Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is rich and creamy. It has an amazing texture and is filled with SO much flavor from the chicken, vegetables and wild rice. This soup is quick and easy to make, plus you can use rotisserie chicken to make it even easier.

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I appreciate simple recipes that use a limited amount of ingredients. No-fuss meals mean eating homemade is accessible to everyone and every schedule. I am also a self-proclaimed soup lover! And, if you love creamy, steamy goodness as much as I do, you are in for a treat. Simply put, I am thrilled for you to try this soup. All you need is a batch of soft dinner rolls and dinner is made!
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:
Chicken and wild rice soup is literally a comfy sweater in a bowl. We love warming up to a bowl of steamy soup on a cold day.
This is also a great soup to make when you are meal-prepping for the week. Make a big batch and have it on hand when your days get a bit hectic. Bonus: This soup gets better as the flavors mellow so your leftovers will just get tastier as the week goes on!
Packed with chicken, veggies, a wild rice blend (I love the Trader Joe’s bag or get a similar one here) and a dash of cream, this soup hits all the spots. What I love most about this dish is that I can whip it up all in one pot in under an hour. Hello, weeknight dinner rotation!

Hot tip: Have a rotisserie chicken hanging out in the fridge? Use it! Skip adding the raw chicken and shred up your store-bought bird. Once your rice is cooked and your broth is properly seasoned, simply add the shredded chicken into your pot until it is warmed up.
How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup:
- In a soup pot or Dutch Oven, saute veggies in butter until golden brown.
- Add a little flour and cook until fully incorporated.
- Add cubed chicken, rice, and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and simmer until rice is tender.
- Pour in heavy cream, continuously stirring to get a nice, smooth broth.
- Season to taste if needed and serve piping hot!

How to Store Chicken and Rice Soup:
Refrigerating is your best bet. The soup will stay fresh for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. Know that the soup will thicken as it cools. This is perfectly normal! Once you reheat it, it will loosen up again.
Can I Freeze Chicken Wild Rice Soup?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup. The cream will break up and separate as the soup freezes, making the reheating not so pretty.
How to Reheat Creamy Soups:
We recommend reheating only the portion you will use. Reheat on the Stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot and steaming and a safe 165˚F. Do not boil a creamy soup or it can separate. If you want the soup a little thinner, add a splash of water or chicken broth.
To microwave, place in a microwave-safe container, partially cover and heat on high heat, stirring every 20-30 seconds until soup reaches your desired temperature (at least 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer).

More Delicious Soup Recipes:
- Chicken Noodle Soup: A classic bowl of soup for a winter day or a pesky cold.
- Potato Soup: This is literally a loaded baked potato in soup form. So decadent and tasty.
- Taco Soup: Love tacos, but you’re living low-carb? This is the soup for you.
- Zuppa Toscana: Recreate this restaurant classic at home
- Cabbage Soup: I wouldn’t be Ukrainian if I didn’t suggest a cabbage soup. Healthy and hearty, this soup never disappoints.
- Minestrone Soup: A copycat recipe of Olive Garden’s famous soup.
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup carrots, diced into small cubes
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced into small cubes
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 cup wild rice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat a soup pot or Dutch Oven to medium heat. Saute carrots, onions, and celery in butter until golden brown.
- Add flour and stir until the flour is fully incorporated and the raw flavor is cooked out (about 2 minutes).
- Add wild rice, chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pour 8 cups chicken broth over the ingredients and let everything simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked to your desired doneness.
- Slowly pour in heavy cream, continuously stirring to create an even texture.
- Cook the soup for about 5 more minutes on medium-low. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the soup while it’s hot! When it cools down, it will thicken up. Reheat it to loosen up the broth.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home.
Hi Natasha,
Could you make this without the heavy cream?
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried a substitution for the heavy cream; one of our readers used light cream. If you experiment with a change, I would love to know how you like it.
I have had recipes before using a can of cream of mushroom soup instead of heavy whipping cream.
Does the chicken go in raw ?
Hi Gregg, it sure does. It cooks during the 30-minute simmer. We also have the raw chicken in the recipe post photos for guidance.
Could you turn this recipe into a Chicken wild rice Curry soup? And what would I add?
Hi Ken, I have not tested this with curry to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
This soup is fantastic! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks, Natasha!
You’re welcome, Kay! I’m so glad you enjoeyd this recipe!
Hey Natasha,
Can any other Rice be used?
Hi Tanya, this is the specific wild rice that I used in this recipe but I imagine another type should work too.
Sooo good! Thank you for this recipe, I feel like I can always trust what you post.
Thank you for your trust, Suz. I hope you will love every recipe that you will try!
I made this tonight. Didn’t have wild rice, so I used white jasmine. I also only had half and half. I used some home-made chicken broth with the store bought organic chicken broth. I added sliced mushrooms and frozen corn. I used boneless chicken thighs. Since my mom can’t have dairy, I put the soup aside without the cream and it was still delicious! Super good and easy soup to make! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Anita, thank you for sharing those substitutes with us.
Will any wild rice work?
Hello Rita, this is the specific wild rice that I used in this recipe but I imagine other type should work too.
I made this today for this weekend but forgot to buy chicken!! It’s yummy will add chicken Saturday. Easy easy & I haven’t added the whipping cream yet either!!
I’m happy you enjoyed that Tracy!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. I’ll make it again for sure! I threw in some rotisserie chicken which was flavorful and less time consuming than cooking breasts and shredding. I’ll also add mushrooms next time but that’s not a flavor for everyone. Overall this recipe was awesome and Will use again, thanks so much
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that Veronica!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. I’ll make it again for sure! I threw in some rotisserie chicken which was flavorful and less time consuming than cooking breasts and shredding. I’ll also add mushrooms next time but that’s not a flavor for everyone. Overall this recipe was awesome and Will use again, thanks so much
What’s the brown stuff for wild rice and chicken soup? I looks like bbq sauce. It is not listed in the ingredients or method.
Hi Toni, sorry for the confusion, that is a bouillon or chicken broth paste so you could use water and that paste instead of chicken broth if that is what you have on hand.
If I don’t have heavy whipping cream? What can I substitute?
Others used light cream and it worked too.
Should it be covered or uncovered while cooking?
Hi Julie, we kept this poy uncovered while cooking.
Thanks. I ended up venting the lid and that worked fine. My husband even said I could make it again once the weather cools down 😛
I love this soup! Any luck making it in the instant pot?!
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t tested this in an instant pot.
The recipe is amazing. My entire family loved it. Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear that Fatin!
Hi – I’m obsessed with your creamy chicken noodle soup (seriously make it every couple of weeks). Definitely want to try this one too. If I prefer shredded chicken in my soups instead of cubed, how might I adjust the steps to make that work? Also what seasonings would you recommend if I like adding extra flavor to my soups? Thank you!
Hi Elise, I haven’t tested this with shredded chicken but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I make it with a whole chicken, I cook it until it falls off the bone, and shred the rest. I use the broth to make the soup.
What is the creamy chicken soup recipe?
Hi Kristin, you can find my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe HERE.
This soup was easy to make! I did add more seasoning to it like garlic and onion power just because those are my favorites to add to soups. I was worried that my carrots were going to be super crunchy for only 30 mins of cooking, but the carrots were perfect. 1st time cooking with wild rice. served with crusty bread.
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Sarah!
First time I made this, my gf loved it so much she’s making it for her family.
Very tasty, very filling and most importantly very very easy to make. I added some finely chopped chillies as I like it hot!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Alex! Thank you for that great review!
What can I use to substitute flour. My husband can’t have any gluten.
Hi Noemi, I haven’t tried, but I think a cup for cup gluten-free flour would work here.
Chicken wild rice soup was a staple growing up in Minnesota. This recipe brought me straight back to all of the great memories! This was extremely easy to make and reheating it as leftovers by adding a bit of water worked wonderfully.
I love it when food brings back good old memories! Thank you for sharing some good vibes and for giving this recipe a great review!
I make this soup and excellent flavor, everyone at home loved it. And easy to cook. Now is on my cooking recipe list.
Sounds like you guys found your favorite recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!