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
Main Ingredients
- 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
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 5 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup wild rice mix (I recommend Lundberg’s Wild Blend®)
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (like rotisserie)
- 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 shimmering.
- Sauté vegetables: Add diced onion, celery, and thinly sliced carrots; sauté for about 5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add herbs and garlic: Stir in minced garlic, chopped fresh thyme, and rosemary sprigs; cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Add stock and scrape: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a splash for the cornstarch slurry. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for extra flavor.
- Add rice and chicken: Stir in the wild rice mix and shredded cooked chicken. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender-chewy.
- Make and add slurry: Whisk the reserved chicken stock with cornstarch to make a slurry. Stir it into the soup along with the heavy cream. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup thickens and becomes glossy, adding the slurry gradually until the soup just coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish with lemon: Remove the pot from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice as desired.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm with crusty bread. If it thickens as it sits, loosen with a splash of warm chicken stock. For make-ahead use, add the slurry and cream after reheating to maintain the best texture.
Notes
- This soup is a comforting cold-weather staple perfect for weeknight dinners and make-ahead lunches.
- Using rotisserie chicken saves time and adds great flavor.
- Adding the cornstarch slurry gradually ensures the perfect creamy thickness without over-thickening.
- Fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary provide aromatic depth, but dried herbs can be substituted at 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon rosemary.
- If wild rice is unavailable, substitute with a wild rice blend or a combination of wild and brown rice but adjust cooking time accordingly.
- To keep the soup gluten free, ensure the chicken stock and all ingredients are verified gluten free.
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
