My most requested cold-weather recipe is this fantastic wild rice chicken soup with carrots, beautiful orange sweet potatoes, and an abundance of earthy wild rice. Always on winter repeat in our home! Bonus: can be easily converted to gluten free.
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Why you will love this Chicken Wild Rice Soup
This Chicken Wild Rice Soup appeals to every age! Perfect for families with small kids. Leftovers are better the next day! We call them “planned overs”. Perfect for work lunch meals or make-ahead freezer meals.
Let me say it again… Yummy! I really love the orange yam in this, it makes the whole soup awesome! The wild rice makes the soup earthy, and full of fall flavors. Everything comes together in a delicious, repeatable recipe to share with everyone. Serve with bread, in a bread bowl, and with a simple side salad for a complete meal.

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Ingredients
- Wild Rice, uncooked – sometimes this ingredient can be hard to find in grocers. So I like to order online from Whole Foods the 365 Everyday Value, Wild Rice, 14 oz
- Olive Oil – A good olive oil matters! My olive oil of choice for this recipe is Cucina and Amore Robusto
- Sweet Onion – sweet onions win my heart every time!
- Celery Stalks – Rinse and make sure to include the leaves. Celery and onions are a guaranteed flavor maker for almost any soup yielding delightful savory aromatics, this is called mirepoix (meer-pwah).
- Knorr Chicken Bouillon - Knorr is my favorite brand. However, if you are seeking to maked this recipe a gluten-free soup, simply use a gluten-free chicken base such as Zoup!, Orrington Farms, or Herb-ox.
- Carrots – Full of vitamin A and contribute highly to the aromatics of this soup.
- Sweet Potato – I’m always diving for these beautiful orange nuggets of goodness, it is quite literally my favorite part of this soup.
- Chicken Stock – this recipe takes 64oz of chicken stock, yielding a very large family-style soup.
- Corn Starch - corn starch is a great way to thicken the soup without flour to allow it to be gluten-free. Dissolve in reserved cold or room-temperature broth.
- Rotisserie Chicken – Any rotisserie chicken will work, but Costco is my favorite. I use rotisserie for time savings, tenderness, and added flavor.
- Heavy Cream - Darigold 40% fat is always my cream of choice.


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
METHOD: You will need an 8 Qt. Stock Pot
- Boil 2 raw cups of uncooked wild rice in 4 cups of cold tap water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a lid for 45 minutes on a low simmer. Set aside to add the last ingredient.
- Sauté 1 large, sweet onion in ¼ cup of olive oil 3-5 minutes. Add 1 ⅕ cups chopped celery and sauté 3-5 more minutes. I like to include the leaves.
- Add two 32oz cartons of chicken stock (Kirkland Costco brand). Reserve 1 cup to mix with cornstarch later.
- Add ⅓ c + 1 Tbs (64g) of Knorr Chicken Bouillon, diced carrots, and sweet potato to the stock pot. Taste for flavor, add the extra 1 tbs (16g) of Knorr granulated bouillon for a bolder flavor. Bring to a low boil for 8-10 minutes to soften carrots. Be careful cutting the sweet potatoes, they are awkward and firm.
- Prepare the rotisserie chicken: While your vegetables are softening on a low boil prepare your chicken. Remove both breasts and chop them into uniform bite-size cubes, about 1” x 1”. By the time you are finished with this step your carrots and sweet potatoes will be soft in the hot broth. We are almost ready to bring all the components together.
- Whisk together 1 cup of cold or room-temperature broth and 3 tbs of corn starch, and add to low boiling broth. This will thicken your soup while allowing it to be gluten-free. Stir, while watching for thickening. Feel free to add more cornstarch for a thicker texture (always thin in a liquid like water or broth to avoid lumps).
- Add your prepared wild rice and rotisserie chicken (Costco). Turn the heat down or off.
- Lastly, add 2 cups of heavy cream to finish off your soup. Voila! It is ready to serve.
Notes + Substitutions
Pro Tip #1: You can substitute 1.5 parts arrowroot for corn starch. I typically reserve arrowroot for brothy sauces that are clear. Corn Starch leads to a cloudy result, which is suitable for this cream-based soup. Traditional soups use a flour slurry at the front end of the soup but exclude any guest who may have gluten intolerances.
Pro Tip #2: I like the strength of all the bouillon I have called out to match the boldness of the wild rice. Feel free to add less and slowly add more to your liking.
Other Soups you may enjoy making:
- Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup
- Poblano Pumpkin Soup with Chicken - we tell the little's it's taco soup and they devour it!
- Zuppa Toscana
Equipment:
- 8 Qt Stock Pot
- Rubber Spatula by ThermoWorks are my favorite daily spatula.
- Wooden Spoon I love a good olive wood for a little beauty that lasts a lifetime.
- Knife for chopping. This has become my favorite daily knife for most everything I do! It's called the Wüsthof Classic Ikon Ultimate Everyday Knife, 7" and they're right!
- WÜSTHOF if you are looking for basic knives to add to your kitchen, these are my other daily basics
FAQs
Here are a few frequently asked questions. Feel free to ask more questions in the comment section below.
Why is Corn Starch used in this Recipe?
Rather than a flour slurry, this recipe opts for corn starch to keep allow the recipe to be gluten friendly, meaning it can easily become a gluten-free soup simply by changing the bouillon.
Can this soup be made gluten-free?
Yes. Simply exchange the Knorr Chicken Boullion for a gluten-free chicken base such as, Zoup!, Orrington Farms, Herb-ox. There is one more common bouillon called Better Than Bouillon that is made in a gluten facility and should be avoided for true celiacs. (Read more.)
Do I have to use rotisserie chicken?
No. You may also cube two fresh chicken breasts and pan sear with a a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of McCormick Italian seasoning until tender, or just cooked through. The soup will continue to cook the chicken. If you pan-sear too long, your chicken will be dry.
Can I use half and half?
Yes, however, I would recommend adding an extra tablespoon of cornstarch for thickening this creamy chicken and wild rice soup.

Historical Fun Facts about Wild Rice Chicken Soup
Wild rice, known as manoomin, holds deep cultural and economic significance for the Ojibwe people in the upper Midwest, where it's meticulously hand-harvested by knocking grains into canoes. Unlike conventional grocery store white rice, wild rice is a native grass in the Upper Midwestern regions of the United States and holds the esteemed title of Minnesota’s state grain.
In the 1970s, wild rice was a precious commodity, with harvesting restricted to Native Americans, creating a monopoly that priced it at a staggering $16 a pound, equivalent to $40 to $50 today. The famous wild rice soup emerged from economic necessity. Keith Kersten, a Culinary Institute of America graduate working with Swiss Chef Willy Mueller at the upscale Orion Room restaurant in Minneapolis, devised the soup to repurpose leftover wild rice from Chef Willy's pilaf's. Incorporating bechamel and ham, Kersten's creation became an instant hit. Minneapolis Star food writer Ann Burckhardt's rave review propelled the wild rice soup to stardom.
Today, wild rice soup has evolved into a culinary delight enjoyed in numerous variations, featuring ingredients like mushrooms and chicken, showcasing the enduring legacy of this inventive dish.
Historical information was collected by TuscaloosaNew.com
Wild Rice Chicken Soup
Equipment
- 8 Qt. Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups Wild Rice uncooked
- 4 cups Water cold tap
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 large Sweet Onion
- 1 ½ cups Celery rinsed, chopped w/ leaves
- ⅓ c Knorr Chicken Bouillon (5tbs/80g), + 1 tbs
- 2 cups Carrots (13oz/380g) 3 large, diced
- 1 Large Orange Sweet Potato peeled and diced (1lb 10oz/760g)
- 2-32 oz Chicken Stock reserving 1 cup
- 3 tbs Corn Starch (27g) - in reserved broth
- 2 Rotisserie Chicken Breast diced, (20oz)
- 2 cups Heavy Cream (480ml) Darigold 40%
Instructions
- Boil 2 raw cups of uncooked wild rice in 4 cups of cold tap water. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover with lid for 45 minutes on low simmer. Set aside to add as the last ingredient.
- Sauté 1 large, sweet onion in ¼ cup of olive oil 3-5 minutes. Add 1 ⅕ cups chopped celery sauté 3-5 more minutes. I like to include the leaves.
- Add two 32oz cartons of chicken stock (Kirkland Costco brand). Reserve 1 cup to mix with corn starch later.
- Add ⅓ c + 1 Tbs (64g) of Knorr Chicken Bouillon, diced carrots, and sweet potato to stock pot. Taste for flavor, add the extra 1 tbs (16g) of Knorr granulated bouillon for a bolder flavor. Bring to a low boil for 8-10 minutes to soften carrots. Be careful cutting the sweet potato, they are awkward and firm.
- Prepare the roast chicken: While your vegetables are softening on a low boil prepare your chicken. Remove both breasts, chop into uniform bite size cubes, about 1” x 1”. By the time you are finished with this step your carrots and sweet potatoes will be soft in the hot broth. We are almost ready to bring all the components together.
- Whisk together 1 cup of cold or room temp broth and 3 tbs of corn starch, add to low boiling broth. This will thicken your soup while allowing it to be gluten free. Stir, while watching for thickening. Feel free to add more corn starch for a thicker texture (always thin in a liquid like water or broth to avoid lumps).
- Add your prepared wild rice and rotisserie chicken (Costco). Turn heat down or off.
- Lastly, add 2 cups of heavy cream to finish off your soup. Voila! It is ready to serve.
Notes
- Pro Tip #1: You can substitute 1.5 parts arrowroot for corn starch. I typically reserve arrowroot for brothy sauces that are clear. Corn Starch leads to a cloudy result, which is suitable for this cream-based soup. Traditional soups use a flour slurry at the front end of the soup but exclude any guest who may have gluten intolerances.
- Pro Tip #2: I like the strength of all the bouillon I have called out to match the boldness of the wild rice. Feel free to add less and slowly add more to your liking.

Nutrition

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