Best Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Tell me! I wanna know what you wish was simmering on your stove right now. Is it soup? Perhaps it’s water for tea someone will bring with macaroons while you search for the best soup recipes? We can dream scenarios like nobody’s business, right? Nonetheless, the only thing I’ve been served here in Minnesota might be our last warm day until March, maybe? 🥶 And while I’m struggling to let go of the season with open window breezes in my kitchen or office, I will persevere by taking hold of soup season and comfort food like this gluten-free apple crumble I made last month. Making recipes like my best chicken and wild rice soup is helping me shift from white-knuckling my way through to full-on acceptance. Are you with me?
Before you think that soup must be hard to taste good or full of steps and long simmers, skip to the end and start with the FAQ or see the table of contents next for all the shortcuts. Calling this recipe the best is not me trying for a not-so-humble-brag. It’s the best for many reasons that aren’t about me. It’s super satisfying and complex in flavor, so much so that it might surprise you. There’s a really delicious way I make it for my clients (and us at home) to provide my version of a nourishing, tasty, and beneficial broth. However, this recipe is like a reversible coat with an extra liner. Are there good options for this soup recipe based on mood, capacity, and need? The answer is always yes.
I thrive off options and love them because different seasons call for different strategies. But I get it– I’ve been throwing things in a pot since I acted out Stone Soup in elementary school. Does anybody else LOVE this story or have an early affection for it? I adore children’s books and making food with kids.
Every time I make this broth, I think of this story because there’s magic in putting unpeeled carrots, parsnips, chicken bones, herbs, onions, garlic, and water in a pot (no stones) and walking away. If you have a child around, chopping carrots or simply being the one to dump all the ingredients in a pot will put a smile on their face. Grab this classic gem and Caldecott Honor Book illustrated by Marcia Brown, and make it extra special!
When making my own broth, I usually make my Instant Pot Bone Broth just as the instructions say. If I’ve saved up any bones from roasted chicken in the fridge or freezer, I’ll also throw those in the instant pot as well. Or when the cycle is finished, I’ll transport the finished broth to the stovetop, add the extra bones, and let it simmer longer, crushing down the soft vegetables and adding water about 1/2 cup at a time if needed as you let it rumble.
While I think this homemade broth is the base that makes this soup extra special, and I hope you try it at least once when you have time, here are some great shortcuts for this soup in a pinch. Keep reading for all the ways!
How to make the best chicken and wild rice soup with extra time:
- Make my Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth or the stovetop version. It takes 5 minutes of active time and up to 2 hours of passive time using the Instant Pot and at least 4-6 hours the stovetop way.
- Roasted chicken – takes 5 minutes to prep and 1 1/2 hours to cook and cool + 5 more to skin and debone – see the recipe below for chicken and follow the rest of the instructions to finish.
- Prep wild rice (See notes in recipe about this rice from Red Lake Nation Foods!), vegetables, broth, and chicken ahead of time and throw them together in 15 minutes the day of eating, or prepare parts over 2 hours with a lot of inactive time.
How to make the best chicken and wild rice soup when you want a shortcut:
- Make homemade broth but store-buy everything else, or vice versa by making homemade rice and roasted chicken but buying store-bought broth.
- Prep ahead – wild rice, chopped vegetables, and roasted chicken for a 15-minute weeknight dinner. Whenever I prep like this, it’s like a gift to my future self. If want more prep ideas, be sure to get on my email list, I’ll send you my top 3 meal preps + 9 ways to eat them!
How to make the best chicken and wild rice soup in the quickest way possible:
- Instead of making homemade broth, try store-bought broth – Pacific Chicken Broth. I buy this at Whole Foods or Thrive, and it’s 100% gluten-free. While it’s 2nd best to homemade, it does not disappoint.
- Replace roasted chicken with rotisserie chicken – skin and debone chicken from bones and add the desired amount to the soup.
- Buy any pre-made wild rice blend – frozen, vacuum packed, or substitute noodles for chicken noodle soup when you don’t have the time to make wild rice.
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
I like to cook the wild rice separately because it takes about 50 minutes for the wild rice to cook and pop open. If you use the broth, it will cook down the liquid for your soup. I like the rice to soak in broth flavor so let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. If you want something to cook in your broth, try noodles instead.
If you are using raw deboned and skinned chicken thighs or breasts, add to simmering broth and vegetables before adding your rice. You can add them in large chunks or whole pieces and simmer the meat until cooked, about 10-12 minutes for an entire chicken breast and 6-8 for a smaller boneless chicken thigh. Remove meat with a fork, chop or shred, and return to soup. Continue with soup additions!
Prepping the ingredients ahead of time is my favorite way to make this soup. Broth, chicken, wild rice, and vegetables can all be prepared and stored covered in the fridge. The final steps to making this soup will take 15 minutes and make for a perfect weeknight dinner!
An excellent organic chicken broth or stock usually does the trick. When I use store-bought broth, I sometimes add garlic, extra chopped vegetable, and fresh or dried herbs like parsley, thyme, or dill. In addition, cooking chicken in the broth will add flavor, as mentioned in the above question. Don’t forget to taste before over-salting because store-bought broth can be high in sodium.
I would eat or move this prepared soup to the freezer within three days. If you leave the parts prepped but not combined, you can refrigerate the elements for up to five days.
Yes! You can freeze this soup just like you freeze broth. If you put it in a mason jar, leave at least 1-inch of space from the top because liquid expands when it freezes, and your jar can break. You can also freeze soup in a large freezer-safe bag with as much air removed before sealing, leaving some room at the top. Follow this pattern when freezing soup: cool broth until room temperature, refrigerate overnight, and then freeze for 4-6 months.
Yes, you can. Make more wild rice than necessary, and freeze what you don’t use for next time! You can freeze wild rice for roughly six months.
How do I make this chicken and wild rice soup most often? Let’s make it!
Best Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
Roasting Chicken Ingredients
- 8 cups of chicken stock, or 1 recipe of Instant Pot Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for roasting chickens
- 2 bone-in skin-on split chicken breast or 2-3 cups of cooked chicken
Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more as needed for sautéing onions, carrots, and celery
- 1 small-medium yellow onion, small diced
- 4 medium carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and chopped into half moons
- 2 medium-large stalks of celery washed, halved lengthwise, and small diced
- 6 oz dry wild rice *See notes below!
- 2 teaspoons of fresh herbs like parsley and thyme
Optional Ingredient
- 1-2 cups kale cut into fine ribbons
Instructions
Roasting Chicken Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and again rub it into the chicken on all sides.
- Roast chicken for 40-45 minutes. Check the temperature of each piece in the thickest part of the meat. If the temp is between 155°-160°, it's ready and will continue to rise in temperature as it rests.
- Let chicken cool to the touch, remove skin and bones and save. Trim anything you need to as you shred or chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. (Save skin and bones or pieces you remove in a freezer bag for your next broth!)
Wild Rice Instructions
- Add 6 oz of dry wild rice to about 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, partially cover, and simmer the rice for about 50 minutes. If using a different rice amount, reduce water as needed, or cook according to packaged directions.
- Drain wild rice and let rest until broth is ready.
Soup Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pan over medium to high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Stir to coat all vegetables with oil.
- Sauté vegetables uncovered for about 1 minute, then turn heat to medium and cover for 8 minutes. Check halfway through and stir, adding a drizzle of oil if dry or vegetables are getting browned. Cook until lightly softened and onions are translucent.
- Add 8-10 cups of chicken broth to the onion mixture.
- Add 3 cups of wild rice, at least 2 cups of chicken pieces but more if desired, and chopped herbs. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste soup and vegetables to see if more time is needed, and adjust seasoning with added salt or pepper. Lastly, add kale ribbons and let simmer for 1-2 minutes util wilted. Cool soup slightly and serve!
- If adding kale, sprinkle in the ribbons and let simmer for 1-2 minutes until wilted. Cool soup slightly and serve!
Equipment
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Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on November 3, 2022 by Heather Bursch
