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. 

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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