American
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Wild rice simmers in broth with carrots and celery while chicken cooks to 165°F. Milk and a little cream finish the pot once the rice is tender.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Wild rice needs a long simmer, so it starts before the dairy.
- Cooking the chicken to 165°F separately keeps it from shredding too fine.
- A flour butter base thickens the soup without a can of condensed soup.
- Cream goes in at the end so it does not scorch during the rice cook.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry. Do not rinse it. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the chicken until the center reaches 165°F, about 6 minutes per side. Rest 5 minutes and dice.
- 2
Melt the butter in the pot. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- 3
Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth.
- 4
Add the wild rice, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the milk and cream. Return the chicken and heat until the soup is hot and the chicken is still at least 165°F, about 3 minutes.
- 6
Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Pro tips
- A wild rice blend cooks faster than 100 percent wild rice. Check at 35 minutes.
- If the rice drinks the broth, add 1/2 cup water before the dairy.
- Do not rinse the raw chicken; dry it so it browns.
Easy substitutions
- wild rice blend
- long-grain brown rice, simmered until tender
- chicken breasts
- chicken thighs, still cooked to 165°F
- heavy cream
- extra milk
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm on the stovetop with a splash of broth until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 392
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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