From Mila's kitchen
Chicken and wild rice soup is a stovetop soup with sautéed onion, carrots, celery, wild rice blend, cooked chicken, and a milk-and-cream finish. The rice simmers first for 40 to 45 minutes; the cooked chicken and dairy go in near the end so they only need to heat through.
Recipe
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
- 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional, for extra richness)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (optional, for thickening)
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in chicken broth and wild rice. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40–45 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Add shredded chicken, milk, and cream. Simmer 5–10 minutes more.
- (Optional) For thicker soup, mix cornstarch and water, then stir into the pot. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Use cooked turkey instead of chicken for a Thanksgiving twist.
- Make it dairy-free with unsweetened almond milk and coconut cream.
- Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1.5 cups
- Calories
- 420
- Sugar
- 4g
- Sodium
- 700mg
- Fat
- 22g
- Saturated Fat
- 10g
- Unsaturated Fat
- 10g
- Trans Fat
- 0g
- Carbohydrates
- 28g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Protein
- 28g
- Cholesterol
- 85mg
Method at a glance
Why this recipe works
- Wild rice receives the longest cooking time, while the already-cooked chicken is protected from unnecessary simmering.
- Adding the dairy after the rice is tender keeps the soup creamy without exposing milk to the initial boil.
Recipe-specific success guide
- Check the rice itself rather than relying only on the clock because wild rice blends vary in grain composition and cooking time.
- Keep the soup below a hard boil after adding milk or half-and-half.
- Use the optional cornstarch slurry only after seeing the finished consistency; the rice will continue to absorb broth.
Troubleshooting
The soup is too thick
Add broth gradually until the rice moves freely in the pot. The usual cause is continued absorption by the rice during standing or chilling.
The rice is still firm
Continue simmering before adding the dairy. More cream will not soften undercooked rice.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate promptly and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over moderate heat with extra broth as needed; avoid a hard boil once the dairy is present.
What to serve with it
Serve with bread or a simple salad; the rice and chicken already make the soup substantial.
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