Cozy up with a bowl of homemade Chicken and Wild Rice Soup 🥣✨. Packed with tender chicken, fresh herbs, hearty veggies, and nutty wild rice, this comforting soup is perfect for chilly days. It’s a warm hug in a bowl!
1 whole chicken (about 4–5 lbs)
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed
Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water or enough to cover the chicken.
Add 2 teaspoons salt, a few cracks of fresh black pepper, bay leaves, quartered onion, and garlic cloves.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45–60 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool slightly.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. (I sometimes remove the skin before even boiling to cut down on the fat.) Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Discard the skin and bones.
In the same stockpot or Dutch oven, add sliced carrots and celery. Stir in fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, and tarragon. Add diced chicken then stir in the wild rice. Reduce the heat to low, add white wine, cover, and simmer for 30–35 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with additional fresh parsley, and serve warm. Pair with crusty bread or crackers for a wholesome, satisfying meal.
