Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

Creamy wild rice soup with rotisserie chicken is a cozy and hearty soup I love making when the weather turns chilly. Tender wild rice, shredded chicken, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and shallots simmer together in a rich, creamy broth seasoned with thyme and sage. It is filling enough to be a complete meal and pairs perfectly with a slice of crusty bread or homemade sourdough garlic toast.

To me, this soup has all the comfort of a classic chicken and rice casserole, but tucked into a warm, creamy bowl of soup. It is especially wonderful on a cold evening, and it is also the kind of meal I love having tucked away in the freezer for another day (especially during cold and flu season!)

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In this post you’ll find:

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• A rich and creamy homemade wild rice soup that is hearty enough for dinner
• An easy way to use a rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken
• A one-pot soup filled with chicken, wild rice, and tender vegetables
• Simple ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store
• Tips for storing and freezing your soup
• Easy variations for adding mushrooms, extra vegetables, or making the soup vegetarian
• Serving ideas, including my favorite sourdough garlic toast

If you have sourdough going, don’t forget the bread! My homemade sourdough recipes are perfect alongside a steaming bowl of soup. This particular soup would pair well with my Made From Scratch Sourdough Bread, topped with Homemade Sourdough Croutons , Homemade Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits or serve with my favorite option: Simple Sourdough Garlic Toast.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Wild Rice Soup

It’s hearty enough to be a complete meal

This is not a thin, brothy soup that leaves you hungry an hour later. The combination of wild rice, shredded chicken, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and a creamy broth makes this soup incredibly filling.

You have protein from the chicken, vegetables, hearty wild rice, and plenty of richness from the butter and heavy cream. Pour yourself a big bowl, add a piece of crusty bread, and dinner is done.

It’s perfect for chilly fall and winter evenings

This is one of those soups that belongs in your regular fall and winter rotation. The thyme and sage give it a warm, savory flavor, while the creamy broth makes every bite a little more satiating.

It is also a wonderful soup to make when you aren’t feeling your best and want something warm and nourishing to eat.

It’s a great use for rotisserie chicken

I love recipes that give you options, and this one works beautifully with a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

You can also use leftover roasted chicken, like my Gut Healthy Roasted Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Turmeric or cook your own chicken specifically for the soup. You’ll need about 3 to 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken.

It is easy to make in one pot

Everything comes together in one large Dutch oven. The vegetables cook in butter, the wild rice gets lightly toasted along with the flour, and then everything simmers together in the broth.

That means fewer dishes and plenty of flavor and that is a giant WIN in my book!

Ingredients

Vegetables

Carrots: Four large carrots, peeled and diced, give the soup color, sweetness, and texture.

Celery: Two to three celery stalks add that classic savory flavor you expect in a chicken soup.

Mushrooms: 8 ounces of sliced Baby Bella mushrooms really add a classic depth to this soup and pair well with chicken and rice

Shallots: Shallots help create the flavorful base for the soup. You can also use a yellow onion instead if that is what you have on hand

Garlic: Two to three cloves of minced garlic add another layer of savory flavor.

Wild Rice

You will need 1 ½ cups of wild rice, well rinsed and drained.

Wild rice gives this soup a wonderful hearty texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Be sure to rinse it well before adding it to the pot.

Butter and Flour

½ cup unsalted butter provides richness and gives you the base for a light roux.

⅓ cup all-purpose flour helps thicken the broth into that creamy consistency we want.

Broth

Use 8 cups of chicken stock or bone broth. If you haven’t tried making your own, try this easy recipe.

Bone broth works particularly well if you have some homemade or store-bought bone broth on hand.

Herbs

You’ll need:

• 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

The thyme and rosemary give the soup a warm, savory flavor that works beautifully with the chicken and wild rice.

Chicken

You can use:

• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 whole roasted chicken
• 3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken

This is a great recipe for leftover roasted chicken, too.

Heavy Cream

Finally, you’ll need 2 cups of heavy cream.

The heavy cream gives the soup its rich, creamy consistency and turns the broth into something that feels much more like a complete comfort-food meal.

How to Make Creamy Wild Rice Soup

1. Sauté the vegetables

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over low heat.

Add the diced carrots, mushrooms, celery, and shallots. Season with a little salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Increase the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

2. Add the garlic, wild rice, and flour

Add the minced garlic, rinsed wild rice, and flour to the softened vegetables.

Stir well to combine everything.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. This allows the rice to lightly toast while the flour cooks and begins forming a light roux with the butter.

3. Add the chicken stock

Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring constantly.

Take your time with this step so the flour incorporates smoothly into the broth without clumping.

4. Add the herbs and simmer

Stir in the thyme and rosemary.

Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the wild rice is nearly tender.

The exact cooking time can vary depending on the wild rice you’re using, so check it toward the end of the cooking time.

5. Add the chicken and cream

Once the rice is nearly tender, stir in the shredded chicken and heavy cream.

Continue simmering uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is heated through and the wild rice is completely tender.

Avoid bringing the soup to a hard boil after adding the cream. A gentle simmer is all you need.

6. Taste and serve

Taste the soup and add additional salt and black pepper as needed.

Ladle the creamy wild rice soup into bowls and serve warm with your favorite bread or side.

How to Serve Creamy Wild Rice Soup

This soup is hearty enough to serve on its own, but I always love having something to dip into that creamy broth.

Sourdough Garlic Toast

My personal favorite is sourdough garlic toast. The crisp, buttery edges are perfect for soaking up the creamy broth. I like to cut the slices in strips like mini breadsticks.

If you have homemade sourdough on hand, this is a great way to use a few slices.

Fresh Crusty Bread

A loaf of crusty French bread, homemade sourdough, or your favorite bakery bread would all be delicious alongside this soup.

Dinner Rolls

Soft homemade dinner rolls are another great option, especially if you’re serving this soup for a family dinner.

A Simple Green Salad

If you want something fresh alongside the soup, a simple green salad can balance out the richness of the creamy broth.

How to Store and Freeze Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Refrigerating

Allow leftover soup to cool and transfer it to an airtight container.

Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within about 3 to 4 days.

The wild rice will continue absorbing some of the broth as it sits, so you may notice the soup becomes thicker after being refrigerated.

When reheating, warm it gently on the stovetop and add a splash of chicken broth or cream if needed to loosen the consistency.

Can You Freeze Creamy Wild Rice Soup?

Yes, you can freeze this soup.

Because it contains both wild rice and heavy cream, the texture can change slightly after freezing and thawing. The rice may soften and the creamy broth can separate somewhat, but the soup can still be delicious when reheated gently.

Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers.

For best results, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a little broth or cream if the soup is thicker than you’d like.

If you plan to freeze a batch specifically for later, portioning it into individual containers makes it easy to pull out exactly what you need.

Recipe Variations

Use Different Mushrooms

White Button, shiitake, or cremini mushrooms would also be delicious in this soup. Make sure to remove any tough stems before slicing and adding to the pot.

Add extra vegetables

You can easily add more vegetables if you have some that need to be used up.

Try:

• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Corn
• Spinach
• Kale
• Additional carrots
• Green beans

For delicate vegetables like spinach or peas, add them toward the end of cooking so they don’t become overly soft.

Use leftover turkey

This soup would be wonderful after Thanksgiving!

Simply swap the shredded chicken for leftover roasted turkey. The wild rice, sage, and creamy broth pair beautifully with turkey.

Make it vegetarian

To make a vegetarian version, leave out the chicken and replace the chicken stock or bone broth with vegetable broth.

You can add mushrooms, extra vegetables, or white beans to make the soup more substantial.

For a vegetarian wild rice soup with plenty of texture, I especially like the combination of mushrooms, carrots, celery, wild rice, and white beans.

Make it dairy-free

For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with olive oil or a dairy-free butter substitute and use your favorite dairy-free cream alternative.

Be sure to use vegetable or chicken broth according to your dietary needs.

Make it gluten-free

Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that can be used as a 1:1 substitute for regular flour.

Also check your broth and other packaged ingredients to make sure they are certified or labeled gluten-free if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken in wild rice soup?

Absolutely. Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest options for this recipe. Remove the meat from the bones, shred or chop it, and add about 3 to 4 cups of cooked chicken toward the end of cooking.

You can use both white and dark meat.

Can I use leftover chicken for creamy wild rice soup?

Yes. This soup is a great way to use leftover roasted chicken. Simply shred or chop the cooked chicken and add it during the final 5 to 10 minutes of cooking so it has time to warm through.

Does wild rice need to be cooked before adding it to soup?

Not for this recipe. The rinsed, uncooked wild rice goes directly into the Dutch oven and cooks in the broth for about 40 to 45 minutes.

Because wild rice varieties can differ in cooking time, check the rice toward the end and continue cooking until it is tender.

Why did my wild rice soup get so thick?

Wild rice continues absorbing liquid as it sits, which can make the soup considerably thicker the next day.

When reheating, simply stir in a little chicken broth, vegetable broth, or cream until the soup reaches the consistency you prefer.

Can creamy chicken wild rice soup be frozen?

Yes, although the texture may change slightly after freezing because of the heavy cream and rice.

Cool the soup completely before freezing, thaw it in the refrigerator, and reheat it gently. Add additional broth or cream if needed.

What goes well with chicken wild rice soup?

Crusty bread, dinner rolls, sourdough, or sourdough garlic toast are all delicious with creamy wild rice soup.

A simple salad can also be served alongside it if you’d like something fresh to balance the rich soup.

Can I make creamy wild rice soup without chicken?

Yes. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock or bone broth. Adding mushrooms, beans, or extra vegetables can make the soup more filling.