Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is everything you could hope for in a meal on a cold winter night. It’s creamy, comforting, and quick. Plus it saves you money since it’s a spot on copy of the Panera classic.
When I first had Panera’s chicken and wild rice soup, it was love at first bowl.
It even knocked Broccoli & Cheddar down on the totem pole, and I would’ve never thought that possible.
It was just so good with its veggie and rice packed creamy, dreamy liquid.
Both my hubs and I can’t get enough and used to regularly hit up Panera for another bowl of the good stuff.
But, my wallet and my waistline weren’t so happy with that.
And that’s how this here beauty was born.
It’s a dead on copy of Panera’s chicken wild rice soup and it’s amazing.
Plus it’s one of those recipes that is amazing on the first day but on the second day it’s somehow even better. It gets thicker and more flavorful.
Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts– Cooked and cubed or shredded. Rotisserie chicken works really well in this.
- Long Grain and Wild Rice mix– Cooked according to the instructions on the box.
- Chicken broth– While you could substitute vegetable broth or water, the chicken broth gives the best flavor.
- Milk– Regular or evaporated
- Roux ingredients– Butter, flour, and cornstarch
- Poultry seasoning– It’s optional but it does give some much extra flavor.
- Veggies– Sliced carrots and celery.
- Salt and pepper– To taste.
How to Make
This copycat Panera soup is so easy to make you’ll never need to go to Panera again!
To do it, start by cook the rice according to the directions on the box.
Then, melt the butter in a large pot, or Dutch oven.
Once the butter has melted, add in the chopped carrots and celery and pepper to taste, and sauté until the veggies are tender.
As soon as the veggies are tender, whisk in the flour, cornstarch and poultry seasoning. It should form a paste like base
Then, whisk in the chicken broth and milk.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often
When the rice is finished, add both the cooked chicken and rice to the soup.
Give everything a good stir, allow to heat through, and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers of this soup will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.
You can reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- You could also add a diced onion to the soup for a little extra flavor. Add it with the celery and carrots.
- If the leftovers are too thick, stir in just a bit of extra chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- I like to serve this soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and a hunk of good crusty bread.
Other Copycat Panera Recipes
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is my go to winter recipe when a Panera craving strikes. Make it today and save yourself a pricy trip to the restaurant.
Looking for other copycat Panera recipes? Try these:
- Copycat Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Panera Bread’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
- Classic French Onion Soup
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts cooked and cubed, or shredded
- 2 6 oz boxes Long Grain and Wild Rice mix
- 2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
- 4 cups milk regular or evaporated
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning optional
- 2-3 carrots thinly sliced
- 2-3 celery stalks thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the directions on the box.
- In a large pot, melt butter. Add in the chopped carrots and celery and pepper to taste, and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Add in the flour, cornstarch and poultry seasoning (optional), and whisk together quickly.
- Add in the chicken broth and milk, whisking constantly as you pour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often.
- When the rice is finished, add both the cooked chicken and rice to the soup.
- Give everything a good stir, allow to heat through, and enjoy!
Notes
- You could also add a diced onion to the soup for a little extra flavor. Add it with the celery and carrots.
- If the leftovers are too thick, stir in just a bit of extra chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- I like to serve this soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and a hunk of good crusty bread.
Nutrition
recipe originally published January 21, 2015
Looks delicious and so comforting.
I’m going to the grocery store right now! 😊😊
Thank you for the recipe!
This is very good, but I live alone. Is this freeze-able? Thank you.
You can certainly try it and see, but I know as a general rule soups with cream don’t freeze well.