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Ultra Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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A rich and comforting homemade soup featuring tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and a silky creamy broth made with milk and cream cheese. Perfect for cozy family nights and easy weeknight meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breast or thighs, shredded or diced
  • 1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend, rinsed
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk (or almond/oat milk for dairy-free)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or arrowroot powder for gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Rinse 1 cup of wild rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a large pot, combine rinsed rice with 3 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40-45 minutes until tender but still chewy, stirring occasionally.
  2. While rice cooks, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery. Cook 6-8 minutes until vegetables are soft and onions translucent. Add minced garlic in the last minute.
  3. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over the softened vegetables. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes to cook off raw flour taste and create a roux.
  4. Slowly whisk in remaining 3 cups chicken broth to the vegetable roux mixture, ensuring no lumps form. Add cooked wild rice with any remaining cooking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer and let thicken for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Lower heat to medium-low. Add softened cream cheese in small dollops, stirring continuously until melted and incorporated. Pour in 1 ½ cups whole milk, stirring to combine. Avoid boiling after adding milk.
  6. Fold in 2 cups cooked chicken. Sprinkle dried thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper gradually, tasting as you go. Simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
  7. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice just before serving. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes

[‘Rinse wild rice thoroughly to remove impurities and prevent grainy texture.’, ‘Cook the roux well to avoid raw flour taste.’, ‘Use softened cream cheese to prevent clumping.’, ‘Avoid boiling soup after adding milk to prevent curdling.’, ‘Simmer rice until tender but still slightly chewy for texture contrast.’, ‘Season gradually and taste frequently.’, ‘Leftover or rotisserie chicken works well and saves time.’, ‘For a silkier texture, pulse soup briefly with an immersion blender but keep some texture.’, ‘Soup thickens as it cools; add broth or milk when reheating to loosen.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken soup, wild rice soup, creamy chicken soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe, homemade soup, weeknight dinner

Find it online: https://tessierecipes.com/ultra-creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup-recipe-easy-homemade-comfort-meal/