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. Perfect for cold weather, weeknight dinners, make-ahead lunches, or easy entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 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
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken
Thickening and Finishing
- 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 onion, celery, and carrots; sauté about 5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add aromatics and seasonings: Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using.
- Add stock and rice: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a splash for the cornstarch slurry; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer: Add wild rice and shredded chicken. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but chewy.
- Make slurry and thicken: Whisk the reserved stock with cornstarch; stir it in with the heavy cream. Simmer 3–5 minutes until lightly thickened and glossy, adding slurry gradually until it just coats the spoon.
- Finish with lemon: Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and taste to adjust salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.
- Serve: Serve warm with crusty bread. If thickened too much as it sits, loosen with a splash of warm stock. For best texture when reheating, add slurry and cream after warming.
Notes
- Use cooked rotisserie chicken for a convenient and flavorful protein.
- Wild rice should be tender yet slightly chewy; simmer time may vary depending on rice blend.
- The cornstarch slurry thickens the soup to a silky consistency—add gradually to avoid over-thickening.
- Lemon juice brightens the soup and balances the richness of the cream.
- For a make-ahead meal, omit cream and slurry before refrigerating and add when reheating.
- Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
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
