Why you’ll love this chicken and wild rice soup
After a super indulgent holiday season, it’s always nice to get back to more basic routine and simple recipes. This filling chicken soup is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, but it’s still super comforting to get your through the next cold winter months.
This dairy free version gets its creaminess from coconut milk, and I promise you won’t taste it. In fact, the coconut works really well with the nuttiness of the wild rice grains.
So, whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or meal prepping for the week, this soup is sure to hit the spot.
More dairy free soup recipes to try: dairy free potato soup / dairy free creamy tomato soup / dairy free cream of mushroom soup / vegan broccoli cheddar soup
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Chicken breast – I used boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe, but you can swap that for chicken thighs, or even use bone-in chicken breast.
- Wild rice – I like to use a wild rice blend because I like the variety of textures and flavors, but feel free to use plain wild rice if that’s what you have.
- Coconut milk – You want full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. It gives the soup it’s creamy texture. If you absolutely can’t use this, I’d recommend an oat milk, but you’ll probably need to use a thickener such as cornstarch or flour to help give the soup a creamier mouthfeel.
Melissa’s tips for recipe success:
- Don’t skip the sear: Searing the chicken adds extra flavor to the soup.
- Meal prep friendly: This soup stores beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just reheat it on the stove or in the microwave before serving. I like to add a splash of water to my bowl before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
My favorite chicken recipes: Thai chicken salad / dairy free buffalo chicken dip / coconut chicken tenders / sesame ginger lime chicken
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, (about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Sear the chicken. Liberally season the chicken breast with salt & pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and sear both sides until golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Then, add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
- Simmer the soup. Add the wild rice blend, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot. Return the chicken to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken breast from the pot and shred or chop and return it to the pot.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the coconut milk and let the soup simmer for another 5–10 minutes.
- Serve and garnish. If needed, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and garinsh with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
So yummy! Making again this next week! I also made another recipe from this website last week that was amazing! I think I need a cookbook!
I’ve made this 3 times so far and it is delicious! A wonderful non-dairy alternative to classic cream of chicken and wild rice. Thank you for the recipe!
Wow! Thanks for the glowing review. I’m so glad you like it!
I’ve made this twice and am making again this week. It truly is DF without compromising flavor and I plan to make and freeze a few batches of this for postpartum. Thanks for the recipe!
I love this recipe, as we’re all dairy intolerant. We love it! Thanks for sharing it.