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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is just what a cozy family meal calls for. This gluten-free soup recipe is made with a savory, velvety broth brimming with tender veggies and chicken, plus hearty wild rice.
Looking for more easy, creamy soup ideas? Try my Instant Pot creamy tomato soup and this chicken and dumplings recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Are you ready to get cozy? Because I sure am! This creamy chicken wild rice soup is the coziest and easiest gluten-free soup recipe, and one of my family’s favorite comfort foods. Here’s why you’ll love it, too:
- Hearty ingredients. This soup is brimming with tender chicken, aromatic veggies, and a hearty blend of wild rice. Everything is cooked together in a savory broth that’s thickened with the starches from the rice and finished with a touch of cream. The flavor and texture are out of this world!
- One pot. This chicken and rice soup comes together in one pot on the stovetop (easy clean up!). It’s like a creamier, heartier version of your favorite chicken noodle soup, made with wild rice instead of pasta.
- Gluten-free. My chicken wild rice soup recipe is 100% comforting and 100% gluten-free! I make big batches of this soup to store for easy weekday lunches. It’s delicious and versatile and I can’t wait for you to try it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Layers of flavor is the name of the game when it comes to this creamy chicken and wild rice soup recipe. Here’s what you’ll need to achieve it! Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.
- Onion, Carrot, and Celery – Diced up, this classic veggie combination is also known as “mirepoix” in French cooking. It’s the base for many recipes, from soups to sauces like Bolognese.
- Chicken Broth – Or vegetable stock if you’d prefer.
- Wild Rice – Your preferred blend, uncooked. Be sure to use gluten-free rice blends (see Is Rice Gluten Free?) that contain 100% wild rice, and not black rice as this will turn your soup purple.
- Chicken – I use cooked diced or shredded chicken for this soup. You can prepare the chicken in advance, or use leftovers. Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken or leftover turkey is also great for this recipe!
- Herbs – Dried or fresh sage, thyme, marjoram, bay leaf, and fresh garlic.
- Rice Flour – Rice flour is a gluten-free alternative to flour, used to thicken the soup without making it gluey or grainy.
- Milk – Whole milk or heavy cream work best. You can also replace milk with a dairy-free alternative, like oat or coconut milk, if you prefer.
- Fresh Parsley – For garnish.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
This gluten-free version of chicken and wild rice soup is ready on the stove in no time. Simply saute, combine, cook, and serve following the easy step-by-step below. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions!
- Saute the vegetables. Saute the carrots, onion, and celery in butter, along with the herbs and spices. After a few minutes, add in the garlic and bay leaf. Finally, sprinkle in the rice flour and stir while it becomes golden.
- Add the broth. Gradually add in the chicken broth. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the rice. Stir in the wild rice blend. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup until the rice is tender.
- Add the chicken and milk. Add the cooked chicken into the soup, followed by the milk or cream. Avoid letting it come to a boil as it heats through, as this may cause the dairy to separate!
- Serve! Finish your wild rice soup by seasoning it to taste with salt and pepper. Dish up with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley, and serve!
Can I Make This Soup In the Crock Pot Instead?
Yes! You can make this soup recipe easily in a crock pot or slow cooker if you prefer. To make slow cooker chicken wild rice soup, add the ingredients into the bowl of your slow cooker, apart from the chicken and cream. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. About 15-30 minutes from the end of the cooking time, stir in the chicken and milk as the soup finishes cooking.
Tips for Success
Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to the perfect bowl of chicken and wild rice soup:
- Use another type of rice. If you don’t have wild rice, you can make this soup with brown rice or long-grain rice instead. Softer rice varieties like minute rice and regular white rice tend to turn mushy, unless you plan to cook the rice separately and only add it in at the end.
- Use a rotisserie chicken. To make this recipe even easier, buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it. You can also use leftover air fryer rotisserie chicken. (If you’re looking for another way to use up leftover chicken, try my rotisserie chicken soup!).
- Thicken the soup. If you’d like an even thicker chicken wild rice soup, scoop some of the broth from the soup into a bowl and whisk in an extra spoonful of rice flour. Stir the slurry back into the soup and cook until it thickens to your liking.
- Keep the rice from swelling. Be careful when cooking your rice and don’t over-boil. Rice continues to absorb liquid even after it cooks, so it’s best to err on the side of caution.
- Don’t boil the soup for too long. It’s important to reduce the soup to a simmer once it’s just touched a boil, so the ingredients don’t overcook. The vegetables will soften and the chicken can become rubbery and dry if the soup boils for longer than called for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-cooking the rice isn’t necessary for this recipe. Uncooked rice is best to add to soup, as it soaks up all the yummy flavors of the broth.
If you’d like to make the soup in advance, you can leave out the rice to avoid it becoming mushy. Cook the rice and store it separately, and add in in when reheating the soup.
Variation Ideas
I love classic chicken soup recipes as they’re delicious served as they are, and easy to customize depending on the ngredients you have on hand. Here are some variations to try:
- Vegetarian wild rice soup. Swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth, and instead of chicken, sub a can of chickpeas or beans. You can also add in other veggies like sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, frozen peas, etc.
- Use pasta instead. You can make this recipe with orzo pasta in place of rice. It looks very similar! Any small pasta shapes will work, though. The cooking times will vary for pasta, however, so be sure to check the package for the appropriate directions.
- Add more protein. You can add in other proteins like bacon, diced chorizo, or slices of sausage to amp up the flavor.
- Different herbs and spices. You can play around with the different spices and herbs used in this soup. Try other options like rosemary, cajun seasoning, cumin, or nutmeg.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty chicken wild rice soup as a side dish or main event! I love serving this homestyle soup for family dinner with gluten free dinner rolls for dunking into the creamy broth. Gluten free cornbread is another tasty option. To round out a meal, pair bowls of soup with an easy Greek salad or this fancy-without-trying Italian country salad with poached pears.
How to Store Leftover Soup
- Refrigerate. Store this chicken and wild rice soup airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Reheat portions on the stovetop or in the microwave. Be careful to not overheat or boil the soup when reheating, as this could cause the cream to separate. The soup thickens as it cools and thins out again after it’s warmed up! You can also add 1-2 spoonfuls of water to help loosen it up more.
- Freeze. Since this soup recipe contains cream that risks separating as it thaws, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
More Gluten Free Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Chicken Orzo Soup
- Cream of Potato Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 2 tbsp white rice flour
- 4 cups chicken broth plus more if needed
- 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups whole milk
- fresh parsley for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, sage, thyme, marjoram, and black pepper. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and bay leaf, and saute for another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle the white rice flour over the vegetables and stir for about 2 minutes until it becomes lightly golden. Add the broth a little at a time, stirring after each addition until it is smooth. Once all the broth has been stirred in, add the wild rice blend. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 30-45 minutes until the rice is cooked (this may vary depending on the brand of rice you use).
- Stir in the chicken, then slowly stir in the cream/milk, and let everything heat through but do not let it come to a boil.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with parsley before serving, if desired.
Did you make this?
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One of my go to winter meals. This is enjoyed by the whole family. The only modification is to use an instant pot and add cornstarch at the end for a thicker consistancy.
Kid and parent approved! My son says this recipe is his new favorite. I used 1/2 the amount of butter, & low fat milk. I did not have rice flour so I used cornstarch, my usual GF thickener. Mix 1 TBSP cornstarch with 2 TBSP water & whisk smooth before adding or it will be lumpy. Thanks for a great GF addition to our family dinners. Leftovers in thermos for school lunch too!