Easiest Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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.

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 instead.
Celery stalks – see substitution notes above.
Italian seasoning – use herbes de province instead.
Salt & pepper – to taste.
Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
Wild rice blend – feel free to use another variety of rice of your choice.
Fresh sage – swap out for 1 tsp. dried sage instead or leave this off altogether.
Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice would both work.

How to make chicken wild rice soup

Step 1: Sauté the mushrooms.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, cooking for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms release juices.

Step 2: Cook the veggies.

Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots, cooking another 5 minutes until vegetables soften.

Step 3: Add the chicken.

Add chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.

Step 4: Mix in the seasonings.

Add Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, chicken broth and rice, stirring and bringing to a boil.

Step 5: Simmer for 40 minutes.

Reduce heat to a simmer, then cover pot with lid and cook for 40 minutes until rice is cooked through.

Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

Stir in fresh (or dried) sage if using, along with lemon juice. Serve and enjoy!

Slow cooker + Instant Pot instructions

If you want to make this recipe even easier, try using the slow cooker. Simply dump everything into the pot in the morning and come home to an amazing dinner that evening. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours then stir in the sage and lemon juice at the end like the original version of this recipe. This way, the soup is completely hands off!

If you need dinner quickly, you can also use your Instant Pot for this chicken wild rice soup. Here's how to cook this soup in your pressure cooker:

Add olive oil and vegetables to the Instant Pot.
Add the chicken, seasonings, rice and broth in that order.
Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Wild rice takes longer to cook than other varieties of rice.
Let the Instant Pot naturally release for at least 5 minutes to prevent liquid from coming out of the vent and all over your kitchen, then do a quick release for the rest.
Stir in the sage and lemon juice at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is wild rice soup made of?

This wild rice soup is made with chicken breasts, mushrooms, onion, garlic, carrots, celery stalks, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, wild rice, sage and lemon juice. It’s super easy to make and so flavourful!

Do you need to cook the rice first?

You don’t need to cook the rice before adding it to the soup. It will cook alongside the rest of the ingredients and soak up the liquid from the broth while the soup simmers.

What does it pair well with?

You don’t really need any sides for this wild rice soup since you’ve already got your protein, starch and veggies all in one dish! That being said, if you’re looking for something to serve on the side, you can’t go wrong with some nice crusty bread or a side salad.

How do you thicken it?

This soup usually doesn’t require any thickening, since the softer grains of rice in the wild rice blend will do a great job of thickening the soup. However, if you want, you can add some flour to the soup – I would recommend no more than 1 tbsp. Add it after sautéing the vegetables and before adding the broth for the best results. You could also make a cornstarch slurry and add it in at the end, then let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Storing and reheating

This chicken wild rice soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It’s even better as leftovers since all the flavours have a chance to soak into the rice as it sits. To reheat, warm it up in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

Can you freeze chicken wild rice soup?

This chicken wild rice soup freezes beautifully. Let it cool almost to room temperature then place it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to eat your soup, let it defrost in the fridge overnight or reheat it in a pot on the stovetop right from frozen. If you stored individual serving sizes in glass containers, you can just pop one of the containers right in the microwave for 6 to 7 minutes from frozen, stirring halfway through.

Be aware that while rice by itself is fine to freeze, rice that is frozen in a soup will not retain the exact same texture. It will continue to absorb the liquid and will be a little soggier after being reheated. The taste will still be the same though!

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Meal prep tools for this recipe

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 this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.

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Easiest Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients and substitutions