Whether creamy chicken and wild rice soup brings to mind your mom’s Midwestern cooking or your favorite side dish at Panera, it’s an undeniably satisfying soup. Chicken and rice are a winning combo no matter what, and this hearty soup pairs them in an easy stovetop recipe.

We know you already crave our crockpot version of creamy chicken and wild rice soup, but we wanted to create an easy stovetop version for those who don’t own a slow cooker. (But maybe do the part of you that wants an unsupervised home-cooked meal to magically happen on your countertop while you’re at work a favor, and get one.) This stovetop chicken and wild rice soup recipe takes over when you need a quick way to serve up comfort food — and it doesn’t sacrifice any of the creaminess of the original.

You’ll be impressed with the deliciousness you can craft from basic pantry ingredients — plus you’ll only have to wash one pot (and maybe a couple of bowls) when you’re through. It all starts with chopped onions, celery, and carrots, the triumvirate of aromatic vegetables that’s the base of basically every great soup. They not only makes a classic flavor base, but their fragrance is also going to signal every nose in your house to hang around the kitchen — because something tasty’s going on. (Did you know that this veggie trio is technically called mirepoix? Now when people say “What’s that amazing smell?” you can be like, “Oh, that? That’s just the mirepoix — wait until you taste the chicken and wild rice soup.”)

Creamy chicken and wild rice soup ingredients in pot.TipHero

Wild rice is a favorite in soups because it’s nutty and more toothsome than plain white or brown rice, and it holds up well without getting mushy. It’s also wholesome, packing in more protein, vitamins, and minerals than other rice. Mostly, though, its natural colors make any dish look so appealingly earthy, especially mixed with well-seasoned bites of chicken breast. You’ll need about 40 minutes of stove time for the rice to cook and the chicken to become tender, but the time investment pays off even on a weeknight since you can store this soup to eat all week.

A simple flour-and-butter roux and some heavy cream give this chicken and wild rice soup its unbelievable thickness. All you need to complete a satisfying meal is a hunk of crusty bread.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup


Makes 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice
  • 1½ pounds chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • 1½ teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cups water
  • 2 cups cream or half and half
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mix of your favorite fresh herbs (thyme, tarragon, sage, oregano, parsley)

Preparation

  1. Rinse the wild rice in a strainer until the water runs clear.
  2. Season chicken breast with 2 teaspoons salt and pepper and set aside.
    3. Creamy chicken and wild rice soup seasoned chicken.TipHero
  3. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
  4. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and season with salt. Cook the vegetables 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened.
  5. Add bay leaves and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
  6. Add uncooked wild rice to pot and stir to coat in oil and butter. Cook the wild rice 2-3 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
  7. Lower the heat to medium, sprinkle flour over the rice mixture, and stir to combine. Cook the flour for 1-2 minutes or until flour is no longer raw, but has not yet started to brown.
  8. Slowly add the chicken broth and water to the pot about 2 cups at a time, stirring continuously until you have added all of it. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
  9. Add the cubed chicken breast, stir, and cover with the lid. Cook for about 40 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) or until the wild rice is cooked to your liking.
  10. Remove the lid from the pot and add cream and chopped herbs. Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup hero shot.TipHero

Have you been waiting for a recipe to make your fave crockpot soup on the stovetop? Let us know your favorite ways to eat chicken and rice!

Recipe adapted from TipHero.com.