Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (Gluten-Free)
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This comforting Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is simple to make, filled with wholesome ingredients, gluten-free, and packed with complex flavors and texture. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or to serve company.
Why This Is My Favorite Soup
- It’s easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep! I always double it and freeze the extras for lunches.
- While I love our original Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe, this might be my favorite soup on our site now! The creamy broth gets its complex flavor from a powerhouse ingredient–garlic and fine herbs Boursin cheese, which you can easily find in most grocery stores.
- It’s gluten-free and filled with veggies and lean protein, yet so comforting and decadent tasting. Be sure to serve with your favorite crusty bread!
Ingredients Needed
Here are the wholesome ingredients needed for this Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe…
Ingredient Notes
- Onion, celery, carrots – I like to cut these fairly small, so they are all bite-sized and uniformly shaped. This helps them cook at the same rate. Plus, taking the time to cut veggies well makes the soup look more atheistically-pleasing and more enjoyable to eat.
- Cornstarch slurry – A combo of cornstarch with water is what will thicken the soup at the end. You can use arrowroot starch instead, if you’re avoiding corn.
- Kale – This super food adds color and texture, but you really can’t taste it.
- Garlic and fine herbs Boursin cheese – Find this powerhouse ingredient in the speciality cheese section. If you can’t find Boursin cheese, look for the brand called Alouette. (P.S. If you love Boursin cheese, you’ve got to try our Boursin Mashed Potatoes or 20-Minute Sausage Rigatoni!)
- Wild rice blend – I used Lundberg Wild Blend (see more below).
What Brand of Wild Rice Blend Should I Buy?
I highly recommend Lundberg Organic Wild Rice, as it’s grown in California and is a brand that actively cares about avoiding dangerous arsenic levels in their rice. (Read more about how rice–especially when it’s grown outside California, Pakistan, and India–is contaminated by arsenic here.)
How to Make Boursin Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Here’s a brief visual overview of how to make this soup. Find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post.
Saute Vegetables
In a large stockpot, saute onions, celery, and carrots until vegetables are tender. Add in thyme and garlic during the last 30-60 seconds.
Simmer Soup
Add the broth, chicken thighs, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Crack the lid slightly and simmer for until chicken is cooked through (165°F internally or no longer pink) and carrots are tender. Turn heat to low.
Cornstarch Slurry
While the soup cooks, stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. This will be used to thicken the soup at the end (so you don’t have to add flour/gluten to the recipe). Set aside.
Shred or Chop Chicken
When the soup is done, remove the chicken pieces to a wooden cutting board. Dice or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot. (I personally prefer dicing the chicken into small pieces.)
Finish Soup
Stir in the cornstarch slurry, kale, Boursin cheese (crumbled), and wild rice. Stir constantly until the kale is wilted, the cheese is melted and incorporated throughout, and the soup has thickened slightly.
Important Note: This will take several minutes, so be patient. (If the soup isn’t thickened enough or it’s still kind of separated, turn on the heat and bring to a low simmer for a minute or two.)
How to Freeze This Soup
I always double this recipe so I can freeze the extras in 2-cup Souper Cubes or 2-cup Pyrex containers. It rewarms beautifully!
Here’s what to do when freezing this soup:
Freeze For Later: Fully cook and cool the soup. Freeze in air-tight freezer containers or bags.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw fully. Warm over low heat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
The soup may look separated at first. Be patient and keep stirring for several minutes. If the soup still isn’t thickening up and coming together, here are two more things to do:
– Set it over medium heat and stir for a few minutes more. Sometimes the soup isn’t hot enough to activate the cornstarch slurry.
– If you still need help, mix together another 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water to create a slurry and stir it into the soup. Stir constantly until the soup is thickened and combined.
– Also note that the soup will thicken up as it sits and cools slightly.
There’s a similar brand called Alouette cheese. Look for this fine herbs and garlic flavor.
Yes! Replace the Boursin cheese with Kitehill alternative cream cheese (chives flavor). It’s a delicious dairy-free option. I use this in soups and on grilled cheese regularly.
I tested this Boursin Chicken Soup over and over until I got all the ingredients and timing right. I’m so proud of this soup and can’t wait for you to try it. I hope it’s a regular in your home too!
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This comforting Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is simple to make, filled with healthy ingredients, is gluten-free, and packed with complex flavors and texture. A great weeknight meal or to serve to company!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 – 1 1/4 cups diced onion (1/2 large onion)
- 1 – 1 1/4 cups diced celery
- 1 – 1 1/4 cups diced carrots
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 1/2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 – 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup stemmed and finely chopped kale (pack it in)
- 1 (5.25-ounce) garlic and fine herbs Boursin cheese (see Cooking Notes)
- 2 1/2 cups cooked wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Blend)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Saute Vegetables: In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmery. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the thyme and garlic during the last 30-60 seconds.
- Simmer Soup: Add the broth, chicken thighs,1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot and stir. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Crack the lid slightly and simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (165°F internally or no longer pink) and carrots are tender. Turn heat to low.
- Cornstarch Slurry: While the soup cooks, stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Chop Chicken: When the soup is done, remove the chicken pieces to a wooden cutting board. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot.
- Finish Soup: Stir in HALF of the cornstarch slurry, kale, Boursin cheese (crumbled), and wild rice. Stir constantly until the kale is wilted, the cheese is melted and incorporated throughout, and the soup has thickened slightly. (If the soup isn’t thickened enough or it’s still kind of separated, add in the rest of the cornstarch slurry, turn up the heat, and bring to a low simmer for a minute or two.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper to your preference. Let cool for 5-10 minutes so it thickens even more.
Freeze For Later: Fully cook and cool the soup. Freeze in air-tight freezer containers or bags.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw fully. Warm over low heat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Notes/Tips
- If you can’t find Boursin cheese in the specialty cheese section, look for Alouette brand (garlic and herbs flavor) or Kitehill alternative cream cheese (chive flavor).
- Prep Tips:
- Rinse and start cooking the wild rice. While the rice is cooking, prep all the veggies and start making the soup. By the time the rice is done, it will be about time to add it to the soup.
- Try to dice all the veggies (onion, carrot, and celery) a similar size so they cook evenly.
- What if the soup is separated at the end? The soup may look separated at first. Be patient and keep stirring for several minutes. If the soup still isn’t thickening up and coming together, here are few more ideas to try:
- Set it over medium heat and stir for a few minutes more. Sometimes the soup isn’t hot enough to activate the cornstarch slurry.
- If you still need help, mix together another 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water to create a slurry and stir it into the soup. Stir constantly until the soup is thickened and combined.
- Also note that once the soup has come together (no longer separated), it will thicken up as it sits and cools slightly.
- Wild rice blend provides a really nice chewy texture and appealing look to this soup, but if you have another kind of rice, you can certainly use that as a substitute.
- A side of crusty bread is a must. Great soup to dip bread in.
- Be sure to double this one and freeze leftovers!
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
So good! Will definitely keep this one in our rotation!
So glad you enjoyed this Lori! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Both my husband and I really liked this. It is very filling! While it could absolutely be great year around, its especially perfect for a cold, wet night when you just want something warm and yummy.
So glad you and your husband enjoyed this Tammy. I find it very warm and comforting as well. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Five stars. This is amazing. I cheated a little and added chopped rotisserie chicken towards the end.
So glad you liked this Jaclyn. I’m sure the rotisserie chicken was delicious in this! Thanks for leaving a review.
This really was delicious and had a phenomenal flavor! Love all the veggies and hearty rice blend. The leftovers got better and better on day 2 and 3 – just added a little extra water or broth for reheating.
Thanks for the review, Whitney. Great tip to add a little extra liquid to leftovers. This soup does get thicker by the day! 🙂
Your OG Chicken and Rice soup is my favorite soup of all time and I didn’t think it could be topped. But, the cheese in this along with the chicken thighs is so good. Everyone needs to add this to their meal plans right away.
Love to hear this Erin! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review.
So yummy! I love the Boursin cheese twist!
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Kelly!
One of the best chicken and rice soups I’ve ever had!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this Shirlene. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.