Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This delicious soup filled with chicken, vegetables, and wild rice will warm you up on a cold day and keep the whole family full! Make it on the stovetop for now or in a slow cooker for later, which is ideal for those busy weeknights!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
• How to Make Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
• How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup in a Crockpot
• Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
• Related Soup Recipes
• Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No heavy cream!
• Can be made to eat now or in a crockpot for later!
• The perfect homemade soup to serve in Homemade Bread Bowls!

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

• Half and Half - What is half and half? Half and half is a simple blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream. It averages 10 to 12% fat, which is more than milk but less than light cream. You can find it next to the coffee creamers at the grocery store.  You can also substitute whole milk for the half and half if you like.  I use half and half in a lot of soups like Broccoli Cheese Soup and Cream of Mushroom soup because it adds a creamy flavor to the soup without actually having to add a fattening cream.
• Wild Rice Mix - You'll need a 6 or 7-oz box of a long grain and wild rice blend. The size of the box varies slightly from brand to brand. I've used Rice, a Roni brand, which was fine, but my preference is either Zatarains or Near East brands.
• Chicken Broth - For a good chicken broth, use a chicken base instead of bouillon granules. The granules have a weak flavor that weakens the older it is. I recommend using a Better Than Bouillon chicken base to make your broth. This is the brand I use myself.
• Flour - if you need this to be gluten-free, you can substitute potato starch for the all-purpose flour. Instead of making a roux with the flour and then adding the chicken broth, you'll add nearly all the chicken broth to the vegetables, whisk 2 Tablespoons of potato starch into the remaining broth until smooth, and then add it to the soup.
• Butter - you can substitute olive oil for the butter if you wish.
• Chicken - I use baked chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces, but you could use leftover roasted whole chicken or rotisserie chicken as well.
• Mushrooms?- Yes, if you want to add mushrooms to your soup, you can! I would add 1 cup of sliced mushroom with the carrots, celery, and onions.

How to Make Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
• Lightly sauté the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions just until the onions start to turn translucent. You don't want them completely cooked through. What we're doing here is partially cooking the vegetables in a way that not only brings out the flavor of them but cuts the cooking time in half. 
• Stir in the ¼ cup of flour.  It will form a paste, aka a roux.
• Add the chicken broth a bit at a time mixing well until all the chicken broth has been added.

• Turn down the heat to medium heat. 
• Pour in a box of wild rice mix AND its flavor seasoning packet. 
• Add the 3 cups of chopped-up cooked chicken. 
• Simmer the soup until the rice is cooked and tender (about 15-20 minutes). 
• Add the half and half. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup in a Crockpot

• Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
• Lightly sauté the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions just until the onions start to turn translucent. You don't want them completely cooked through. What we're doing here is partially cooking the vegetables in a way that not only brings out the flavor of them but cuts the cooking time in half. 
• Stir in the ¼ cup of flour.  It will form a paste, aka a roux.
• Add the chicken broth a bit at a time mixing well until all the chicken broth has been added.
• Pour into a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the chicken, wild rice mix, and its flavoring packet.
• Cook on low for 4 hours.
• About 20 minutes before serving, add the half and half.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Related Soup Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Soup - Even better the next day!
• Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup - A great soup to make in a big batch!
• Stuffed Cabbage Soup - One of those easy recipes you'll make again and again!
• Instant Pot Turkey Taco Soup - A taco soup with so much flavor!

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