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Minnesota Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Minnesota chicken wild rice soup folds cooked wild rice, tender chicken, vegetables, stock, and herbs into a creamy cold-weather bowl.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 14 August 2026Updated

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Minnesota Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1 hr 5 mintotal

45 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 45 min

Serves
4
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Uses cooked wild rice for a practical creamy soup; simmer gently so the soup thickens without turning gluey.

Method

  1. Melt butter in a soup pot and cook onion, carrot, and celery until softened.

  2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to make a light roux.

    1 min

  3. Whisk in chicken stock gradually, then add thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper.

  4. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup has slightly thickened.

  5. Add shredded chicken and cooked wild rice, then simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

  6. Stir in the cream, remove the bay leaf, adjust seasoning, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The soup should be creamy but not gluey, with tender chicken and chewy wild rice.

Getting it right

Tip

Add cooked wild rice near the end so it keeps its chewy texture and does not over-thicken the soup.

What to serve it with

Serve with crusty bread, crackers, or a simple green salad.

Common mistakes

The wild rice is hard in the middle.
Cook it separately until the grains have split open, then add it to the soup. Wild rice takes far longer than it looks and will not soften properly in a thickened, creamy liquid.
The soup curdles after the cream.
Stir it in at the end over low heat and stop before it boils. Once cream is in, a simmer is as far as the pot should go.

Substitutions

  • Wild Rice — Brown Rice can be used if wild rice is unavailable, but the soup will lose its distinctive Minnesota character.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream — Use Fresh Cream for a lighter body, but add it gently at the end to avoid splitting.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and thickens as it stands; loosen with stock when reheating. It freezes for two months, though the cream can look grainy on thawing — stir well and it comes back together.