Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Wild rice is the long, dark seed of a water grass native to North America, and it gives this creamy chicken soup a nutty flavour and a chewy bite. It also takes time: true wild rice needs 45-60 minutes of simmering before the grains split open and turn tender, so the chicken thighs cook in the same broth and come out partway through to be shredded. Flour whisked into cold milk thickens the soup at the end, with a splash of cream.
By Priya Raman
Published
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 1 hr 25 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Servings
- 6 servings
How do you make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup?
Soften onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms in butter, then add 190 g rinsed wild rice, 1.5 litres chicken stock, 500 ml water and 700 g chicken thighs. Simmer until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F), about 20-25 minutes, then shred it. Keep simmering the rice for 45-60 minutes in total, until the grains split. Thicken with flour whisked into milk, then add cream.
- Total time
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Calories
- 480 per serving
- Protein
- 34 g
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Simmering
Ingredients
Soup
To finish
Equipment
Large pot or Dutch oven (5 litres or larger) · Fine-mesh sieve · Whisk and a jug or bowl · Two forks · Instant-read thermometer · Ladle
Quick Directions
Cook the vegetables
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the rice, stock and chicken
Add the rinsed wild rice, stock, water, seasoning and the chicken thighs and bring to a simmer.
Take out the chicken
Remove the chicken once it reaches 74°C (165°F) and shred it.
Finish cooking the wild rice
Simmer for 45-60 minutes in total, until the wild rice grains split.
Thicken the soup
Whisk the flour into the cold milk in a jug or bowl until completely smooth.
Add the cream and chicken
Stir in the cream and the shredded chicken and heat for 2-3 minutes, without letting the soup boil hard, until the chicken is hot through.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making creamy chicken wild rice soup, written out in full.
Cook the vegetables
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the rice, stock and chicken
Rinse the wild rice in a sieve under cold running water and add it to the pot with the stock, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs whole. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat so the soup bubbles gently and partly cover the pot.
Take out the chicken
After 20-25 minutes of simmering, check the chicken: the thickest thigh should read 74°C (165°F). Lift the thighs onto a board and leave the rice simmering. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces with two forks and keep it covered.
Finish cooking the wild rice
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, partly covered and stirred now and then, until the wild rice is tender but still chewy and many grains have split open to show their pale insides. That takes 45-60 minutes in total from when the rice went in. If the soup gets very thick before the rice is done, add a little more water.
Thicken the soup
Whisk the flour into the cold milk in a jug or bowl until completely smooth. Stir it into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the soup has thickened and no longer tastes of raw flour.
Add the cream and chicken
Stir in the cream and the shredded chicken and heat for 2-3 minutes, without letting the soup boil hard, until the chicken is hot through. Remove the bay leaf, and the thyme stems if you used sprigs. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed, and serve sprinkled with parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Buy 100% wild rice for the dark, chewy grains. Cultivated black wild rice needs the full 45-60 minutes; hand-harvested wild rice usually cooks faster, so start checking it after 25 minutes.
- Whisk the flour into cold milk, not warm, so it mixes in without lumps.
- Wild rice keeps soaking up liquid after it is cooked, so the soup thickens as it stands. Loosen leftovers with a splash of stock or milk when you reheat them.
- Keep the heat gentle once the cream is in. A hard boil can make the soup look grainy.
Variations
- Rotisserie or leftover chicken: leave out the raw chicken and stir in 420 g (3 cups) shredded cooked chicken with the cream. Heat until the soup is steaming and the chicken is hot to 74°C (165°F).
- Gluten-free: replace the flour with 3 tbsp cornstarch whisked into the cold milk and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Use a stock labelled gluten-free.
- Lighter: use 500 ml (2 cups) milk and leave out the cream.
- Chicken breast: use 700 g boneless, skinless breasts. They reach 74°C (165°F) in about 15-20 minutes, so take them out promptly before they dry out.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 480 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 34 g |
| Carbs | 41 g |
| Fat | 20.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 10 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Cool the soup quickly and refrigerate it within 1 hour if you can, and no later than 2 hours, in airtight containers for up to 4 days. It thickens in the fridge as the rice absorbs the broth.
- Freezer
- Freeze for up to 2 months. The cream may separate a little and the rice softens; thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and whisk it as it reheats to bring it back together.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding stock or milk to loosen it, until steaming and hot to 74°C (165°F). Don't let it boil hard.
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup FAQs
How long does wild rice take to cook in soup?
True wild rice needs 45-60 minutes of gentle simmering to turn tender, and it is done when many grains have split open to show their pale insides. Hand-harvested wild rice usually cooks faster, so start checking it after 25 minutes. Quick-cooking or parboiled wild rice is ready much sooner; follow its package.
Is wild rice actually rice?
No. Wild rice is the seed of an aquatic grass native to North America, related to rice but a different plant. It is naturally gluten-free, has a nutty flavour and a chewy texture, and contains more protein than most white rice.
Can I use a wild rice blend instead of pure wild rice?
Yes. Most blends mix wild rice with brown or white rice and cook in less time, so follow the package and start checking early. Take the chicken out as soon as it reaches 74°C (165°F). The soup will be softer and starchier than one made with 100% wild rice.
Can I use rotisserie chicken in chicken wild rice soup?
Yes. Cook the vegetables and simmer the wild rice in the stock and water as written, without the raw chicken. Add about 420 g (3 cups) shredded cooked chicken with the cream and heat until the soup is steaming and the chicken is hot to 74°C (165°F).
Can you freeze chicken wild rice soup?
Yes, for up to 2 months, though the texture changes a little: the cream may separate and the rice turns softer. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge, then reheat it gently, whisking and adding a splash of stock or milk, until it is hot to 74°C (165°F).
Why did my chicken wild rice soup get so thick?
Wild rice and the flour keep absorbing liquid as the soup stands, especially overnight in the fridge. Stir in stock, water or milk as you reheat it until it is as thin as you like, then taste again for salt.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
