Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is comfort food at its finest, filled with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, mushrooms, and potatoes, and paired with traditional wild rice and seasoned chicken. Perfect for a cold day! If you like Chicken and Wild Rice, make sure to try my Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
It doesn’t really get more Minnesotan than Chicken Wild Rice Soup. In spite of its name, wild rice is not actually rice at all, it is more like rice’s close cousin. It is found in the seed of an aquatic plant that grows in the great lakes region. The rice is harvested from the plant right here in Minnesota and used in a number of dishes. So, of course, I needed to share this amazing Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe with you! Not only is it a native dish, but it is also a staple recipe that I have such fond memories of growing up.
How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Start by sauteeing the onions and the garlic. To do this, drop the butter into the pan, once it is melted, add in your onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, you are going to a soft and translucent look. Then, add in the garlic. I get a lot of questions and comments about this. Why do you have to saute the garlic after the onions? Garlic burns very quickly, and unlike some of the other veggies that can cook for a few extra minutes, burnt garlic is acidic and gritty to the taste. You basically just want it to hit the pan, let the juices flow for a minute and move on. Adding them last gives you extra control.
Once you hit this point, go ahead and add in the chicken stock, chicken, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, potatoes, and Old Bay seasoning.
How to Cook Wild Rice
Just a quick note on cooking wild rice. Wild rice is a fickle little grain, but if you cook it properly, the results are a wonderful deep earthy flavor that is perfect all by itself or in a salad or as a side dish. There are many ways to cook wild rice. For this recipe, we are going to cook it right in with all of the other goodies. It is important to note that this chicken wild rice soup recipe calls for 45 minutes of cooking. You should check your rice throughout the cooking process. Cooking times will vary drastically based on how the grain was dried, how it was stored, and whether it was locally harvested or produced under regulated circumstances. Wild rice, when cooked properly, will have “popped”, meaning that the grains split open. The grains pop at different rates, much like popcorn, so wait until the majority is done.
How to Thicken the Chicken Wild Rice Soup
To add thickness to the soup, we will create a roux. To do that you will create a foundation in a separate saucepan. Cook the butter until it is fully melted and then whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until it is fully combined. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened. (It should easily coat the back of your spoon or cling to the whisk.)
If it gets too thick, you can add in chicken stock, milk, or even water to break it up to your liking.
More Delicious Soups
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided (salted or unsalted work in this recipe)
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 4 ribs)
- 2 cups (about 2 large potatoes) Yukon potato, diced
- 2 tablespoons old bay seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and brown.
- Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the chicken stock, chicken, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, potato, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.
- After the soup reaches a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low then cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir occasionally and check on the rice.
- In a separate saucepan, cook the remaining butter over medium-high heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined, and cook for 1 minute. (This is the roux.)
- Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until combined. Stir frequently until the roux has thickened.
- Add the roux to the soup and stir gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
This is one of our favorite soups. I have to make it at least once a week, thank god it’s easy. I now double the recipe and freeze the rest. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! 🙏
Definitely will making this again. Can I make it in a crockpot???