Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Creamy chicken and wild rice soup is a delicious and nourishing soup to add into your winter rotation. It’s packed with vegetables, creamy broth, wild rice and tender chicken. Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot 6-8 quart, or a large soup pot (for stovetop version)
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Garlic mincer optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 whole carrots, sliced
- 2-3 stalks celery, sliced
- 8 oz package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3-4 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 lbs chicken boneless chicken thighs, or chicken breast
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 can coconut milk or substitute with heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Combine base ingredients. Combine broth, wild rice, mushrooms, minced garlic, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and old bay seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken. Add the chicken to the instant pot, you don’t have to mix it in.
- Pressure Cook. Secure the lid to your instant pot and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.
- Pressure Release. Let the instant pot release naturally for about 10 minutes, then manually or quick release it the rest of the way (be careful of the hot steam!). Remove the lid and discard the bay leaves.
- Pull the chicken. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate, and using two forks gently pull them apart into smaller bite-size pieces. The chicken is so tender that this should be really easy. Put the chicken back into the soup.
- Add the last ingredient. Add the coconut milk (or cream, if using) into the soup and stir to combine. Taste and add any additional seasonings, like salt, pepper or old bay if needed.
- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy with a slice of crusty bread!
Stovetop Method
- Cook the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat, and add some olive oil or butter. Cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. *
- Prepare the veggies. While the chicken is cooking, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and sweet potato.
- Saute veggies. In the same pot, add a little more olive oil or butter. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.
- Add base ingredients. Add to the pot the bone broth, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaves, and old bay seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Cook the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, and add the chicken back in. Reduce to a simmer, and reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Add remaining ingredients. Remove from heat, and add in the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Taste and add any additional salt, pepper, or old bay seasoning if desired.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
**Alternatively, you could use a rotisserie chicken, or cook a whole chicken beforehand. Simply add in the cooked shredded chicken at the end of the simmering time.