How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

a bowl of creamy chicken wild rice soup.

How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A warm and comforting meal in a bowl! Learn how to make Chicken Wild Rice Soup, a creamy chicken soup that is full of flavor. Enjoy the taste of turmeric, ginger, coconut milk, fresh basil, and rich chicken broth.

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 565kcal

Author Sharon Rhodes

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter (for dairy-free use another 1/2 tbsp of oil)
1 lb chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup diced bell pepper *any color
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broth
3/4 cup wild rice
1 cup coconut milk, unsweetened *I recommend full fat
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat melt together the oil and butter. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until they are cooked throughout, stirring frequently. About 8-10 minutes.
Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. Add the diced peppers, onions, and carrots and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Stir well and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute.
Sprinkle in the turmeric and ginger and stir. Add the chicken back in along with the uncooked rice and stir. Pour in the broth, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes - check the doneness of the rice at 20 minutes and keep simmering until it's cooked to your liking.
Once the rice is cooked stir in the coconut milk and fresh basil and let simmer for 3-5 more minutes.
Serve warm. This soup will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips for cooking with wild rice:

First things first, always rinse off your wild rice. The rice has surface starches that you don’t want to be released into your soup so it is recommended to give it a really good rinse first.
Another thing to remember is that wild rice is a blend so the cooking times can vary between the type of rice. You can have long grain, short grain, etc. I’ll taste test the darkest grain as they usually take the longest to cook to ensure it is done. There is nothing worse than crunchy rice!

Serving and Storing Suggestions:

This soup reheats really well so I like to pack up leftovers for lunch the next day! Just keep it covered in the fridge and it will be good for up to three days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat. You can use a medium saucepan
Freezing is a little trickier due to the coconut milk. If you want to freeze this I would not add the coconut milk or the teaspoon of fresh basil – stir in those fresh items once the soup has thawed and you are ready to reheat it. Add them in and let them simmer. Add a few more ounces of chicken stock if needed.
Use shredded chicken from leftover rotisserie to make adding protein easy peasy
for added nutrition add some shredded kale

Nutrition