Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup that is delicious, loaded with veggies and makes the perfect cozy meal that can easily made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!

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It’s officially soup season!  Seriously one of my favorite times of the year and this chicken and wild rice soup is hearty, delicious and I can guarantee your kitchen will smelling amazing! The perfect cozy soup you can enjoy curled up on a chilly day. This soup is gluten-free, dairy-free and lower in calories compared to traditional chicken wild rice soup recipes that are loaded with heavy cream and butter.

Why You’ll Love this Soup

• Hearty and Satisfying – this creamy chicken wild rice soup is my favorite soup because it’s loaded with veggies, tender bites of chicken for a boost of protein and wholesome wild rice. A comforting creamy soup with rich flavor the whole family will love!
• Made Healthier – this hearty soup is made healthier by using zero flour or butter and subbing out the heavy cream for coconut milk which adds a subtle sweetness to the soup while still making it a nice and creamy.
• Easy to Make – made with simple ingredients and minimal prep, perfect for busy weeknights. You can easily made this soup in the crock pot, Instant Pot or right on the stove!
• Customizable – this soup is incredibly versatile! No matter your preference, you can tweak this recipe to suit your needs. See below for some variation ideas!

Here’s What You’ll Need

• chicken – I like to use shredded rotisserie chicken because it’s quick and easy with so much flavor, but if you’re making this in your crock pot or instant pot you can use uncooked chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs. Leftover chicken (or turkey) works great too!
• wild rice – I used Lundberg wild rice in this soup, but any good quality long grain hearty wild rice will work in this recipe. Wild rice has a nutty flavor and chewy texture, but feel free to swap out the grains with those you have on hand. See options below!
• chicken broth – I used low-sodium chicken broth, but chicken stock or vegetable broth would work. Make sure to adjust the amount of salt used if you don’t use a low-sodium broth.
• coconut milk – this is what makes this soup so creamy, but you could swap the coconut milk for heavy cream, half and half, or even regular milk.
• veggies – I used a combination of carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms, but feel free to add in some sweet potatoes, butternut squash or even some leafy greens like kale or spinach.
• herbs and seasonings – combination of dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried mustard, bay leaf, salt and black pepper.  Dried oregano, Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning tastes great in this too. You could also add in some fresh herbs.

How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Because I know all of you use a variety of different methods when making soups, I’m sharing how to make this chicken and wild rice soup in the crock pot, your Instant Pot and on the stovetop!

Crock Pot

Combine all ingredients, except for the coconut milk, to the bowl of your crock pot (you’ll want to use chicken breasts or thighs), give it a good stir, cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours.  Once the rice is done cooking, shred the chicken and mix in the coconut milk.  Top with fresh thyme and serve with some crusty bread!

Instant Pot

Just like in the crock pot instructions, add in all the ingredients (except for the coconut milk) into the bowl of your Instant Pot, cover, and cook on manual (high pressure) for 30 minutes.  Once it’s done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release by carefully placing the valve in the venting position to release the rest of the steam.  Carefully remove the lid, take out the chicken and shred it using two forks.  Add the chicken back into the Instant Pot, pour in the coconut milk and mix everything well.  Let those flavor sit and marinate together for a few minutes before serving.

Stovetop

Drizzle olive oil (or butter) in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and sauté onion, carrots and celery until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds on medium heat.  Next, pour in 6 cups of broth and add in the rest of the ingredients* and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once the rice is cooked, mix in the coconut milk and shredded chicken, taste and add additional seasonings, as-needed.  Enjoy!

Substitutions

The best part about this delicious soup is how versatile it is! Whether you need to accommodate dietary needs or looking to use up what you already have on hand, I’ve got you covered!

• Protein – save time by using leftover rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey or any plant-based options such as canned chickpeas, white beans, or even cubed tofu.
• Veggies – switch up the veggies with options like broccoli, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini or leafy greens.
• Rice and grains – we are using nutty wild rice, but brown rice or white rice work as a softer alternative. You could also use a wild rice mix, quinoa or even cauliflower rice for a low carb option. Just make sure to adjust the cooking times for these swaps.
• Broth – instead of chicken broth, try chicken stock, vegetable broth or even bone broth for added nutrition.
• Creamy options – this recipe calls for coconut milk which is a dairy-free option, but you could also use cashew cream, heavy cream, half and half or your milk of choice.
• Thicker soup – I tried to make this soup healthier by not using any all purpose flour, but if you like a thicker soup feel free to use flour, a cornstarch slurry or arrowroot powder. Adding potatoes helps too!

Prepping and Storing

To Store:  This chicken and wild rice soup will last in your fridge in a sealed, airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days. You can easily reheat this soup in the microwave or stovetop for a quick, delicious meal.

To Freeze:  If planning to freeze this soup, I recommend making this recipe without the coconut milk (or heavy cream). Milk and cream tends to separate as it freezes. Let the soup cool completely and store it in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the soup thaw completely in the fridge. Warm it up in a pot on the stove, adding in the coconut milk or heavy cream after it’s thawed.

More Cozy Soups

• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Detox Immune-Boosting Chicken Soup
• Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
• One Pot Spicy Sausage & Kale Soup

Hope you all enjoy this classic Chicken and Wild Rice Soup! If you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!

4.94 from 29 votes

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup that is delicious, loaded with veggies and makes the perfect cozy meal that can easily made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 Tbsp olive oil, or butter
• ▢ 1 small onion, diced
• ▢ 2 medium carrots, diced
• ▢ 3 ribs celery, diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or stock
• ▢ 1 lb chicken breasts, or shredded rotisserie chicken for stovetop
• ▢ 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
• ▢ 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bellas)
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• ▢ 1/4 tsp dried mustard
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp pepper
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, or heavy cream
• ▢ Garnish with fresh thyme right before serving

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Instructions 

To make in your Crock Pot:

• Combine all ingredients, except for the coconut milk, to the bowl of your crock pot (you'll want to use chicken breasts or thighs), cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours.
• Once the rice is done cooking, shred the chicken and mix in the coconut milk.  Top with fresh thyme and serve!

To make in your Instant Pot:

• Just like in the crock pot instructions, add all the ingredients (except for the coconut milk) into the bowl of your Instant Pot, cover, and cook on manual (high pressure) for 30 minutes.
• Once it’s done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release by carefully placing the valve in the venting position to release the rest of the steam.
• Carefully remove the lid, take out the chicken and shred it using two forks.  Add the chicken back into the Instant Pot, pour in the coconut milk and mix everything well.  Let those flavor sit and marinate together for a few minutes before serving.

To make on the Stovetop:

• Drizzle olive oil (or butter) in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and sauté onion, carrots and celery until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds.
• Next, pour in the chicken broth and add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil (for the stovetop method, I like to use leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken that I add once the rice is done cooking).
• Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, letting the soup simmer for about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once the rice is cooked, mix in the coconut milk and shredded chicken, taste and add additional seasonings, as-needed.  Top with fresh thyme and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*This soup will last in your fridge in a sealed airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.

*If planning to freeze this soup, I recommend making this without the coconut milk (or heavy cream) as it tends to separate as it freezes.  Let the soup cool completely and store it in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.  When ready to enjoy, let the soup thaw completely in the fridge then warm it up in a pot on the stove, adding in the coconut milk or heavy cream after its thawed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8th of recipe | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.5g | Protein: 23.4g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Sodium: 268.9mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 2.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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