This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from our Savoring the Seasons cookbook is so perfect in so many ways. Ultimate comfort food? Check. Tons of delicious leftovers? Check. Uses up all sorts of Thanksgiving-y foods? Check. Perfect food for a chilly fall night? Check. Taking dinner to a friend? Having company over? Sunday dinner? Weeknight meal? Check, check, check, check. This is a recipe you need in your arsenal.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Poultry seasoning
- Artichoke hearts – Marinated and jarred. Find these at the grocery store by the pickled foods and condiments or near Italian foods near Mediterranean ingredients like olives.
- Chicken broth – You’ll need 8 cups, which is 2 boxes of broth.
- Wild rice – Wild rice gives this soup a hearty bite. In a pinch, white rice will work.
- Chicken – This is a perfect place to use a rotisserie chicken, or even leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Portobella mushrooms
How to Make Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Melt some butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and poultry seasoning and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add artichoke hearts and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice and chicken, reduce heat, and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the rice is tender. When the rice is tender, remove from heat and add salt and pepper.
- When the soup has about 10 minutes left, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly add the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly to remove any lumps, until smooth and thickened to the consistency of a thin pudding. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the soup and stir until combined. Simmer 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened and serve.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze individual portions for an easy meal on busy days.
- Because this soup takes a little extra time to cook, you can save time by doing a lot of the legwork earlier in the day–add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and poultry seasoning to a large Ziploc bag, the chopped chicken in a smaller bag, and after you chop the artichoke hearts, you can return them to the jar they came in. That way, when dinnertime rolls around, it comes together in just a few minutes and then it can simmer away and you don’t even have to think about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use white rice?
I love the earthiness that wild rice brings to this soup, but yes, you could use white rice in a pinch. I would recommend letting the broth and vegetables simmer for at least 30 minutes before adding your white rice, as the rice will cook much faster than wild rice.
If I don’t have a rotisserie chicken, can I cook chicken right in the soup?
Yes. Feel free to add a few chicken breasts to the simmering pot in the last 15-20 minutes. Be sure the chicken reaches 165 °F before removing, shredding, and returning to the soup pot.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Sure! Use olive oil in place of butter and swap the milk for your favorite non-dairy alternative.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
This hearty chicken soup is prefect alongside some crusty bread. It's also easy to use up leftovers if you swap the chicken for leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots, 2 medium chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 12-ounce artichoke hearts, marinated, jarred drained and chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice
- 12-16 ounces chicken, cooked, chopped one whole rotisserie chicken. or leftover turkey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup portobella or baby bella mushrooms chopped
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and poultry seasoning and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice and chicken, reduce heat, and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the rice is tender. When the rice is tender, remove from heat and add salt and pepper.
- When the soup has about 10 minutes left, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly add the milk, about ½ cup at a time, whisking constantly to remove any lumps, until smooth and thickened to the consistency of a thin pudding. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the soup and stir until combined. Simmer 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened and serve.
Notes
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze individual portions for an easy meal on busy days.
- Because this soup takes a little extra time to cook, you can save time by doing a lot of the legwork earlier in the day–add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and poultry seasoning to a large Ziploc bag, the chopped chicken in a smaller bag, and after you chop the artichoke hearts, you can return them to the jar they came in. That way, when dinnertime rolls around, it comes together in just a few minutes and then it can simmer away and you don’t even have to think about it.
Nutrition
Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 929mg, Potassium: 405mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2416IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 223kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
Ohhh my goodness. Made this last night for my family (I have two sons and one is a little picky) and they all loved it!! Cannot wait to make this again when it is super cold out and we are snowed in. I paired it with corn muffins and a salad. Absolutely delish.