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chicken and wild rice soup in Dutch oven with wooden spoon

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

By Jennifer Segal
Adapted from Food & Wine
Hearty and rich with flavor, this creamy chicken and wild rice soup is pure comfort—perfect for chilly nights.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 celery ribs, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
  • 2 carrots, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
  • 1 medium onion, diced into ½-inch (13-mm) chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme (or ¾ teaspoon dried)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup (5 oz) wild rice blend (such as Lundberg)
  • 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just start to soften, about 10 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until evenly coated and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the broth, water, and rice to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables and rice are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
  • Add the chicken and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes

Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: You can make the soup ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. (The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so thin it with a splash of broth or water when reheating.)
If you’d like to freeze the soup, prepare it through adding the chicken but leave out the cream. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate until cold and transfer to freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm gently on the stovetop, stir in the cream, and simmer just until heated through.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (8 servings)Calories: 482kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 24gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 573mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7g
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.