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Home Recipe Index Freezer Meals Freezer Soups

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

5 /5
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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 3/6/22Updated: 2/18/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe is a family favorite! It’s flavorful comforting, and freezer friendly. We’ll walk you through each cooking step and ensure you end up with a crowd-pleaser soup that freezes well, too.

Chicken and wild rice soup in white speckled bowls with spoons. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • About This Recipe
  • Cooking Tip: Mise En Place
  • Ingredients Needed
  • What Brand of Wild Rice Blend Should I Buy?
  • How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
  • What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
  • Additions and Substitutions
  • How to Freeze This Soup
  • FAQs
  • More Freezer-Friendly Soups
  • Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

About This Recipe

Confession time. As I was getting ready to clean my stock pot after making this soup recently, I shamelessly used my hands to scrape, swipe, and lick every last bit of creamy goodness from the bottom.

Don’t judge me until you try it. I think you’ll understand. Keep this recipe close for football weekends, when company comes, or just to enjoy on a cold winter night while watching your favorite movie. 

P.S. Another soup I lick the pot clean on is our gluten-free Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Sooo goood!

Cooking Tip: Mise En Place

Cooking is more enjoyable and effecient when you’re prepared! So be sure to get organized ahead of time–also known as mise en place by the French.

  • Read through the recipe.
  • Set out your equipment and ingredients.
  • Prep any ingredients ahead that are required–like chopping veggies and cooking the rice.

Ingredients Needed

As with most of our recipes, we aim to cook with real, whole food ingredients.

Creamy chicken and wild rice soup ingredients measured out and labeled.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Butter – You can substitute olive or avocado oil for the butter when sautéing the vegetables.
  • Chicken broth – Store-bought or homemade chicken broth works.
  • Chicken breasts – Here’s where we get our poultry. Chicken thighs also work.
  • Whole wheat flour – We prefer white whole wheat flour for extra nutrition, but you can also use all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour.
  • Whole milk – I’ve tested this using plain almond milk. It works but is definitely thinner and not as rich tasting.
Stock photo of Lundberg Wild Rice Blend.

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.)

Buy Lundberg Wild Blend Rice

How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Now that you know how to prepare, let’s walk through how this soup will come together. The recipe below has more specific details.

Sauté the Veggies

In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, just until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic for the last 30 to 60 seconds.

Add the Broth and Chicken

Stir in the broth, poultry seasoning, more salt & pepper, and the chicken breasts.

sauteed veggies
chicken breast prepared for chicken and wild rice soup

Cook the Chicken

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is fully cooked. (Stir the chicken breasts around occasionally for even cooking.) Remove and set aside the chicken to a cutting board and let rest.

Make the Butter/Flour/Milk Mixture

While the chicken cooks, make the white sauce. In a medium pot, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until bubbly. Slowly pour in the milk while continually whisking. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk constantly until the milk mixture thickens to the consistency of thin gravy.

Shredded chicken on a cutting board.
making the roux for chicken soup

Add It All Together & Simmer

Add the thickened white sauce and prepared wild rice to the soup pot, stir, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer. Note: The white sauce will continue to get thicker the longer it sits, so it’s important to add it to the soup right away. If soup is too thick, stir in more broth.

Using two forks, shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Ingredients in a dutch oven for chicken and wild rice soup
chicken soup in a dutch oven

What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Mandarin Orange Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

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Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Additions and Substitutions

As with most of our recipes on Thriving Home, we try to provide flexibility for your specific dietary needs. Try any of these substitutions or additions in this soup.

  • For gluten-free: Instead of wheat flour for the white sauce, use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill brand).
  • For dairy-free: Use a plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond milk and a plant-based “butter”. It will not be nearly as rich-tasting, but it will work in a pinch.
  • Instead of chicken breasts, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
  • In place of the wild rice blend, try using cooked brown rice or any kind of white rice. FYI, I’ve tested this recipe with 100% wild rice (not a blend). The texture was too chewy for me.
  • For more veggies, simply double the amount of onion, celery, and carrots you chop. I do this frequently!

How to Freeze This Soup

As authors of two cookbooks and self-proclaimed “freezer cooking evangelists”, we always try to share how to prep and freeze recipes like this soup, when possible. I personally love to freeze this one in small portions for lunches.

Freeze for Later: Cook and cool the soup completely. Freeze in a freezer bag or container, squeezing out all excess air and sealing tightly.

To Prepare from Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 more cups of chicken broth if too thick.

Tip: You can also freeze soup in individual servings in 2-cup Souper Cubes, 2-cup Pyrex containers, or 16-ounce mason jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch of head room for expansion at the top of the jars or the glass may break in the freezer. 

Check out our 70+ Best Freezer Meals for more ideas.

Creamy chicken and wild rice soup in a single-serving freezer container to be frozen.

FAQs

What wild rice blend do you recommend?

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.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?

Yes, you can use chicken thigh instead of chicken breast when making Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.

Can I use almond milk instead of whole milk in this recipe?

I’ve tested this using plain almond milk. It works but is definitely thinner and not as rich tasting.

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Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Chicken and wild rice soup in a white bowl with a spoon.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 24 reviews

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe is creamy, comforting, and delicious. We’ll walk you through each cooking step and ensure it turns out as a crowd-pleaser soup that freezes well, too.

Yield: 6 servings 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 50 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later [socialpug_share networks=”email” networks_labels=”Email” show_labels=”yes” overwrite=”yes”]
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided (I love Kerrygold brand.)
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery, leaves and all
  • 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
  • 1 quart (32 ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 – 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (sub: all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups cooked wild rice blend (I recommend Lundberg Organic Wild Rice Blend–see notes in article above.)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

(Note: Be sure to cook your wild rice blend and chop all your veggies ahead of time.)

  1. Saute Veggies: In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, just until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 to 60 seconds.
  2. Start the Soup: Stir in the broth, poultry seasoning, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the chicken breasts.
  3. Braise the Chicken: Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. (Stir the chicken breasts around occasionally for even cooking.) Remove and set aside the chicken to a cutting board to rest.
  4. Make the White Sauce: While the chicken cooks, make the white sauce that will thicken the soup. In a medium pot, melt the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until bubbly. Slowly pour in the milk while continually whisking. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk constantly until the milk mixture thickens to the consistency of thin gravy. Usually takes 3-5 minutes.
  5. Add It All Together: Add the white sauce* and prepared wild rice to the soup pot, stir, reduce the heat to medium low. Using two forks, shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. (Freezing instructions begin here.)

*Note: The white sauce will continue to get thicker the longer it sits, so it’s important to add it right away. Thin out the soup with more broth, if needed.

Freeze for Later: Cook and cool the soup completely. Freeze in a freezer bag or container, squeezing out all excess air and sealing tightly. Tip: You can also freeze soup in individual servings in 2-cup Souper Cubes, 2-cup Pyrex containers, or 16-ounce mason jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch of head room for expansion at the top of the jars or the glass may break in the freezer. I usually do this for my lunch and the kids’ lunchboxes.

To Prepare from Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 more cups of chicken broth if too thick.


Notes/Tips

  • Gluten-Free Version: Instead of wheat flour for the white sauce, use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill brand). I’ve tested this option and it works fine.
  • Can I Make This Dairy-Free? This probably won’t work well but you can try. I’ve tested it with plain almond milk instead of whole milk (but I did keep the butter for flavor and richness). The result was a thinner and less rich-tasting soup but still had good flavor. You could try using a plant-based “butter” in place of the butter, but I haven’t tested that option.
  • The white sauce will continue to get thicker the longer it sits, so it’s important to add it to the soup right away. If soup is too thick, stir in more broth.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Stove Top

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Kristin says

    Posted on 5/15/25 at 2:44 pm

    Delicious! Followed the recipe except for needed dietary needs: gluten free flour and no onions or garlic (due to FODMAP issues so increased carrots and celery to 2 cups each). Everyone from adult kids to grandparent thought it tasted great. I’d be curious to try a milk and cornstarch mixture to thicken instead of a rue to decrease the fat content, but butter does taste good. 😊

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 5/15/25 at 3:47 pm

      Thank you so much for your detailed feedback, especially with your dietary constraints. I know others will appreciate this! I actually used a cornstarch slurry to thicken my Boursin Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe more recently. It works great! You can read how I did that here: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/boursin-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup-gluten-free/

      Reply
  2. Brenda says

    Posted on 11/6/24 at 11:00 am

    This soup is delicious! We frequent a local tea room that occasionally serves a wild rice soup and my husband says this one tops it!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 11/6/24 at 11:21 am

      Yay! High praise. Thanks so much for leaving a review Brenda. We’re glad you’ve found a home run recipe for your family!

      Reply
  3. Noree Wegmeyer says

    Posted on 10/31/24 at 9:12 pm

    This soup is delicious! Definitely going to be made again during the winter months. It’s the perfect balance of being healthy but feeling like a “comfort food” soup 😊

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 11/1/24 at 9:53 am

      Yes! Those are the reasons we love it as well… comforting and healthy. Thanks so much for leaving a review Noree.

      Reply
  4. Jackie says

    Posted on 9/14/24 at 3:11 pm

    A comforting, tasty and creamy chicken with rice. It took some effort to make, but I look forward to the leftovers!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 9/16/24 at 10:50 am

      Hi Jackie, thank you for the review. This recipe does take a little more work, but I always feel good about it because we fight over the leftovers!

      Reply
  5. Andrea says

    Posted on 1/31/24 at 7:41 am

    I saw your comment about substituting almond milk for regular milk. Have you tried canned coconut milk as a substitute? I wonder if that would be a complimentary flavor combination.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/31/24 at 9:33 am

      We have not tried that Andrea. If you do, let us know how it turns out!

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    Posted on 1/24/24 at 9:20 am

    Our family LOVES this soup. It’s just SO good. Is it the poultry seasoning? The milk? I don’t know but it’s so filling and tasty. I wish I could wave a magic wand to make the wild rice faster, but it is worth it.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/24/24 at 2:21 pm

      Ha! I’m with you on a quick cooking wild rice magic wand! So glad you love the soup. Thank you for taking time to leave a review.

      Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 1/26/24 at 8:27 pm

      Hey Sarah. I was going to tell you that I’ve been making this with instant brown rice cooked directly in the soup for a weeknight version. It’s not quite as tasty as the original recipe, but it still works when you don’t have the time!

      Reply
  7. Shell says

    Posted on 12/28/23 at 4:04 pm

    Absolutely delicious. I’ve never made it before and this recipe was so easy my sisters and mom really enjoyed it.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 12/29/23 at 10:31 am

      Hi Shell! Glad you found this recipe easy and delicious… we strive to have most of our recipes described by both these words. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

      Reply
  8. Becky Long says

    Posted on 12/4/23 at 2:56 pm

    This soup be was delicious! I will definitely be making it again!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 12/5/23 at 8:38 am

      It’s one of my favorites! So glad you enjoyed it too Becky. Thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
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