Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Carrots in a bowl.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A cozy, creamy one-pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup loaded with carrots, celery, onions, fresh herbs, and tender shredded chicken—thickened just enough for a silky spoonful and brightened with a squeeze of lemon. It’s a cold-weather comfort food classic that works for weeknight dinners, make-ahead lunches, or easy entertaining.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken wild rice soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 268kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion diced
½ cup celery stalk diced
½ cup carrots thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
5 cups chicken stock
½ cup wild rice mix I recommend Lundberg’s Wild Blend®
1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken like rotisserie
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering.
Add onion, celery, and carrots; sauté about 5 minutes until slightly softened.
Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using.
Pour in the stock, reserving a splash for the slurry; scrape up any browned bits.
Add wild rice and shredded chicken. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender-chewy.
Whisk the reserved stock with cornstarch; stir it in with the cream. Simmer 3–5 minutes until lightly thickened and glossy (add slurry gradually—stop when it just coats the spoon).
Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon.
Serve warm with crusty bread; if it thickens as it sits, loosen with a splash of warm stock. (Make-ahead tip: for the best texture, add the slurry and cream after reheating.)

Notes

Can I use uncooked chicken instead of cooked? Yes. Nestle 2 boneless thighs or breasts into the simmering stock after the cooking onion, celery, and carrots. Cook the chicken until 165°F (about 12–18 minutes depending on size), remove to shred, then return. I still add the rice early so it gets its full simmer time.
My soup got too thick—how do I fix it? No panic—add warm stock or water, ¼ cup at a time, until it’s the consistency you like. I re-check salt and lemon after thinning.
Can I make it dairy-free or gluten-free? Dairy-free: use olive oil + coconut milk or skip cream and lean on the slurry. Gluten-free: the base recipe is GF as long as your stock is certified GF and you use cornstarch (not flour).
Why is my wild rice still firm? Wild rice is naturally chewy and can take 40–55 minutes. Keep a gentle simmer and ensure your pot maintains heat. If it’s still too firm for you, simmer 5–10 minutes longer, adding a splash of stock if needed. Also keep in mind that I used wild rice blend (not 100% wild rice) that cooks faster and easier. If you use 100% real wild rice, cook it separately from the soup (in a different pot) and then add it to the soup, or it will absorb all the liquid.
Will it freeze well? Best practice: freeze before adding the slurry and cream. If it’s already creamy, you can freeze it, but whisk well when reheating and add a splash of cream to restore the silky texture.

Storage, reheating, freezing, make-ahead

Storage: Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days. Wild rice continues to absorb liquid; expect thicker soup the next day.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low, adding splashes of chicken stock or water to loosen. Microwave in 60-second bursts, stirring between.
Freezing: For best texture, freeze before adding cream and cornstarch. Cool, portion, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, reheat, then add the slurry + cream and simmer 5 minutes to finish.
Make-ahead: Cook the soup without the cream/slurry, slightly undercook the rice (it’ll finish when reheated), cool, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat, then add the slurry + cream and simmer to thicken. Alternatively, cook rice separately and stir it in when serving to prevent over-thickening in the fridge.

Nutrition