Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

chicken wild rice soup with spoon in black bowl

4.86 from 21 votes

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Tiffany Azure

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

DIY Italian seasoning blend: stir together 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley

For an extra rice and creamy soup, stir 1 cup of heavy cream into the soup after the cream sauce.

Cream cheese alternate for stove cream sauce: The last few times I have made this soup I have used this cream cheese option instead of the cream sauce and I love it so much. Try it! After your chicken is shredded and returned to your pot, combine 8-16 ounces of softened cream cheese to a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 1-2 cups of broth from your pot. Once the cream cheese has completely incorporated, stir the mixture into your soup and voila! - rich and creamy soup perfection!

Nutrition