Save

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in a wood bowl, being held by a child.

I’m not sure about you, but we have just had one of the wettest weeks I can ever remember in an Arizona winter. My boys came home from school with shoes soaked through each day, and explained, “Mom, we can’t NOT step in a puddle! The ground is one BIG puddle!” Dream come true for any little boy!

Most folks around here just LOVE when it rains. The dry desert ground just soaks it in so eagerly, and you can almost hear the relief of the landscape quenching its thirst. But I did feel for the boys’ teachers, with school just starting back up having to keep the kids inside for recess!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in a wood bowl, sitting on a wood plate along with a small wood bowl of wild rice and a piece of bread.

Naturally when it rains, I make soup. I need very little excuse to do so. I think what appeals to me about a nice, big pot of soup simmering away in my kitchen is that I know everyone will eat and enjoy it, veggies are already tucked inside, very little dishes pile up in my sink from the prep, and a warm, crusty loaf of bread and butter are a MUST. And leftovers. For my little family of five, we will usually get one night of dinner plus a few lunches out of this recipe. This is my favorite pot to make soup in by the way. It’s so dreamy!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in a wood bowl, sitting on a wood plate along with some bread.

I first made this soup a couple of months ago after going out to lunch with my friend Julie. We both ordered a chicken and wild rice soup, and I knew right away I had to make something similar because it so hit the spot that day! There are a couple of things that might seem a little out of place if you glance down at the recipe. The first time I made this soup, I felt like the broth lacked body was a little thin. So I added one peeled, grated potato, which pretty much melts away after a couple hours of cooking, but goes a long way in thickening the broth and giving it some weight.

Another ingredient you don’t want to skip is the lemon. I’m amazed at what it does for the flavor here, without screaming LEMON! Along with some salt, the fresh lemon juice and zest bring all the other ingredients to life, brightening everything up so nicely! So when you make this soup (and please do!) taste as you go. I think I must taste my soup at least six or seven times as I’m making it. So the ingredients I’ve listed are what worked for me, but depending on your chicken broth (flavor will vary from brand to brand) you may need more or less salt, seasonings, and lemon. I also suggest adding the wild rice a little after the vegetables. I feel like if it is cooked too long it looses its bite and fall apart – which isn’t the end of the world, but I do like those little grains to stay intact. So once again, I’ve listed my cooking times, but just get in there and taste to see when everything is tender according to your liking.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in a wood bowl, sitting on a wood plate along with a small wood bowl of wild rice and some bread, with two spoons and more bread sitting next to the plate.

I just can’t even explain to you how comforting a warm bowl of good homemade soup is. When I serve this to my precious little family, I feel like I might win the mother nurturer of the year award, despite the fact that I let Little Boy #3 play out in the puddles in his bright red pajamas at 3pm in the afternoon!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen

Can't get enough?

Subscribe and I'll send all my recipes right to your inbox! You can also keep up to date by following me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

Author: Julie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Simmer
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

So comforting, hearty and cozy, this is one of my favorite soup recipes of all time!

Ingredients

Scale

4 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup all purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup wild rice, uncooked
2–3 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken from the deli)
Juice of one lemon, plus zest
1/4 cup heavy cream

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a large pot, melt butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Then add the chicken broth slowly, stirring as you pour.
Add grated potato, and seasonings, and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cover. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
Add the milk, wild rice and chicken, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for another hour, covered. When rice and veggies are tender, add lemon juice zest, and cream. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy’s Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories: 494
Sugar: 7.3g
Sodium: 1990mg
Fat: 25g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Unsaturated Fat: 12.2g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 4.4g
Protein: 34g
Cholesterol: 132mg

Disclaimer: the links in this post for the French oven are Amazon affiliate links.