Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

If you are looking for soup that tastes like a Sunday but cooks like a Tuesday, this is your new favorite soup recipe. This quick chicken and wild rice soup is bright with lemon, savory with Parmesan, and wildly (ha) comforting.

What You’ll Need

There are so many ways to customize this recipe to make it work with what you have in the pantry and fridge, so feel free to play around. The basics you need are chicken, rice, some veggies and broth.

• Chicken– I like to use a rotisserie chicken, but leftover chicken or frozen cooked chicken strips from the store work just as well. I suggest chopping them into uniform bite-size pieces.
• Long Grain Wild Rice– Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice is a staple side-dish from my childhood. For this recipe, the spice packet sends oodles of flavor while differing rice grains spark texture and visual cues. The 90-second rice packets also work, as does plain brown or white rice.
• Broth– The base of any soup. I like a plain low-sodium chicken broth here. Add more if you like things extra soupy.

I like to top mine off with a few seasoned croutons, but this is optional.

Variations

• Protein– You can lose the protein altogether for a Meatless Monday meal or use leftover turkey, say turkey from Thanksgiving?
• Grains/Starch– Swap the long grain wild rice for white or brown rice or even a different starch like farro, barley or quinoa.
• Broth– Use a vegetable based broth or bone broth for even more richness.
• Creaminess– The parmesan gives a tinge of salty and nutness, but you can make it truly creamy by adding just a 1/4- 1/2 cup of heavy cream at the very end.

Commonly Asked Questions

More Delicious Soup Recipes

Soups

15 Bean Soup (Instant Pot Recipe)

4.65 from 64 votes

Soups

Chicken Florentine Soup with Ravioli

No ratings yet

Chicken Main Dishes

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

4.05 from 20 votes

Quick Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

4.50 from 8 votes

Bright, cozy quick chicken and wild rice soup with lemon and Parmesan-weeknight-easy, no cream needed. Rotisserie-friendly, herb-packed, and ready in ~30 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings: 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved! Rate this Recipe

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup carrots , chopped
• 3/4 cup parsnips ,peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup celery , chopped
• 1 cup white onion , chopped
• 2 cups chicken , skinless, cooked and shredded or chopped
• 2 cups seasoned long grain wild rice , cooked
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley , chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary , minced
• 1-2 fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese , freshly shredded, more for topping
• 1 fresh lemon , juice and zest, divided
• 1 cup seasoned croutons

Instructions

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the chopped c3/4 cup carrots, 3/4 cup parsnips and 3/4 cup celery, sauteing until lightly browned and slightly soft, but still holding color and shape. Stir in the chopped 1 cup white onion, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked, skinless 2 cups chicken, 2 cups seasoned long grain wild rice, 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, 1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary and 1-2 fresh thyme leaves . Bring to a low simmer.
• Zest the lemon, reserving the fresh zest set aside.
• As soon as it starts to simmer, take the soup off the heat and while stirring adding the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, then the juice from 1 fresh lemon.
• Ladle into bowls or cups and then top with additional parmesan cheese, the reserved lemon zest and seasoned croutons, if desired.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

I use a box of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice with the seasoning or 1 1/2 packets of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice 90 second rice packets. 

Storage: 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The rice will start to get bloated and get soggy, so sooner is better than later. Reheat on the stovetop over gentle heat or in the microwave. Add a pinch of salt and fresh squeeze of lemon to reinvigorate the flavors. 

Freezing: 

I do not suggest freezing this soup recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 508 kcal, Carbohydrates: 80 g, Protein: 25 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 42 mg, Sodium: 2408 mg, Potassium: 1316 mg, Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 8 g, Vitamin A: 5455 IU, Vitamin C: 52.8 mg, Calcium: 105 mg, Iron: 3.7 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Formicola

Calories: 508

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and wild rice soup, lemon chicken rice soup, rotesserie chicken soup, soup using rotesserie chicken, weeknight soup

Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!