When crisp fall weather comes around, this cozy chicken and wild rice soup is exactly what we’re all craving – creamy, comforting, and packed with tender veggies and shredded chicken. It’s an easy one-pot dinner that warms everyone up!
This is my cozy dinner energy right now
There are weeks when I feel like I’m doing great, and then there are weeks where I’m just thrilled to get dinner on the table before 7. This soup is what I make when I want things to feel cozy, even if real life is looking more like abandoned laundry piles and “what field trip form?” vibes. It’s creamy, it’s soul-hugging, and it’s beyond easy to make.
It’s also flexible, forgiving, and somehow always just what we need. Especially on days when the sky turns gray by 3pm and we’re all pretending not to turn the heat on yet!
What’s in the pot (and what to tweak if you need to)
Use butter for richness, and don’t skip the onion, celery, and carrot if you can – they build that cozy base. I add a full 8-oz pack of mushrooms, but skip them if they’re not your thing.
Season with poultry seasoning or your own blend of thyme, rosemary, and sage – whatever you have. One note: Don’t use a paprika-based seasoning blend, but a herb-based one. And depending on your exact seasoning blend (especially if it’s finely ground), your soup may turn out a little green, that’s totally fine!
You’ll stir in flour to thicken slightly, then deglaze with white wine or extra broth. I usually use water + bouillon instead of boxed broth – it’s flexible and just as flavorful, and I don’t need to worry about collecting half-used broth containers in my fridge.
The wild rice mix goes in uncooked, and the chicken breasts simmer whole in the broth (don’t worry – they’ll cook through and shred beautifully later). Finish with a mix of heavy cream and cornstarch for a velvety texture. Half-and-half is a good substitute for the heavy cream if that’s what you have!
Three tips to keep things cozy vs messy
I always use a 5–6 qt Dutch oven (mine’s a 5.5 qt and it’s just big enough to stir comfortably without spills). Anything smaller will easily overflow or make it hard to stir!
Don’t let the cream boil after you add it! Keep the heat low or the soup may split. If the soup feels too thick after sitting, just splash in a little extra broth or water and stir it gently over low heat.
Cracked black pepper is chef’s kiss. But also, if your kids want plain soup with white bread – same.
Printable recipe
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped (about 1 cup))
- 2 sticks celery (chopped (about 1 cup))
- 3 medium carrots (peeled and diced (about 2 cups))
- 1 (8-oz) package sliced mushrooms
- 1-2 teaspoons poultry herb seasoning (OR season yourself with thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram…)
- salt & black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine (OR chicken broth)
- 1 (32-oz) container chicken broth ((OR 32-oz water plus chicken bouillon))
- ½ cup wild rice mix (uncooked)
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add vegetables and sauté until very tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir through seasoning.3 tablespoons butter, 1 medium onion, 2 sticks celery, 3 medium carrots, 1 (8-oz) package sliced mushrooms, 1-2 teaspoons poultry herb seasoning, salt & black pepper
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir until flour is no longer dry. Increase heat to medium and stir through wine (or additional broth) until bubbling and thickened.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ cup white wine
- Add chicken broth and rice, stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the raw chicken breast. Cover and cook over medium-low heat (liquids should be at a steady simmer, but not vigorously boiling) for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.1 (32-oz) container chicken broth, ½ cup wild rice mix, 2 chicken breasts
- Remove chicken to a cutting board to rest while allowing the remaining soup to finish cooking, covered, until rice is done – about 10-15 more minutes. Shred or dice chicken into bite-sized chunks.
- Once rice is done, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir cream into soup over low heat until fully combined. Stir into soup. Gently heat through (do not boil or simmer vigorously after adding the cream, or soup may split!).1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Adjust broth or water for a thinner soup, or add a little more cornstarch slurry for a thicker soup. Serve immediately – fresh parsley and thyme are really nice as garnishes, but real life me usually just uses cracked black pepper!
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