Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Chicken and wild rice give this creamy soup a satisfying texture, with small pieces of vegetables throughout the broth. The rice keeps a little character alongside the shredded chicken. It's a pleasant bowl to linger over when your appetite calls for something gentle and warm.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 460 min
- Total
- 480 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews · Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Give the vegetables a head start
That first pan step is worth doing. Softening the carrots, celery, potato, and onion before they go into the slow cooker helps them settle into the soup instead of tasting like they were just boiled.
2. Watch the chicken and rice separately
Chicken breasts can be ready before the wild rice is tender. If that happens, pull the chicken out, let the rice keep cooking, then shred and return the chicken at the end.
3. Add the creamy part after cooking
The butter, flour, and milk mixture goes in once the rice and chicken are done. Whisk the milk in slowly so it thickens smoothly before you stir it into the slow cooker.
Get to know the ingredients
Use uncooked wild rice
Add the rice uncooked after rinsing it. Cooked rice would be a very different thing here, since the slow cooker time is built around the rice becoming tender in the soup.
Trim the chicken first
The chicken breasts go in whole and get shredded later, so trimming excess fat before cooking keeps the finished soup neater and easier to eat.
Keep some stock for the finish
Only part of the chicken stock goes in with the rice and chicken. Save the rest for the end, when you can stir in more if the soup is thicker than you like.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
After the milk mixture is stirred in, check the texture before serving. Add more chicken stock if you want it looser, then taste and season with extra salt or pepper if it needs it.
A little more help as you go
Keep the roux moving
Once the flour hits the melted butter, whisk and cook it briefly until it turns golden. Then add the milk a few splashes at a time so you don't end up chasing lumps.
Low keeps it gentle
After shredding the chicken and returning it to the slow cooker, set the cooker to low to keep the soup warm while you finish the creamy base on the stove.
A few questions you might have
Do I really need to rinse the wild rice?
Yes, rinse it before adding it to the slow cooker. The rice goes in right after the vegetables, before the chicken and stock, so it's easiest to do that while the vegetables are cooking.
What if the chicken is done but the rice still has a bite?
Take the chicken out so it doesn't overcook, cover the slow cooker again, and let the rice keep going until tender. Shred the chicken and return it once the rice is ready.
Why not add all the stock at the beginning?
The recipe starts with part of the stock, then lets you add more after the creamy mixture goes in. That way you can choose the final thickness instead of guessing early.
How do I avoid lumps in the creamy mixture?
Sprinkle the flour over fully melted butter and whisk it until golden, then pour in the milk gradually. A few splashes at a time gives the flour a chance to smooth out.
Can I use the Instant Pot directions instead?
Yes. For the Instant Pot method, sauté the vegetables first, cook on high pressure, then make and stir in the roux at the end as directed.
Any more cooking tips?
TO STORE : Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days. TO REHEAT : Rewarm soup in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. TO FREEZE : Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. TO MAKE DAIRY FREE : Substitute the butter for vegan butter and the milk for unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. Note that the mixture may not be as creamy or may take longer to thicken. TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE : Omit the flour in step 3. With a fork, firmly whisk 1/4 cup of cornstarch into the milk before adding the milk to the melted butter. Stir to combine and let simmer, stirring often, until thickened. TO MAKE IN AN INSTANT POT : If you prefer, you can make this tasty recipe in an Instant Pot instead : Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and cook the carrots, celery, potato, and onion as directed in step 1. Continue with step 2, adding the ingredients as instructed to the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure (manual) for 35 minutes. (If using a whole grain rice blend, cook only for 20 minutes.) Manually release pressure. Make the roux and stir it in as directed in steps 3 and 4.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: wellplated.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
