A rich, velvety chicken and wild rice soup with tender shredded chicken, earthy mushrooms and plump wild rice in a savory, herb-scented cream broth. Best enjoyed hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for brightness.
Velvety Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Sear-steeped chicken, nutty wild rice and earthy mushrooms simmered into a silky cream broth—perfect for chilly nights when you want something both nourishing and indulgent.
Think of this as the ultimate cozy bowl: plump wild rice with a gentle chew, tender shredded chicken and cremini mushrooms folded into a rich, herb-scented cream broth. The texture is the point—the broth should feel silky on the tongue while the rice and mushrooms give each spoonful a little bite and a lot of comfort.
If you want depth of flavor, don’t skip the sear. Browning the boneless chicken thighs and scraping up those browned bits adds a savory backbone that a straight simmer can’t match. The onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms get some color next, then a bit of butter and flour turn the pot into a light roux so the broth takes on a velvety body before a splash of heavy cream finishes it off.
Wild rice brings nutty flavor and holds up to a long simmer—rinse it first, then let it swell in the chicken stock with a bay leaf until tender. When the thighs are cooked through, shred them into the pot and let the whole pot mellow together; the flavors knit as it simmers. This soup also plays well with time: refrigerate and gently reheat (add a little extra stock or cream if it thickens) and it will taste even more settled the next day.
Serve it steaming with a scatter of fresh parsley for brightness and plenty of crusty bread for dunking. It’s an easy weeknight dinner that doubles as make-ahead comfort—simple enough for a busy evening, luxurious enough to feel like a hug in a bowl.
Ingredients
How to Make Creamy Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Rinse the wild rice under cold water and drain; roughly chop the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and season the chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper; sear the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked, then remove to a plate.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to the pot, then add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook 5–7 minutes until softened and starting to color; stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir the rinsed wild rice and bay leaf into the vegetables, pour in the chicken stock, scrape up any browned bits, return the seared chicken to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
- Simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wild rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F; remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest and discard the bay leaf.
- While the rice finishes, make a roux: melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes until bubbly and pale golden, then slowly whisk in about 1 cup of hot broth taken from the pot until smooth and thickened.
- Return the roux mixture to the soup, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer until the broth is slightly thickened, then stir in the heavy cream and simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through; season with the remaining kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Shred the cooked chicken and stir it and the chopped parsley into the soup, warm for another minute, then ladle into bowls and serve hot with extra parsley if desired.
Recipe Card
Creamy Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
A rich, velvety chicken and wild rice soup with tender shredded chicken, earthy mushrooms and plump wild rice in a savory, herb-scented cream broth. Best enjoyed hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for brightness.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice under cold water and drain; roughly chop the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and season the chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper; sear the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked, then remove to a plate.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to the pot, then add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook 5–7 minutes until softened and starting to color; stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir the rinsed wild rice and bay leaf into the vegetables, pour in the chicken stock, scrape up any browned bits, return the seared chicken to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
- Simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wild rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F; remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest and discard the bay leaf.
- While the rice finishes, make a roux: melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes until bubbly and pale golden, then slowly whisk in about 1 cup of hot broth taken from the pot until smooth and thickened.
- Return the roux mixture to the soup, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer until the broth is slightly thickened, then stir in the heavy cream and simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through; season with the remaining kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Shred the cooked chicken and stir it and the chopped parsley into the soup, warm for another minute, then ladle into bowls and serve hot with extra parsley if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 45
- Saturated Fat
- 18
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 29
- Protein
- 30
- Fat
- 47
- Cholesterol
- 180
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 780
- Sugar
- 4