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 comfort food, weeknight dinners, make-ahead lunches, or easy entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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 (I recommend Lundberg’s Wild Blend®)
- 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (like rotisserie)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat Oil: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add onion, celery, and carrots; sauté for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Add Stock and Rice: Pour in the chicken stock, reserving a splash for the slurry, and scrape up any browned bits from the pot.
- Simmer Soup: Add the wild rice and shredded chicken. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and chewy.
- Make Slurry and Thicken: Whisk the reserved chicken stock with cornstarch and stir into the soup along with the heavy cream. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup thickens to a glossy consistency. Add the slurry gradually, stopping when it just coats the spoon.
- Finish Soup: Remove the soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm with crusty bread. If the soup thickens upon standing, loosen it with a splash of warm stock. For make-ahead meals, add slurry and cream after reheating for the best texture.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for easy shredded chicken and enhanced flavor.
- Reserve some stock before thickening to create a smooth slurry with cornstarch, preventing lumps.
- If the soup thickens too much after cooling, thin it out with additional warm chicken stock.
- Add the slurry and cream only after reheating if making the soup ahead of time for best texture.
- The cayenne pepper is optional and adds a mild heat, but you can omit it if preferred.
- Lemon juice brightens the flavors and adds a fresh finish; adjust to taste.
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
