Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Overhead of a Dutch oven filled with creamy chicken and wild rice soup—carrots, celery, mushrooms, and parsley—with a wooden spoon lifting a scoop.

A cozy, familiar wild-rice soup with chicken, onion, celery, and carrots in a silky broth (choose dairy-free coconut milk or traditional cream). Herbs and a touch of Worcestershire give depth without drifting from the classic flavor profile.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Servings: servings

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Sandra

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice blend (Note 1)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken breast cubed (breasts or thighs; rotisserie option in Note 2)
1 cup celery diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup onion diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste (Note 3)
1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
3 tablespoons poultry herb blend freeze-dried or dried (Note 4)
1 teaspoon minced garlic about 1 clove
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Note 5)
1 bay leaf optional; (Note 6)
¾-1 cup fresh parsley chopped & divided
4 cups chicken broth low sodium (Note 7)
1 13.66 ounce can coconut milk unsweetened, full fat (Note 8)
Optional add-ins: 1–1½ cups diced sweet potato and/or 1–1½ cups diced cremini mushrooms (Note 9)

Instructions

Cook the wild rice (pick one method; water ratios in Note 1).
Stovetop: Rinse the 1 cup wild rice blend. Combine with water and salt; simmer covered until tender (40–50 min). Drain excess; fluff.
Rice cooker: Rinse the 1 cup wild rice blend. Cook on brown/whole-grain setting (45–55 min).
Instant Pot (option): Rinse the 1 cup wild rice blend. Cook on rice setting, 12 minutes; quick release; fluff.
Keep warm; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot (5–6 qt) over medium-high. Add the 1 pound cubed chicken, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, 4 minutes. It will finish cooking in Step 5. Transfer chicken to a bowl; leave the fond in the pot (Note 10).
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pot. Add 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup onion (and 1-1½ cup sweet potato/1-1½ cup diced mushrooms if using). Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent and the carrots (and sweet potato, if added) begin to soften, 5–7 minutes.
Season with the 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 3 tablespoons poultry herb blend. Stir in 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 bay leaf (if using), and half the parsley; cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
Pour in the ¾-1 cup fresh parsley, return the seared chicken and fold in the cooked wild rice. Bring to a gentle simmer (barely bubbling) for 5–7 minutes to marry flavors and finish the chicken to 165 F (74 C) if needed. If using shredded rotisserie chicken, add it 2-3 minutes before the end of the simmer time.
Add 4 cups chicken broth and 1 13.66 ounce can coconut milk or ¾-1 cup half-and-half and warm gently 1–2 minutes. Do not hard-boil (Note 8).
Remove bay leaf. Add remaining parsley; adjust salt/pepper. For thicker body, see Note 11. Serve warm.

Notes

Wild rice cooking and yield:
• Stovetop: 1 cup rice plus 3 cups water plus ½ tsp salt. Simmer covered 40–50 min; drain if needed; fluff.
• Rice cooker: 1 cup rice : 2¼ cups water; brown/whole-grain cycle (45–55 min).
• Instant Pot: 1 cup rice : 1¾ cups water + ½ tsp salt; 12 min High, quick release; fluff.
Yield: 1 cup dry wild rice blend makes about 3–3½ cups cooked - enough to dot the soup without turning it into a pilaf.
Make-ahead: Cook rice 1–2 days ahead; loosen with a splash of broth.
Breasts or thighs work. Shortcut: 2½–3 cups shredded rotisserie, stirred in during Step 5 after the broth comes to a simmer; warm through 2–3 min.
If using table salt, start with ½ teaspoon in Step 3 and adjust at the end.
Freeze-dried blends (thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram) work well. DIY: 1½ teaspoon thyme plus 1 teaspoon sage plus 1 teaspoon rosemary plus ½ teaspoon marjoram.
Worcestershire adds savory depth of flavor. For fish-free/gluten-free: 1½ tablespoons tamari plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar plus ½ teaspoon molasses.
The bay leaf is not essential, but it adds that familiar soup-pot aroma. Remove before serving.
Low-sodium broth keeps the seasoning under control. If using concentrates, start light, then salt to taste at the end.
Dairy Free: Use full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk. Shake the can well before adding. Do not boil hard to avoid separation.
Dairy: For a more traditional option, swap the coconut milk for half and half or cream. Warm the cream slightly before adding and keep below a boil to prevent curdling.
Mushrooms and sweet potato are not traditional but tasty. Add 1–1½ cups diced cremini and/or 1–1½ cups diced sweet potato in Step 3. Cook 3–5 minutes until mushrooms release juices and sweet potato starts to soften. To keep veg volume balanced, reduce carrots slightly if adding the full amount of sweet potato.
Those browned bits from searing dissolve into the soup and add complexity. Don’t wipe the pot before sautéing the aromatics.
Thicker: Simmer uncovered a few extra minutes; mash a few carrot pieces; or whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cool water, stir in, and simmer 1–2 minutes.
Thinner: Add hot broth, a little at a time.

Make-Ahead and Storage: Cool quickly. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Rice absorbs broth. Add a splash of hot broth/water when reheating and re-season.

A squeeze of lemon and extra parsley brighten the bowl; serve with crusty bread or a simple salad.

Taste after the simmer. If using a concentrated base (e.g., Better Than Bouillon), start lighter; add salt in pinches, stir, wait 20–30 seconds, then taste again. A squeeze of lemon at the end boosts perception of salt without adding more.

After sear, the chicken should finish to 165 F during the brief simmer in Step 5. Pull the pot off heat as soon as it hits temp to keep the chicken tender.

Prefer not to sear? After sautéing aromatics (Step 3), add broth and bring to a gentle simmer; slide in raw cubed chicken and cook just until 165 F (about 6–8 minutes). Proceed with rice and creamy finish. Flavor will be a touch lighter vs. searing.

Nutrition