This soup recipe is a spin off of my classic favorite, chicken noodle soup. The star of the show in this recipe is wild rice which offers many health benefits and is high in antioxidants. Wild rice is shown to fight disease, strengthen bones, boost energy, and it is considered naturally gluten-free! You'll also get lots of lean protein from the shredded chicken and the carrots are a good source of vitamins and minerals that help support healthy body functioning. This hearty chicken wild rice soup is perfect to make in the fall and winter or if you're coming down with a cold.
The other night I was craving homemade soup so I assessed the ingredients I already had that could taste yummy in a broth based soup. I was feeling something a little lighter and healthier so I knew right away this soup recipe would not need any heavy cream or butter to make it thick and creamy. Instead of egg noodles, I have a bunch of bulk wild rice that is super delicious and I wanted to incorporate it into this recipe. I am a picky eater when it comes to celery, onion, and cloves of garlic, however all of these ingredients would pair perfectly in this recipe so if you love those definitely add them in! Adding in some fresh or dried herbs like parsley or thyme would be wonderful too! This recipe is just a starting point to cover the bases and you can customize it to your liking from there. I personally made this in my Instant Pot, but I have also included the Stovetop instructions as well.
Ingredients:
- two raw chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup wild rice *see notes
- about 5 whole carrots chopped
- about 2 red potatoes skinned and chopped
- poultry seasoning (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups/32 oz. chicken broth
- optional: If you desire a stronger chicken flavor, add some chicken bullion. I did not add this in my original recipe because I didn't have any bullion on hand. I would probably add just a bit to enhance the flavor next time, but it was still flavorful without.
Ingredients I didn't add, but might next time:
- Onion
I like to slice my onions into pieces that are quite large so I can see them easily after cooking.
- Spice it up
I always go too light on the spices, so next time I would simply add a bit more :)
- Chicken Bullion
A little bit of bullion would definitely create a stronger chicken flavor for this soup, however I still loved the recipe without it.
How to Make:
Instant Pot
Step 1: Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken broth to your instant pot. Rinse 1/4 cup wild rice. Add rinsed rice and raw chicken breasts to the pot. Sprinkle in seasonings to your liking. Close lid and set IP to the Manual Setting for 30 minutes to pressure cook.
Step 2: Allow IP to natural release for 10 minutes and open quick release to allow any extra steam to exit. Open IP and shred chicken breasts with two forks. Stir pot to make sure rice won't stick to the bottom. Add chopped carrots, potatoes, and any leftover broth.
Step 3: Set IP to Manual Setting for 15-20 minutes to pressure cook. Allow to natural release for 5 minutes and quick release to get out any extra steam.
Step 4: Spoon out a good portion into your favorite soup bowl and serve with a warm, sliced baguette on the side.
Step 5: Transfer leftover soup to a large casserole dish so it can cool quicker. Let this sit out on the counter until the soup is room temperature. Once the soup has reached room temperature, cover and immediately place into the fridge. (If going to freeze soup, follow step 5 first. I would wait until the soup is completely cold from sitting in the fridge for a little while before transferring to freezer.)
Stovetop
Step 1: Grab a large pot and add 1/4 cup rinsed wild rice, 2 cups water, and 2 cups chicken broth. Sprinkle in all of your seasonings. Now bring everything to a boil.
Step 2: Once your mixture is boiling, carefully place raw chicken breasts into the pot. Continue boiling until chicken is fully cooked through. (Probably 20-25 minutes)
Step 3: Shred boiled chicken in the pot using two forks. Add in chopped carrots, potatoes, and remaining broth. If too much liquid has boiled out while you were cooking the chicken, add another cup of water and some bullion to balance everything out.
Step 4: Allow soup to simmer until carrots and potatoes become soft or "fork tender." (Probably 20 minutes)
Step 5: Spoon out a good portion into your favorite soup bowl and serve with a warm, sliced baguette on the side.
Step 6: Transfer leftover soup to a large casserole dish so it can cool quicker. Let this sit out on the counter until the soup is room temperature. Once the soup has reached room temperature, cover and immediately place into the fridge. (If going to freeze soup, follow step 6 first. I would wait until the soup is completely cold from sitting in the fridge for a little while before transferring to freezer.)
Notes:
*Wild rice at the grocery store and online is pretty pricey, so I headed over to the bulk section at Whole Foods and found a very affordable option instead. Make sure you rinse the rice before you add it to your soup! I recommend using regular wild rice over any wild rice "blends", however, feel free to experiment with your favorite grains! Barley would be a good substitution if you don't have wild rice. (Just please don't try using white or brown rice because I can't imagine you will get a similar outcome haha.)
*If you are making this recipe for yourself or only 2 people, I also recommend freezing half of the soup to heat up at another time because this recipe makes quite a lot!
The next time you're craving soup, try out this hearty chicken wild rice soup! Especially if you're bored with the same old chicken noodle recipe you've had a million times. I hope you enjoy this hearty and healthy chicken wild rice soup recipe that I came up with! Let me know if you try it out and what you think :)
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xoxo,
Marley
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