Description
This comforting and hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup features tender chicken breasts simmered with a blend of wild rice, vegetables, and aromatic herbs in a creamy broth. Perfect for cooler days, this recipe combines savory flavors with a rich, velvety texture that’s sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 sticks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 (8-oz) package sliced mushrooms
- 1-2 teaspoons poultry herb seasoning (or a blend of thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Soup Base and Chicken
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 (32-oz) container chicken broth (or 32 oz water plus chicken bouillon)
- 1/2 cup wild rice mix (uncooked)
- 2 chicken breasts
Finishing Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Sauté the vegetables until they are very tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in poultry herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Add Flour and Deglaze: Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously until the flour is fully incorporated and no longer dry. Increase heat back to medium and slowly stir in the white wine or additional broth until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
- Simmer Soup with Broth and Rice: Pour in the chicken broth and add the uncooked wild rice. Stir everything well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes before adding the raw chicken breasts.
- Cook Chicken and Rice: Cover the Dutch oven and cook over medium-low heat, keeping the broth at a gentle simmer for about 25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken breasts and allow them to rest while continuing to cook the soup, covered, until the rice is tender—around 10 to 15 more minutes.
- Shred Chicken and Add Cream: Shred or dice the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and cornstarch. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir the cream mixture into the soup until fully combined. Heat gently without boiling to prevent the soup from splitting.
- Adjust Consistency and Serve: If needed, add more broth or water to thin the soup or a little more cornstarch slurry to thicken. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with fresh parsley, thyme, or cracked black pepper for added flavor.
Notes
- Be careful not to boil the soup vigorously after adding the cream to prevent separation.
- You can substitute white wine with chicken broth if you prefer a non-alcoholic option.
- Fresh herbs like parsley and thyme enhance the flavor as garnishes but are optional.
- Use wild rice mix containing other rice varieties for quicker cooking times if desired.
- Leftover soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and freezes beautifully.
