A creamy chicken and wild rice soup loaded with two kinds of mushrooms, tender chicken, herbs, and a rich homemade broth. Using cooked wild rice keeps the soup quick, coming together in about 40 minutes, without sacrificing any of that cozy, slow-simmered flavor.
The thing I cook more of than probably anything else is soup. Probably at least once a week from early fall to late spring, our family gathers together for family dinner around steaming bowls of soup and fresh-from-the-oven bread.
It is so easy to make up a big pot of soup and have it include all of the major food groups. You can make it full of delicious flavors, and the possibilities are endless. This creamy chicken mushroom wild rice soup is no exception. It’s full of earthy flavors and so hearty. A big bowl of this for lunch, and I am totally full all evening.
OMG! This was soooo good!! I had two bowlfuls and was stuffed. My sister says I need to make this more often, and I will! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Soup
- Ready in under 40 minutes: Using pre-cooked wild rice keeps this recipe significantly quicker.
- Extra mushroom flavor: Sautéed mushrooms give the broth a savory flavor.
- Made from scratch: Rather than thickening the broth with canned cream soup, we make a roux using butter and flour.
- A complete meal: Chicken, rice, and mushrooms make this a filling and hearty meal for the whole family.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken: Cooks right in the soup; can use pre-cooked chicken like a rotisserie chicken or frozen chicken, stir in the shredded chicken when you add the rice and heavy cream.
- Mushrooms: A combination of baby portobellos and shiitake mushrooms for that deep, earthy flavor. Wipe clean with a damp cloth or rinse underwater quickly to ensure the mushrooms don’t soak up liquid.
- Wild Rice: I use pure wild rice, but you can also use a box blend. Be sure to cook it ahead of time to keep this soup a 40-minute meal.
- Heavy cream: This gets stirred in at the end to give the broth a creamier, richer consistency.
- Chicken broth: Used as the liquid for the roux and as a base for the entire soup. Use your favorite brand, or use a homemade stock if you have some.
- Herbs and seasonings: You’ll need salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Together, these liven up the soup with a herbaceous flavor in every spoonful.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Melt some butter in a large Dutch oven and then add in the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Whisk in some flour until you don’t see any streaks of white. This starts the roux that will help thicken the soup. The fat and flour combine, and the fat coats the flour so that it is evenly distributed throughout the cream-based sauce. Slowly whisk in some chicken stock.
- Add in the seasonings and the chicken breasts. Simmer the chicken breasts for 20 minutes to cook them. Then remove them and shred them using two forks. Add the cooked chicken, heavy cream, and cooked wild rice to the soup and stir to combine.
Wild Rice for Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
I use pure wild rice, but a boxed wild rice blend can also be used. I cook the wild rice separately so I can control its texture and keep this soup quick. I like to make it the night before I plan on cooking this. Rinse 1 cup of wild rice. Then bring it to a boil with 3 cups of water, reduce it to a simmer and let it cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or until tender. This will yield the 3 cups of cooked rice called for in this recipe.
If you want a quicker option, you can use packaged precooked wild rice. Keep in mind that some precooked rice is made with salt and seasonings, so you may want to reduce those from the recipe and taste the soup at the end, adjusting for taste.
Best Mushrooms for Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
In this creamy chicken wild rice soup recipe, I’m calling for shiitake mushrooms and baby portobellos. I love the texture that both mushrooms bring to this soup as well as their deep and earthy flavor. That being said, you can really use any type of mushroom for this recipe that you enjoy most.
When you are shopping for this recipe, look for mushrooms that are smooth and plump, have dark gills, and have a pleasant smell. These all indicate freshness and deep flavor. Don’t stress over cleaning mushrooms. They are most often grown indoors and are very clean. Simply wipe them off with a damp cloth or quickly run them under water so they don’t absorb too much liquid.
FAQ
Yes. It just needs to be pre-cooked before starting the soup.
Yes. It should be shredded and added to the soup with the rice. Keep in mind that the soup will be thinner because you don’t need to do the 20 minutes of simmering.
As the soup sits, the rice continues to absorb liquid, making the soup thicker. If you know you will have leftovers, you can keep the rice separate and just add it to individual portions.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
The leftovers of this soup are absolutely fantastic. It can be stored in the refrigerator for four to five days in an airtight container. To heat leftovers, warm only the portion you plan to eat over low heat, stirring often. You can also microwave, covered, using half power until warmed through. The most important thing to keep in mind when reheating this soup is that it should be done over low heat so that it doesn’t separate. You may also want to add more broth if the soup is too thick; the rice can continue to soak up liquid as it sits.
Freezing Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Cream-based soups freeze just fine. The important thing to note is that when you want to eat leftovers, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight first, rather than heating them from frozen. This will help keep the soup intact and not separate. Leftovers should be stored in containers that allow room for expansion and kept in the freezer for up to three months.
What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Most of the time we only have bread with our soup recipes. You might like these fast dinner rolls or this beer bread, but a salad is always great with soup. Here are a few that would be great next to this soup recipe:
If you make this delicious chicken and wild rice soup recipe or any of my other recipes for your family, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Recipe Video
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28.25 grams)
- 16 ounces mushrooms (453.592 grams) shiitake and baby portabellas mixed, sliced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (15 grams)
- 3 cups chicken stock (709.765 ml)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (453.592 grams)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup heavy cream (236.588 ml)
- 3 cups wild rice (492 grams) cooked
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 16 ounces mushrooms, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Whisk in the flour. Then slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Add in the chicken, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 3 cups chicken stock, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme
- Remove the cooked chicken from the soup and shred it. Return it to the pot with the heavy cream and the cooked wild rice. Serve and enjoy!1 cup heavy cream, 3 cups wild rice
Notes
Teresa Legler says
Hi Lisa,
Wondering if could substitute soaked Shiitaki mushrooms could be substituted for fresh mushrooms. Made last year using regular white mushrooms. Will try with the canned Coconut Milk this time. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful recipes.
I have always avoided that method in my cooking because it feels like a pain to me personally, but I’m sure it would work fine.
Stephanie says
Can I freeze this recipe and just add the cream when I’m ready to use it?
I would want to test it to make sure the consistency stays nice, but I would guess yes. I would add the rice after thawing as well.
Denise Richards says
Fyi Lisa- looked thru out the web for a site that has good, simple recipes AND a NON-annoying host – You’re it! Thank goodness I found you!
I’m so glad! I hope you find recipes you love!
Stacy says
OMG! I ate two bowl fulls ! Now I’m stuffed, but oh my, it was worth it!
Yummy!!
I’m so happy you liked it, Stacy!
Michelle says
This was incredible, thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it, Michelle!
Stacy says
OMG! This was soooo good!! I had two bowlfuls and was stuffed.! My sis says I need to make this more often, and I will!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe 💕
I’m so happy that you liked this one as much as me!
Linda says
So delicious. My new favorite soup. I used frozen chicken pieces and it worked great. Had to make it again the following week. So easy to make.
I’m so glad that you liked it!
Lynne says
HELP! I want to make this and I cannot find any local markets that have wild rice, as in JUST wild rice! Blends, mixes, etc. but not just plain wild rice. I wanted to make it for a fried for his birthday this week and now I don’t think I can even order it online and get it in time. He really wanted this soup!
I’m so sorry to hear that, Lynne. I’m not sure what I can do to help with that. I would suggest a store that has a more organic selection as they will be more likely to carry it, such as Whole Foods.