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Home Recipe Index Freezer Meals Freezer Soups

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

★★★★★ 5 /5
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Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 11/9/22Updated: 2/18/23

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

This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe is a family favorite! It’s creamy, comforting, and delicious. 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 a white bowl
Contents hide
About This Recipe
Video Tutorial
Cooking Tip: Mise En Place
Ingredients Needed
What Brand of Wild Rice Blend Should I Buy?
Equipment Needed
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
More Freezer-Friendly Soups
Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Did you make this?

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. 

Video Tutorial

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. Here’s what you’ll need on hand…

  • Butter – Ok, there’s a good amount of butter in this soup, which makes for total yumminess. However, you can substitute olive or avocado oil for the butter when sautéing the vegetables.
  • Veggies: Includes onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Consider the veggies a way to balance out all that butter. 🙂
  • Salt & pepper
  • Chicken broth – Store-bought or homemade chicken broth works.
  • Poultry seasoning 
  • 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.
  • Cooked wild rice blend – See my brand recommendation below.
Ingredients for chicken and wild rice soup
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

Equipment Needed

Here’s the kitchen equipment you’ll need and what it’s used for:

  • Sauce Pan – Use a 2-3 quart saucepan to make the wild rice in. The rice usually takes an hour from start to finish, so get this started first or make it ahead of time and store in the fridge (or did you know you can freeze rice?). Use this same pan later to make the butter/flour/milk mixture (aka: basic béchamel sauce) that will thicken the soup at the end.
  • Large wooden cutting board – A staple in my kitchen. Start by chopping all your veggies and having them ready to go on this board. You’ll also use it later to shred the chicken.
  • Chef’s knife – Be sure to sharpen it ahead of time. I use this cheap knife sharpener.
  • Bench Scrap – Also known as a food mover. I LOVE this little tool for moving chopped veggies or shredded chicken from the cutting board to the soup, but it’s totally optional.
  • Stock Pot or Dutch Oven – 5.5 quart or bigger for the soup. If you’re making a double batch (which you should!), grab an even bigger one. I use my 11 quart stock pot all the time for making big batches.
  • Whisk – To whisk the white sauce.
  • Wooden spoon – To stir the soup.
  • Tongs – To remove the chicken from the soup.
  • 2 Forks – To fluff the rice and to shred the chicken.
  • Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Chicken and wild rice soup in a white bowl with a spoon

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.

sauteed veggies

Add the Broth and Chicken

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

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.

Shredded chicken on a cutting board

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.

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.

Ingredients in a dutch oven for chicken and wild rice soup

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.

chicken soup in a dutch oven

What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Cheddar Biscuits

Cranberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

Cranberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

whole wheat buttermilk biscuits on a sheet pan

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

Autumn 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.

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I’m so pleased to share this recipe with you today. I think this will become a go-to for you in the fall and winter!

Chicken and wild rice soup in a white bowl

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Chicken and wild rice soup in a white bowl with a spoon
★★★★★ 5 from 13 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
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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.

Equipment

ladle

Ladle

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dutch oven

Dutch Oven

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Garlic Press

Garlic Press

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Silicone Tip Tongs

Tongs

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Scraper

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1/2 Cup Souper Cubes

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Measuring Cups

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Chefs Knife

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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.

Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. 

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Stove Top

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Rachel Tiemeyer

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. AvatarJoan Benson says

    Posted on 2/11/23 at 6:14 pm

    It’s delicious! I will most likely make this again. My only issue was the white sauce was VERY thick, like a paste, not a thin gravy. I double checked and I followed your measurements exactly. I think next time I will use half the amount of flour.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 2/13/23 at 8:25 am

      Thanks for the feedback. If that white sauce sits for very long at all, it will really thicken up like what you experienced. I’ll try to make it clearer in the recipe to add it right away.

      Reply
      • AvatarJoan Benson says

        Posted on 2/14/23 at 9:32 am

        It did thicken up as it sat, but it was also very thick when I was cooking it. Regardless, the soup turned out great! My family really liked it a lot. A new favorite!

        Reply
        • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

          Posted on 2/14/23 at 10:12 am

          I’m glad you like it Joan! And hope it’s less thick the next time you make it. 🙂

          Reply
  2. AvatarKathleen Webb says

    Posted on 2/7/23 at 12:37 pm

    This is SUCH a good soup.. I even used 2% milk vs whole milk.. and found/used the wild rice that was recommended which is worth finding. (Great combo of grains)
    Would be a breeze to prep ahead and throw together when ready.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 2/7/23 at 1:31 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and let others know about your experience. I’ve been making this soup for over 10 years and it never loses its appeal!

      Reply
  3. AvatarShannon says

    Posted on 2/6/23 at 5:28 pm

    I love this soup! So comforting and I bring it to new moms when they have a baby.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 2/7/23 at 1:30 pm

      Love to hear this Shannon. Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply
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