Description
A cozy, creamy one-pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup loaded with carrots, celery, onions, fresh herbs, and tender shredded chicken. Thickened just enough for a silky spoonful and brightened with a squeeze of lemon, this soup is a cold-weather comfort food classic perfect for weeknight dinners, make-ahead lunches, or easy entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- ½ cup onion (diced)
- ½ cup celery stalk (diced)
- ½ cup carrots (thinly sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
- 2 sprigs rosemary
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (like rotisserie)
- ½ cup wild rice mix (recommend Lundberg’s Wild Blend®)
- 5 cups chicken stock
Other
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the Oil: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced onion, celery, and thinly sliced carrots to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are slightly softened.
- Add Herbs and Garlic: Stir in minced garlic, chopped fresh thyme, and rosemary sprigs; cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Add Stock and Wild Rice: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a small splash to prepare the cornstarch slurry later. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add the wild rice mix and shredded chicken.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wild rice is tender but still slightly chewy.
- Thicken Soup: Whisk the reserved stock with cornstarch to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup along with the heavy cream. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the soup is lightly thickened and glossy, adding the slurry gradually and stopping when it just coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish and Adjust Seasoning: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm, ideally with crusty bread. If the soup thickens upon standing, loosen it with a splash of warm chicken stock. For best texture when reheating, add cream and slurry after warming the soup.
Notes
- This soup is perfect for cold weather and makes a comforting meal for weeknights or casual entertaining.
- For make-ahead convenience, prepare the soup in advance but add the cornstarch slurry and cream after reheating to maintain the best texture.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can adjust the amount of cornstarch slurry accordingly, adding more if needed but do so gradually to avoid over-thickening.
- Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time and adds flavor, but you can use any cooked shredded chicken.
- Serve with crusty bread or a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
- If unavailable, substitute Lundberg’s Wild Blend® with any wild rice mix or a combination of wild rice and brown rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 268 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 331 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg
