Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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This Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the perfect warm and comforting meal for the upcoming cold winter months. Filled with lots of veggies and wholesome wild rice, your family will fall in love with this recipe.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I don’t know why I feel the need to make Chicken Wild Rice Soup when the weather gets bad, but there you have it. Maybe it’s something my Mom did OR maybe it’s ingrained in my DNA. That would be cool. Either way, I made a huge pot of delicious chicken wild rice soup and you lucky people get the recipe!

Main Ingredients Needed

I’d say the hardest part of this Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe is the chopping, which isn’t hard at all…just takes a little time. So here’s everything you’ll need to get started!

• Butter and Olive Oil – These are used for sautéing and for flavor.
• Onion, Celery, and Carrots – Healthy and colorful with subtle hints of delicious flavor, these really are the rock stars of this soup.
• Chicken Broth – Use a good-quality chicken broth for the best results.
• Chicken Breasts – It takes around 45 minutes to get everything prepped and cooked from scratch, but using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken can save you time.
• Ben’s Original Long Grain & Wild Rice – I use the Original Flavor mix because it comes with a seasoning packet that makes a world of difference. It’s what I’ve always used, and I love the flavor it gives this soup. Be sure to use the seasoning packet along with the rice.
• Half & Half and All-Purpose Flour – I use fat-free half & half to keep this on the lighter side. If you can’t find it, you can use regular half & half or whole milk. Whole milk will make the soup a little less thick, which is why the flour helps.
• Salt and Pepper – Season as you go and adjust to taste!

How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is a one-pot soup recipe that starts with sautéing the vegetables. Next comes the chicken, wild rice, and seasonings. A half & half and flour mixture makes everything creamy and thick. Then you just have to wait until the rice is cooked through!

Step 1: Soften the Vegetables

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots, then cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until softened and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Poach the Chicken

Pour in the chicken broth and add the cubed chicken. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the chicken turns opaque and tender.

Step 3: Add the Rice

Stir in the wild rice mix and the seasoning packet. Cover, reduce heat, and let it simmer lightly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Make it Creamy

Whisk cold half & half with flour until smooth. Stir it into the soup, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes until the rice is fully tender and the soup thickens.

Note: If using rotisserie chicken, you’ll add that in during this step with the half and half and flour.

Step 5: Season + Serve

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot and enjoy every spoonful.

Tips for Success

• Use the seasoning packet. The seasoning included with the wild rice mix is a big part of what gives this soup its flavor.
• Stir occasionally while the rice cooks. This helps prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Whisk the flour into cold half & half. Make sure the mixture is smooth before pouring it into the soup to avoid lumps.
• Keep the heat low after adding the cream. Let the soup thicken gently rather than bringing it to a hard boil.
• Using rotisserie chicken? Add the cooked chicken toward the end with the half & half and flour mixture rather than poaching it with the broth.

What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• Garlic bread for dunking and soaking up every last drop
• Grilled cheese sandwich because soup and melty cheese just make sense
• Dinner Rolls that hold up to a thick, creamy soup
• Kale Salad with White Balsamic Dressing to keep the meal balance
• Banana Split Cake because this meal needs a sweet ending

This creamy chicken and wild rice soup is the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again. It’s comforting, reliable, and hits that perfect balance of hearty and creamy every single time. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

Leftovers

This Chicken Wild Rice Soup will stay good for up to 4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. That’s 4 more days of comforting soup to warm you up on those chilly days!

Freezing Chicken Wild Rice Soup

If you’re planning to freeze this soup, I recommend preparing it without the half & half and flour mixture first.

Freeze: Prepare the soup without the dairy mixture, cool it promptly, and transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 2 months for best quality.

Thaw and reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat thoroughly on the stovetop. Whisk together the half & half and flour and stir it into the hot soup. Simmer gently until the soup thickens.

Variations

• Swap in rotisserie chicken and add it during the final simmer with the half & half.
• Use regular half & half for an even richer finish.
• Add sliced mushrooms with the vegetables for extra depth.
• Stir in fresh herbs like thyme or parsley just before serving.

Make It Gluten-Free

To make Chicken Wild Rice Soup gluten-free swap out the flour for half the amount of cornstarch. Blend with the half & half to create that creamy base!

Unfortunately, Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice seasoning packet has gluten in it. SO instead of adding the seasoning packet in, here are a blend of seasonings that comes pretty close to the same flavors:

• 1 teaspoon dried minced parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons salt

Make It Dairy-Free

Good news! You can make this Chicken Wild Rice Soup without dairy but still get all the creaminess.

To make this recipe dairy-free, simply replace the half & half with your choice of unsweetened non-dairy milk. Whether that be almond, cashew, oat, or even coconut milk. Just know that it won’t be exactly the same as using cows milk.

More Recipes to Try!

• Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles
• Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Chicken Meatball & Barley Soup
• Chicken and Dumplings

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tag me @laurens_latest.