a super satisfying soup that’s not just comforting but also hearty and really tasty. My husband even jokes that it’s more like a stew! Pair it with a slice of crusty sourdough bread, and you’ve got a delicious meal packed with all those cozy fall flavors.

Inspired by Panera’s Favorite

If you’ve ever enjoyed a bowl of Panera’s Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, you know why people love it. The velvety creamy broth, tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and nutty wild rice create pure comfort. This recipe is my homemade version, using simple pantry ingredients. Think of it as a copycat recipe from Panera, made better for home cooks. It’s perfect for family dinners or lunches you can prepare ahead of time.

What’s Wild Rice?

If you are not familiar you can easily mistake wild rice with black rice… Don’t! Wild rice is actually the seed of a semi-aquatic grass, not a variety of rice at all. It requires quite a long cooking time to soften, but it keeps its shape and chewy texture wonderfully making perfect for soups and stuffing.

And despite having “wild” in the name, most commercially available varieties are actually farmed and not hand harvested. Farmed wild rice is generally more affordable and widely available and what I have used here.

Some people prefer to cook the rice separately and add it to the soup once it is cooked. You can certainly do that, but it is not required. Just make sure to check you have purchased the right type of wild rice and not a wild rice blend.

Here’s What You Will Need

• Butter: for sauteing the onion and mushrooms.
• Chicken: I used skinless boneless chicken thighs which poach in the soup until tender. You can also use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken if preferred. Leftover roast turkey would also work a treat!
• Wild rice: this recipe uses wild rice (as we discussed not really a type of rice at all!) and not a blend that includes other rice varieties. This is important because brown rice and basmati which are frequently used in blends will cook a lot faster and turn into mush which we want to avoid.
• Onion, finely diced
• Mushrooms: fresh crimini mushrooms (= chestnut mushrooms in the UK).
• Chicken stock made using Better than Bouillon or low sodium chicken broth.
• Tomato paste and Dijon mustard and soy sauce.
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, thyme and parsley.
• Cornstarch slurry (= cornflour in the UK) to thicken the broth.
• Cream and grated Parmesan to finish off the soup.

How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

1. Add the chicken thighs and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate. Rest for five minutes then shred using two forks.
2. Add the shredded chicken back into the soup and stir in the cornstarch slurry cooking for a couple of minutes to thicken the broth. Take off the heat and stir in the cream, thyme, parsley and grated Parmesan. Check the seasoning and serve with some crusty bread for a satisfying cozy meal!

Recipe Tips

• Do I need to soak wild rice? Soaking the rice will cut down on the cooking time somewhat but it is not necessary. A quick rinse won’t hurt tho!
• Can I use brown rice or white rice instead? You replace the wild rice with white or brown rice but not a combination as they cook at different rates. White rice will need 15-20 minutes whereas brown rice cooks in approximately 30-35 minutes.
• How to tell wild rice is cooked: check the grains have begun to split open and have softened enough for the rice to have a pleasantly chewy texture.
• Storing and freezing: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days, adding a little water when reheating the soup. This recipe is not suitable for freezing as it contains cream.

You Will Also Love

• Marry Me Chicken Soup
• White Bean and Sausage Soup
• Nourishing Chicken Lentil Soup
• Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

If you loved this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe, please comment and give it a star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’d love to see your creations – tag me on Instagram, follow for behind-the-scenes on TikTok@Nusde. Don’t forget to save and share on Pinterest for easy meal planning!