This chicken and wild rice soup requires only 20 minutes of active cooking time and is made with leftover poultry. It’s a beautiful one-bowl dinner for hectic evenings. So, what is in chicken and wild rice soup?
Such a flavorful, hearty, and satisfying soup is Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup! It is similar to chicken noodle soup but prepared with a variety of tasty rice instead of noodles and a béchamel sauce comprised of milk and heavy cream. Everybody will enjoy it!
Time
- Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 8
Ingredients For Chicken With Wild Rice Soup
- Wild rice blend: I prefer to use Lundberg’s fantastic rice blend.
- Onion, carrots, and celery: Onions, carrots, and celery are used to create the mirepoix, which gives the soup its distinctive flavor.
- Butter: This makes the broth rich and flavorful.
- Garlic: You may add more garlic if desired.
- Chicken broth: I prefer using low-sodium chicken bouillon. Regular will suffice; reduce the sodium in the soup.
- Thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary: For thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary, you may use either dried or fresh herbs.
- Salt and pepper: Seasoning with pepper and salt to flavor.
- Chicken breasts: Thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts by cooking them for a few minutes longer.
- Flour: Do not omit the flour; it helps thicken the broth. If necessary, a gluten-free option is provided below.
- Milk: I recommend using anything other than powdered milk.
- Cream: Half and half may be substituted for cream.
How To Prepare Chicken And Wild Rice Soup?
Prepare rice according to the package’s instructions.
Halfway through heating the rice, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a separate large pot over low heat. Add carrots, onion, and vegetables and cook for 4 minutes; add garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer.
Add chicken broth, thyme, marjoram, sage, and thyme, and season with black pepper and salt to taste. Increase the heat to medium to high, add the chicken, and simmer the mixture.
Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer until chicken is cooked through, approximately 12 to 16 minutes (rotating chicken to the opposite side once during cooking for thicker chicken breasts if not entirely immersed in broth).
Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board to chill for five minutes before shredding it into bite-sized pieces. Cover and maintain broth over warm heat.
Meanwhile, soften the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over a low flame in a separate medium pan. Add flour and simmer, whisking constantly, for 1 1/2 minutes.
Then, while vigorously whisking, gradually pour milk into the butter/flour mixture. Mix in heavy cream with a whisk. Cook the mixture while continuously whisking until it thickens.
Add milk mixture, shredded chicken, cooked rice, and lemon zest to the soup mixture in a saucepan. Mix thoroughly and remove from flame.
Allow soup to chill slightly, then serve.
Can I Freeze Chicken And Wild Rice Soup?
Cream-based soups can sometimes be challenging to freeze since they tend to split when thaw. They are safe to consume and taste acceptable after reheating, but the texture may not be ideal.
To circumvent this, prepare the recipe as directed up until the chicken. Nonetheless, omit the rich cream!
Place the soup in an airtight container and preserve it for up to three months.
After defrosting your chicken and wild rice broth, simmer it on the stovetop. Allow the bisque to reheat 5 to 10 minutes after adding the cream. Before serving, please don’t neglect to season it to taste!
How To Store Chicken And Wild Rice Soup?
Consider preparing a large amount of this soup to store for later, as its flavor improves with time. To keep for up to two days, place in secure containers and refrigerate. To reheat, simmer over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes in a saucepan.
This broth is good for up to three months when frozen. Before heating from chilled, defrost in the refrigerator.
Possible Variations On Chicken And Wild Rice Soup:
You can customize this soup in various tasty ways, so feel free to get creative and add your favorite ingredients. For example, you may
1. Make it gluten-free: Make it gluten-free by omitting the all-purpose flour and substituting a cornstarch slurry (made by whisking together equal parts cornstarch and lukewarm water) to thicken the soup. Once the rice is cooked, gradually add 1-2 tablespoons of the slurry to the soup until the desirable consistency is reached.
2. Make it vegetarian: To make this broth vegetarian, swap the chicken in a can of legumes and the chicken stock with vegetable stock. I also recommend my vegan recipe for Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup, which has a sweet potato and coconut milk base.
3. Skip the thickener: If you prefer a thinner broth, you may omit the flour (or cornmeal) entirely. Use a stick blender to blend a small part of the broth (ensuring that the poultry has been removed) to thicken it slightly.
4. Add bacon: If you want to enhance the flavor of this broth, I recommend frying 6 to 8 slices of bacon at the start of the recipe. Then remove and crumble the bacon to use as bacon pieces to garnish your serving bowls, and use the leftover bacon grease to sauté the vegetables (instead of the butter or oil).
5. Use Old Bay: I also enjoy substituting 1 1/2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning for the rosemary to give this soup a Cajun flavor. I assure you, it is excellent!
6. Use different greens: Substitute various greens for the spinach. Collards or kale would also be delicious.
7. Use different rice or orzo: If you prefer, you may substitute various types of rice or orzo pasta for the wild rice. Please note that the cooking duration will vary depending on the sort of rice or pasta you select.
What To Serve With Chicken And Wild Rice Soup?
No soup experience is complete without hunks of warm, crusty bread to submerge, such as this simple, no-knead bread. And while spoons are helpful for broth, how much better is it to use bread to scoop it up?
You can make this Simple Green Salad or this Brussels and Kale Caesar Salad swiftly and beautifully if you wish to incorporate some greens into your meal. Or you’d like to prepare roasted vegetables on a sheet pan as a side dish.
However, if you’ve heard nothing else, we recommend bread. Ultimately, this is the Minnesota way. Moreover, bread is delicious.
If there is a chill in the air, grab your ingredients, toss them in the crockpot, and then smile all day, knowing you will be greeted by this warm, cozy, delectable little friend when you return home.
Preparing chicken and wild rice soup is a straightforward and pleasurable culinary endeavor. Simmering tender chicken, aromatic vegetables, wild rice, and fragrant seasonings can create a hearty, nourishing, and comforting dish ideal for warming up on a cold day.
Thank you for reading….
