Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is packed with loads of warm, hearty goodness meant for cold days like vegetables, chicken broth, Italian herbs, and shredded chicken that all comes together in a creamy, buttery sauce.
For more immediately satisfying Instant Pot recipes, you should make my popular Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, my Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Soup, and my Instant Pot Roast and Potatoes soon!
Why This Recipe Works
Two easy ways to cook: You can cook this chicken with wild rice soup in a slow cooker or an instant pot — both great ways to have a delicious, healthy dinner without a lot of hands-on time — or cleanup!
Perfect for cold days: The weather change is again upon us (goodbye summer!) but that also means soup season is here! There’s nothing like coming home to a warm bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup. This is one even the kids will enjoy.
Ingredients
To make this recipe for chicken and wild rice soup, these ingredients are key:
- Carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and garlic: These veggies and aromatics sauteed in butter are what gets this soup going. Think of it as the base to a lot of wonderful soups.
- Wild rice: Wild rice gives this soup a nuttier taste, in my opinion. Though it can take longer to cook on the stovetop, cooking it with either the instant pot or slow cooker methods below will result in a perfectly cooked rice.
- Italian herb seasoning blend or Herbs de Provence: Either one of these makes for the perfect seasoning.
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you could also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Flour & milk: Use flour and milk to make a roux (along with more butter) for the cream sauce)
How to Make It
Wondering how to make chicken and wild rice soup in the crock pot or instant pot? Follow along below for both ways to create this wonderful dish.
Slow Cooker:
- Add the ingredients: To the crock of your slow cooker add the butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, mushrooms, chicken, chicken broth, Italian spices and salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook: Add the lid to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken and shred it and put it back in the crock about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve the soup.
- Make the cream sauce: While the wild rice soup with mushrooms finishes coming together, make the cream sauce on the stove top by melting the butter, then stirring in the flour until a smooth paste forms, then add in the milk, whisking slowly until smooth and creamy. (See Expert Tips & Tricks for an even creamier sauce using cream cheese.)
- Put it all together: Once the cream sauce is made, pour that into the slow cooker, mix it all together, and serve.
Instant Pot:
- Sautee: Set the instant pot to “saute” and add the butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the broth, rice, and seasonings, then add the chicken.
- Cook: Lock on the lid, set the vent to “sealed” and then set the instant pot to “manual” or “pressure cook” and set the timer for 30 minutes.
- Vent: When the time is up, turn the vent knob to vent and let it depressurize all the way.
- Make the cream sauce: While the pot is venting, make the sauce on the stovetop by melting the butter, then add in the flour and whisk or stir till you get a nice paste, then slowly add in the milk till the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. (See below for cream cheese alternatives.)
- Shred the chicken: Take the lid off the Instant Pot and pull the chicken out, shred gently with two forks. Return it to the pot.
- Add the sauce: Stir in the cream sauce you made until the whole soup becomes creamy and delicious. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh herbs and more fresh black pepper if you like.
Expert Tips + Tricks
- For a more creamy flavor: Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the soup after you stir in the cream sauce.
- To make a cream cheese alternative for the stove top cream sauce: After the chicken has shredded and added back to the slow cooker or instant pot, combine 8-16 ounces of cream cheese to a bowl, then whisk in 1-2 cups of the broth from the soup. Once the cream cheese has completely melted in, add this back to the soup and serve.
FAQs
– The easiest thing to grab and eat with this soup is some crackers. I love them, as do the kids so it’s a no-brainer. Oyster, Ritz, a club cracker, Triscuits, or even Goldfish — whatever is your favorite cracker, they’ll go great!
– If you’re feeling a little fancy make some Potato Rolls or these copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits to go alongside this slow cooked Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
– Baguettes always make a good dipping bread. You don’t even need a knife, just rip one into chunks and divvy up among your dining partners.
– On the flip side, I like to eat a nice, fresh garden salad like this Best Simple Tossed Green Salad with this creamy chicken soup.
– What’s the best sandwich to pair with soup? A grilled cheese, of course! (For a great recipe, head to my French Onion Grilled Cheese recipe.)
DIY your own Italian seasoning by stirring together a 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley.
When stored in an airtight container, this chicken and wild rice soup will last in the fridge for up to four days.
More Recipes to Try
- Craving a rich, restaurant-style dinner without the hours of prep? Dive into this hearty comfort classic Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon and discover how your pressure cooker can deliver tender beef, savory veggies, and lush, wine-infused sauce in a fraction of the time!
- Get ready to cozy up with a bowl of vibrant, comforting goodness! This Tomato Basil Orzo Soup brings together juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and tender orzo for a quick and satisfying meal you’ll want on repeat.
- Warm up your week with a bowl of cozy comfort and check out my Slow Cooker OR Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup for a rich, creamy dinner that cooks itself while you unwind.
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth, I used low sodium
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning blend , or Herbs de Provence, see note for DIY
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large chicken breasts
Stovetop Cream Sauce
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- optional alternate: cream cheese, see note
Instructions
Prepare the Soup
- Set your pressure cooker to SAUTE. Add butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and mushrooms and stir for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Stir in chicken broth, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add chicken breasts.
- Cover, set vent to the SEALED position. Set pressure cooker to MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK (depending on the brand) and set timer to 30 minutes.
- When the cook time is finished, turn vent knob to the VENTING position. While cooker depressurizes, make the stovetop cream sauce.
Prepare the Cream Sauce (See Note for Cream Cheese Alternate)
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
- Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms.
- Gradually whisk in milk until smooth and creamy.
Put it All Together
- Remove chicken from the pot, shred gently with two forks, and return to the pot.
- Stir cream sauce into the soup until soup is creamylicious. Taste, add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh herbs and cracked black pepper if desired and serve.
Slow Cooker / Crock Pot Directions
- In your crock pot, combine butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, mushrooms, chicken, broth, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours. About 30 minutes before serving remove the chicken, allow to cool slightly, then shred with two forks and return to the pot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the absolute best Chicken Wild Rice soup I’ve had and I try it just about anywhere that has it on their menu. I don’t need to do that anymore because I can make it at home anytime. Everyone I served it to raved about it. Thank you so much for this recipe, I’m anxious to try more of yours.
That’s great to hear! You’re so kind. Thank you for your review! I hope you continue to enjoy these recipes 🙂
Can the leftovers be frozen
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s quickly become my favourite soup! I add an extra carrot and celery stalk to make it even heartier.
So thrilled to hear that! Thanks for your feedback, Lauren.
Love this recipe! Both time I have made it though it is too thick so I have added two extra cups of chicken broth and about 3/4 of the cream sauce and now it’s perfect!
Body of recipe – 3 steps… In step two, you did not include adding in the wild rice. However, it is included in the actual recipe.
Also, I’ve been told if using wild rice (not a blend), that rinsing is extremely important to removing the shucks. Can you comment on this.
Kind regards,
Nick
Ok This recipe is seriously amazing and sooo easy to make. I would definitely recommend adding the optional heavy cream at the end for a thicker, creamier soup.
If i double the recipe, what kind of an adjustment would be needed on the time?