Description
This Rich Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is a comforting and hearty one-pot meal perfect for chilly days. It combines tender shredded chicken, nutty wild rice, and a medley of fresh vegetables and herbs simmered in a flavorful chicken stock, then thickened with a creamy cornstarch slurry and finished with a bright splash of lemon juice. Easy to make and ideal for weeknight dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 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
Other Ingredients
- ½ cup wild rice mix (Lundberg’s Wild Blend® recommended)
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (such as rotisserie chicken)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat and sauté vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots. Sauté them for about 5 minutes until they are slightly softened, releasing their natural sweetness.
- Add aromatics and season: Stir in the minced garlic, chopped thyme, and rosemary sprigs. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using, to add a subtle spicy warmth.
- Add stock and scrape: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a small splash to make a cornstarch slurry later. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, adding rich flavor to the soup.
- Add rice and chicken: Stir in the wild rice mix and shredded cooked chicken. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently. Stir occasionally and cook for 40 to 50 minutes until the wild rice is tender but still chewy.
- Make and add slurry: Whisk the reserved splash of stock with cornstarch until smooth to create a slurry. Stir this mixture into the soup along with the heavy cream. Simmer the soup for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens slightly to a glossy finish. Add the slurry gradually and stop as soon as it coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish with lemon and adjust seasoning: Remove the soup from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice to your preference for a perfect balance of rich, creamy, and bright flavors.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm with crusty bread. If the soup thickens upon standing, loosen it with a splash of warm stock before serving. For make-ahead meals, add the cornstarch slurry and cream only after reheating to maintain the best texture.
Notes
- This chicken and wild rice soup is a filling, creamy one-pot meal perfect for cold weather that also works well as leftovers or for entertaining.
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience and added flavor, but any cooked shredded chicken will work.
- The cornstarch slurry is key to achieving a silky, luscious texture without the heaviness of a traditional roux.
- The lemon juice brightens the soup at the end, balancing the richness beautifully.
- If the soup thickens upon standing or in leftovers, simply loosen with a splash of warm chicken stock before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 268 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 331 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg
