By Becky Hardin
Published Sep 27, 2018
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is the perfect fall soup recipe to kick off the season. It’s creamy, delicious, and filled with the best ingredients. Make a batch of this creamy chicken and rice soup to warm you up all season long!
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a creamy, hearty, delicious soup that is sure to warm you up. It’s one of my favorite fall soup recipes, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Fall is finally here! Besides the countdown to the holidays, my favorite thing about this time of year is the countdown to soup season ! It still feels like summer around here, but I know the crisp cool air will make an appearance soon. So I’m preparing for the change in weather with my favorite fall soup recipes. And this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one of the best!
Everyone loved my mom’s Creamy Chicken Soup , so I know you guys will love this creamy chicken and rice soup too. It’s filled with chicken, bacon, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, mushrooms, fresh thyme, wild rice, and so much more. This soup is just a bowl full of the best ingredients, and it’s so creamy and delicious. I can’t get enough of this hearty soup. It’s perfect for the fall and winter seasons!
If you like Panera’s Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, then you’re going to love this homemade chicken and rice soup even better. There’s so much more flavor to this, and you can make it at home and save it to eat over and over again!
This Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one of my favorite fall soup recipes.
Fall Soup Recipes
There’s something so exciting about the fall season. Maybe it’s because it’s apple and pumpkin season, so I can make all the things with them. Or maybe it’s just because I know Thanksgiving is almost here, which means I can make all the best comfort food recipes. Or maybe it’s because it’s soup season, so I can just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and end up with the most delicious, warming, comforting meal ever. Whatever it is, it’s clear that I love fall because of the food!
I’m excited for all of the fall soup recipes that I get to cook up, eat, and then share with you guys. This Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is just the start. There are so many easy soup recipes to try, so we should all probably get cooking!
What’s in Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
This creamy chicken and wild rice soup is just loaded with all of the best ingredients you can think of. Imagine all of the things you’d want to put into a hearty, warm fall soup recipe, and I guarantee it’s in this creamy chicken and rice soup!
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Bacon
- Chicken Broth/Stock
- Wild Rice
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Thyme
- Mushroom Soup
- White Wine
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
All you need to make this creamy chicken and rice soup is one pot. Soups are pretty awesome like that; you just throw everything into a pot, let it cook on the stove, and you’re done.
- Cut up the bacon and cook it in the dutch oven over medium heat, just until crispy.
- Remove bacon from the pot & set aside. Drain bacon grease but leave 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- Place seasoned chicken breasts in the pot and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes (internal temperature should reach 150°F, it will finish cooking later), then remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Turn heat to medium, add carrots, celery, and onions to the pot and saute for 2 minutes.
- Then add garlic, mushrooms, & thyme, and saute another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, then add the chicken stock and bring soup to a boil.
- Add the wild rice to the soup and bring it back to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Cut up the chicken into small pieces. Then add in the chicken, mushroom soup, and half of the bacon, and let the soup simmer another 15 minutes.
Once the creamy chicken and wild rice soup is done cooking, just ladle into your bowls and top it with the rest of the bacon bits. Creamy, warm, and so delicious! Check the recipe card for detailed instructions.
What Goes with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
This creamy chicken and wild rice soup is absolutely loaded with ingredients, which makes it a nice hearty meal all on its own. Serve up big bowls of it with a crusty bread that you can dip in, and you’re good to go. A simple meal that is incredibly tasty! You could also serve a smaller portion of this soup alongside a sandwich or salad, or this copycat Panera mac and cheese .
Can you freeze Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
Soups are so easy to freeze and save for later. I love making big batches of my favorite fall soup recipes early in the season, then freezing them so I can just heat them up for dinner throughout the following weeks/months. Just store the soup in airtight, freezer-safe containers and it will keep for up to 3 months.
I can’t wait for you guys to try this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. It tastes so good and it will warm you right up. Make a batch of it and get fall soup season going ASAP!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Enjoy!
If you like this creamy chicken and rice soup, try these other fall soup recipes :
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Best Chicken Soup Recipe
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Sausage and Lentil Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Minestrone Soup with Pancetta
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 6 bacon slices cut into ¼-inch lardons
- ▢ 3 chicken breasts or 3 cups rotisserie chicken meat
- ▢ Kosher salt
- ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
- ▢ 2 medium stalks celery cut into 1/8-inch slices
- ▢ 1 small yellow onions diced
- ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
- ▢ 4 ounces fresh button mushrooms diced
- ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- ▢ 8 cups Chicken Broth
- ▢ 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- ▢ 1¼ cups homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup or 1 (14.5 ounce can Cream of Mushroom Soup)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 cup semi-dry or dry white wine Chardonnay works well
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a cold Dutch oven and set the heat to medium.
- Cook the bacon just until crispy, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from the pot. Once the excess bacon has cooled, refrigerate it for another use.
- *Note – if using rotisserie chicken meat, skip this next step.
- Salt and pepper the chicken breast on both sides, and place them in the
- heated pot. Cook the breasts, without turning, for 2-3 minutes or until the pan side of the breast has nice color. After 3 minutes, flip the breasts over and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature is 150°F (the chicken will finish cooking in the soup). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
- Turn the heat to medium and, if needed, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion to the Dutch oven and sauté 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme leaves; sauté 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the wine, while scraping the pan, to deglaze the tasty bits from the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Add the rice and return the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Add the mushroom soup, cooked chicken (or rotisserie chicken meat) and half the cooked bacon. Simmer the soup an additional 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the soup has thickened to a desired consistency.
- Season to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with reserved crispy bacon and serve with slices of crusty bread.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 6 bacon slices cut into ¼-inch lardons
- 3 chicken breasts or 3 cups rotisserie chicken meat
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 2 medium stalks celery cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 1 small yellow onions diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 ounces fresh button mushrooms diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 8 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 1¼ cups homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup or 1 (14.5 ounce can Cream of Mushroom Soup)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup semi-dry or dry white wine Chardonnay works well
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a cold Dutch oven and set the heat to medium.
- Cook the bacon just until crispy, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from the pot. Once the excess bacon has cooled, refrigerate it for another use.
- *Note – if using rotisserie chicken meat, skip this next step.
- Salt and pepper the chicken breast on both sides, and place them in the
- heated pot. Cook the breasts, without turning, for 2-3 minutes or until the pan side of the breast has nice color. After 3 minutes, flip the breasts over and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature is 150°F (the chicken will finish cooking in the soup). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
- Turn the heat to medium and, if needed, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion to the Dutch oven and sauté 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme leaves; sauté 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the wine, while scraping the pan, to deglaze the tasty bits from the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Add the rice and return the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Add the mushroom soup, cooked chicken (or rotisserie chicken meat) and half the cooked bacon. Simmer the soup an additional 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the soup has thickened to a desired consistency.
- Season to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with reserved crispy bacon and serve with slices of crusty bread.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
