Description
A cozy, creamy chicken and wild rice soup packed with veggies, fresh herbs, and tender shredded chicken. This one-pot comfort food features wild rice simmered to tender-chewy perfection, thickened with a cornstarch slurry and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon juice. Perfect for chilly evenings, weeknight dinners, or make-ahead lunches.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 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
Soup Base
- 5 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup wild rice mix (Lundberg’s Wild Blend® recommended)
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (such as rotisserie)
Thickening and Finishing
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Sauté vegetables: Add diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add aromatics: Stir in minced garlic, chopped thyme, and rosemary sprigs. Cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Add stock and scrape: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a small amount for the slurry later. Stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add rice and chicken: Add the wild rice mix and shredded chicken. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but chewy.
- Make slurry and thicken: Whisk the reserved chicken stock with cornstarch until smooth. Stir this mixture and the heavy cream into the soup. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the soup thickens slightly and has a glossy finish. Add the slurry gradually to achieve desired thickness.
- Finish soup: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice if needed.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm with crusty bread. If the soup thickens upon standing, loosen it with a splash of warm chicken stock. For best texture when reheating leftovers, add the slurry and cream after warming.
Notes
- This soup is best made in one pot for simplicity and flavor development.
- If you don’t have wild rice mix, substitute with cooked wild rice or a mix of wild and brown rice.
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience and added flavor, but leftover cooked chicken works well too.
- Adjust cayenne pepper for desired heat level or omit for a milder soup.
- For a dairy-free alternative, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream or a non-dairy cream.
- The lemon juice brightens the soup; add gradually to taste.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently and add slurry and cream fresh.
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
