This is the easiest Chicken Wild Rice Soup! The hearty comfort food comes together in one pot with a wild rice blend, veggies and sage.
Chicken wild rice soup is a classic for a reason. It’s SO delicious! You’re going to love this recipe because it’s super straight-forward to make.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Comfort food: Nothing beats a hot bowl of comforting soup on a chilly day!
- One pot recipe: Everything comes together in one pot, which means less dishes for later.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Chicken breasts – chicken thighs would also be good.
- Mushrooms – use any mushroom blend of your choice.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also work.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Carrots – double up on the celery or swap out for leeks.
- Celery stalks – use more celery or leeks.
- Italian seasoning – make your own or try using herbs de provence.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
- Wild rice blend – try making it with another variety of rice, farro, quinoa or orzo.
- Fresh sage – swap out for 1 tsp. dried sage instead.
- Lemon juice – lime juice would also work here.
How to make wild rice soup
Step 1: Sauté the mushrooms.
Cook until they release their juices.
Step 2: Add the veggies.
Cook the veggies until softened.
Step 3: Add the chicken.
Cook until lightly browned.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients.
Add the seasonings, broth and rice.
Step 5: Simmer the soup.
Simmer for 40 minutes.
Step 6: Add the lemon juice.
Add sage and lemon juice, then serve.
Recipe variations
- Flavour boost: You can sauté the veg before adding them to the soup to deepen their flavours.
- Creaminess: Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk towards the end of cooking to make it creamy.
- Herb infusion: For an aromatic touch, add fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves during simmering, and remove them before serving.
- Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken with chickpeas, extra-firm tofu, or jackfruit, and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Add greens: Stir in spinach, kale, or Swiss chard during the last few minutes of cooking for some extra nutrients.
Frequently asked questions
Will the rice get mushy in soup?
Wild rice won’t get mushy in soup, because it takes longer to cook. If you use another rice variety, it might get mushy.
How can I thicken this soup?
To make this soup even thicker, add 1 tbsp. flour in with the sautéed veggies before adding the broth. You could also stir in a cornstarch slurry at the end of the cooking time.
Can I use rotisserie chicken to save time?
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Just shred the chicken and add it to the soup during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.
How to store and reheat
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of extra broth if the soup is too thick.
Freeze & reheat from frozen: Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding broth as needed.
More hearty soup recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this soup into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- This is the wild rice blend I use.
- Freeze individual portions of this soup in Souper Cubes for up to 3 months.
Easy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium-sized chicken breasts, diced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or herbes de province
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 1 tbsp fresh finely chopped sage (or 1 tsp dried – optional)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, cooking for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms release juices. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots, cooking another 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
- Add chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Add Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, chicken broth and rice, stirring and bringing to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, then cover pot with lid and cook for 40 minutes until rice is cooked through.
- Stir in fresh (or dried) sage if using, along with lemon juice. Serve and enjoy! Soup will last in the fridge up to 5 days, or you can freeze in glass bowls with lids up to 3 months.
Video
Comments & Reviews
Debra Cranwell says
Hi!
I am anxious to try this recipe using a crockpot but I have one question. You said to dump everything in the crockpot but I was not sure if you meant to still cook on the cooktop and then dump or can I dump before any cooking? I hope your answer is the latter but will cook either way.
Thanks so much, Debra
Katie Didow says
Hi Debra!
You’re right – there’s no need to precook anything if you’re cooking in the crockpot. To make things even easier, I’d also leave the chicken breast whole then shred them once they’re finished cooking.
Tara says
One of our top 5 easiest soups to make!
I prepped for Chicken & Wild Rice soup ahead of time!
Recipe calls for 4 cloves of garlic…I prepped just a tad more…😅🤣😍🤤
We LOVE the mushrooms in this!!
(Shout out to the team at the Dinner Prep Pro app)
* Edit to add: we had the soup for supper and it was absolutely delicious!!! THANK YOU 😊
( I prepped the DIY Buddah Bowl the same day because these meals were in the DPP meal plan that week!)