This Chicken and Rice Soup is flavorful, hearty, healthy and it's made in one pot in under an hour! Chicken and wild rice soup is a perfect meal for busy, chilly nights, it makes great leftovers & freezes well too!
In a large stockpot, combine olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
Add chicken broth and better than bouillon to the stockpot and whisk to combine.
Add chicken breasts, parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves salt, pepper and rice and stir to combine.
Cover and bring mixture to a boil.
After it reaches a boil reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 45 minutes, covered (25 if using white rice).
Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Remove chicken from pot and shred, return it back to the pot.
Simmer for 15 minutes, then serve.
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Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
Olive Oil. Suggested substitutes are avocado oil, canola oil, and butter.
Onion. Yellow, white, red, sweet, any onion variety works well in this recipe.
Minced Garlic. Garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic, just add it with the broth.
Chicken Broth. Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe.
Raw Chicken Breasts. If you have precooked, leftover chicken you can use that instead. Just make the soup according to the instructions and add the chicken once the rice is cooked.
Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. You can use dried spices, however I don't recommend it. Fresh is best.
Wild Rice. Brown rice or white rice both work well in this chicken rice soup recipe. Brown rice takes about the same amount of time to cook as wild rice, but white rice takes only about 25-30 minutes, so keep that in mind.
StoreStore any leftover chicken wild rice soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. FreezeLet soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. ReheatRemove frozen soup from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter (faster). You can also let it thaw slightly then transfer the mostly-frozen soup to a pot and thaw it over low heat, stirring often.