This Chicken Wild Rice Soup is deliciously rich and creamy soup without the use of heavy cream or flour. You can make this healthy and budget-friendly comfort food on the stovetop, crockpot or Instant Pot.

We also love this Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup, Instant Pot chicken and rice soup and marry me chicken soup.

Healthy chicken and wild rice soup garnished with parsley and served in bowls.

This healthy chicken wild rice soup is loaded with fall apart shredded chicken, tender carrots, potatoes, celery, and of course, wild rice simmering in a creamy broth that is exploding with crazy flavor!

After realizing how quick and easy it is to make this healthy soup in just over an hour, you’ll never want to go back to Panera again!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Easy: While it may need a bit of simmering time, this soup requires minimum chopping and all steps are very easy to follow.
  • Delicious: Lots of flavor from the earthy mushrooms, veggies, aromatics and seasonings. Not to mention everyone loves anything creamy!
  • Healthier: No heavy cream is used to make this chicken wild rice soup.
  • One pot meal: Anytime I can make dinner in one pot with easy clean up, it’s a win!
  • Freezer and meal-prep friendly: Prep soup ahead of time and freeze until you’re ready to cook it. Portion any leftovers and enjoy for lunches throughout the week.

Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Chicken breasts, milk, parsley, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, dried mushrooms, potatoes, wild rice, thyme, carrots, celery, butter, chicken broth, garlic powder, mustard.
  • Chicken: Any chicken works whether it’s raw, bone-in and skin-on or boneless and skinless. Examples would be chicken breasts, chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks. Also cut up whole chicken is great.
  • Dried mushrooms: If you don’t have dried mushrooms, use fresh brown mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or white mushrooms.
  • Vegetables: Onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes.
  • Wild rice: Wild rice has a very unique taste and texture and I don’t recommend to replace it with any other rice.
  • Milk: Whole milk is the best replacement for heavy cream.
  • Liquid: Water or low sodium chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth.
  • Seasoning: Dried thyme, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Try poultry seasoning or rosemary instead of thyme.
  • Garnish: Parsley to give it a nice herbaceous finish.
  • Butter: Used for sauteing the vegetables and adds a creamy layer of flavor.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

  • Saute vegetables with spices. Melt butter in a large heavy bottom pot and add onion and garlic to saute. Add veggies and seasoning and continue to saute for 5 more minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients: Add chicken, potatoes, wild rice, water, or broth.
  • Cook: Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 55 minutes or until rice and potatoes are tender.
  • Shred chicken: Place chicken onto plate and shred with 2 forks and set aside.
  • Make it creamy: Whisk in the milk and prepared mustard and blend with an immersion blender a bit. Or leave it as is.
  • Final step: Add shredded chicken back in as well as a handful of chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

  • Don’t replace the wild rice: Unfortunately, white or brown rice will become overly mushy in this recipe. If that’s all you have, make this turkey and rice soup (use chicken) or Instant Pot chicken and rice soup instead. Or some readers have had luck with cooking rice separately and then stirring it in at the end.
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender: Blend a small amount in your blender, then stir back into soup. Do this in batches until desired soup consistency is reached.
  • Adjust consistency: This soup will thicken over time. Adding 7 cups of liquid is great if you want a thick soup right away. Adding 8-9 cups is good if you plan to consume the soup a couple hours later as it will become thicker by then. You can always adjust the soup next day with more broth.

Variations

  • Cooked chicken: If you have any leftover cooked cubed or shredded chicken you can use that instead. Add after cooking and use chicken broth and not water for cooking the soup as you will skip cooking the chicken.
  • Dairy free: Try coconut milk for the same creamy result. Or you can use any nut or oat milk but the flavor will change.
  • Additional vegetables: Add some diced sweet potato, butternut squash or small broccoli florets before cooking, or chopped spinach or kale after the blending step.
  • Slow cooker: Saute the vegetables and spices. Add chicken, potatoes, wild rice, water or broth in a large slow cooker. And cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 5-6 hours.
  • Instant Pot: Throw all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot and cook for 25 minutes on High pressure.

How to Make a Freezer Meal

Do you like to plan ahead for busy weeknights or days when you don’t feel like cooking? Turn this chicken wild rice soup recipe into a freezer meal and have it ready when you are!

Chicken and wild rice soup as a freezer meal in a ziploc bag. A bowl of soup with a spoon.
  • Instant Pot: In a large Ziploc bag, add all of the ingredients except water, milk, and parsley. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen with 7 cups water or chicken broth on High pressure for 25 minutes, wait 10 minutes, and release remaining pressure.
  • Slow cooker: In a large Ziploc bag, add all of the ingredients except water, milk, and parsley. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then cook on Low for 10 hours or on High for 6 hours with the recommended amount of water or broth. You can skip cooking the veggies before adding them to the bag. Either way, the soup is going to be delish.
  • After cooking: Remove the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Blend the soup a bit with an immersion blender until desired consistency. Add chicken back in with the parsley. Stir and serve hot.
Chicken and wild rice soup on a ladle over a slow cooker.

Serving Recommendations

This soup doesn’t need much else except for a basket of crusty bread like Greek yogurt bread or cottage cheese bread, or low carb almond flour bread for sopping up that delicious broth.

An appetizer is always a nice addition to get things going, especially if you’re serving company. Try Parmesan mushrooms, baked zucchini fritters, or garlic hummus with fresh veggies or crackers.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Freeze chicken and wild rice soup leftovers in a glass container for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 4 hours. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes on the stove top.

FAQs

Can I use a wild rice blend for this soup?

A blend usually comes with brown or white rice, which both have different cooking times, and different levels of starch. While a wild rice blend is great for many things, for this recipe in particular, I’d say “no”.

How do I make my soup thicker?

As stated above, the soup will thicken over time. If you’re in a hurry to eat it and it’s not as thick as you’d like, you could also make a cornstarch slurry to thicken it quickly.

Can I make this soup more creamy?

Yes. If you are OK with adding heavy cream to your soup, then by all means do that.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes. Saute the veggies with spices and store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can also chop the potatoes and keep them refrigerated in a bowl of cold water. When you’re ready to make the soup, combine with remaining ingredients and cook as per instructions.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

Chicken and wild rice soup in white pot with a ladle.
Healthy chicken wild rice soup in slow cooker.

Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This Chicken Wild Rice Soup is deliciously rich and creamy soup without the use of heavy cream or flour. You can make this healthy and budget-friendly comfort food on the stovetop, crockpot or Instant Pot.
4.98 from 90 votes
Servings 7 servings
Calories 400
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

Stovetop

  • Preheat large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add butter and wait until it has melted. Add onion and garlic; saute for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add carrots, celery, fresh mushrooms (if using), thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; saute for 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken, potatoes, dried mushrooms (if not using fresh), wild rice, water/broth.
  • Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 55 minutes.

Slow Cooker

  • Preheat medium skillet on medium-high heat, add butter and wait until it has melted. Add onion and garlic; saute for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add carrots, celery, fresh mushrooms (if using), thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; saute for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a large slow cooker along with chicken, potatoes, dried mushrooms (if not using fresh), wild rice and water/broth. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 5-6 hours.

Instant Pot

  • In Instant Pot, add chicken, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, mushrooms, wild rice, water/broth, thyme, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover, set pressure valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 25 minutes. After wait for 10 minutes and do Quick Release to release the pressure by turning the valve to Venting.

After cooking (for all versions)

  • Remove chicken onto plate and shred with 2 forks.
  • To the pot, add milk and mustard. Using an immersion blender give a few pulses until soup is desired thickness (donโ€™t forget to stir and feel free to adjust thickness with extra water and spices).
  • Add shredded chicken and parsley, stir well.
  • Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.

Video

Notes

  • Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in a small pot covered while simmering on low.
  • Freeze: Freeze soup leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight or counter top for 4 hours.
  • Raw chicken: I used chicken breasts in the stovetop and drumsticks in the slow cooker version. Any chicken works – raw, bone in/skin on or boneless/skinless or even cut up whole chicken.ย 
  • Wild rice: Wild rice has a very unique taste that makes this soup so delicious. Unfortunately, white or brown rice can not be substituted in this recipe.
How to Make a Freezer Meal
  • Instant Pot: In a large Ziploc bag, add all ingredients except water, milk and parsley. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen with 7 cups water or broth on High pressure for 25 minutes, wait 10 minutes and release remaining pressure.
  • Slow cooker: In a large Ziploc bag, add all ingredients except water, milk and parsley. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then cook on Low for 10 hours or on High for 6 hours. You can skip sauteing or saute veggies before adding to a bag. Either way soup is gonna be delish.
  • After cooking: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Blend a bit with an immersion blender until desired consistency. Add chicken and parsley. Stir and serve hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 801mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g
Course: Soup and Stew
Cuisine: North American
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 14 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. If all I could find was a wild rice blend, would it work to cook that rice and add it at the end? Or add it to each bowl? I know you said other rices don’t work but nowhere near me carries wild rice and I don’t have an instant pot for the other soup :/

  2. Hi,
    What if I donโ€™t have an immersion blender ? Would that totally mess up the texture/ when I add the milk and mustard?

    1. No it won’t mess it up. Your soup will not be as thick, but that is okay. If you have a blender, you could blend a small amount and put it back in the soup if you want it thicker.

      1. Thanks for the quick reply!
        Also, when you say 3 large celery stalks do you mean 3 entire bunches or 3 ribs of celery? Silly question Iโ€™m sure but just making sure.

        Thank you!

  3. This looks so good! Iโ€™m getting ready to make it. How would I adjust the quantities to make a larger batch in the 8 quart instant pot? Thank you!

    1. Hi Jess, this recipe with quantities as listed has been tested in 6 and 8 quart, I think doubling it would put it over max in the 8 quart.

      1. Hi, thank you so much for your response! I think I am going to try to increase the quantities by around 33% as I had read this is the difference in size from the 6 to 8 quart pot. Iโ€™m so glad you have an adjustable serving size for the recipe on your website, so I can change to from 7 to 9 servings. Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    Yum! Love it!
    You are my instant pot savior. Your recipes are so good, going back to real food… 3 recipes try and love. Thanks

  5. 5 stars
    I absolutely love this recipe! I became a new mom to a sibling group over 2 years ago and recipe sites like yours have truly been such a godsend! I’m currently creating a collaborative cookbook to raise funds for my eldest’s extensive therapy, would you be willing to contribute this or another recipe with proper attribution? Thanks!

    1. So glad you and your family are enjoying the recipes! Will follow up with you via email on the recipe contribution. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

  6. Can you tell me what serving size the Nutritional Information is based on? 1/2 cup, 1 cup? Trying to determine if this recipe will work for a diabetic diet.

    Thanks so much.

  7. 5 stars
    This was so delicious! Made it in slow cooker, used almond milk for milk but otherwise followed recipe exactly. The whole family loved it. Definitely a recipe we will use again. Thank you!

  8. This is my first time trying frozen meals for the InstantPot.
    Is the mustard yellow prepared mustard or powdered/dry?

    And when you say tomatoes first and the juices later in the layering are we to drain the tomatoes and then add the liquid later with other liquids?

    Thanks so much for this incredible packet of recipes and tips.

  9. 5 stars
    Yes, sad when we find our tribe and they are thousands of miles away. I once had a very dear friend from Port Alberni but we met while living in Europe. I often think of him and “those days” when I am reading your blog and recipes. Thanks so much for all you do on this site. I have gained so much help for healthy DELICIOUS eating from you.
    ~~ from your real and virtual friend, Kimberly

4.98 from 90 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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