Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a fast and flavorful take on classic chicken soup. The Instant Pot works its magic while you sit back and wait for the comforting mix of chicken, wild rice, vegetables, and herbs to finish cooking.
Chicken and rice is a classic combination for good reason - it’s hearty, nourishing, comforting, and delicious! I’m always leaning on this One-Pan Chicken And Rice and Gluten Free Chicken Meal Prep Bowls for quick and satisfying meals, and now I can add this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup to the rotation.
Made with a vegetable medley, hearty chicken, wild rice, and a blend of spices, you can’t go wrong with this quick one-pot soup. It also happens to be naturally gluten free and easy to make vegetarian. You’ll feel good about serving it to all your friends and family, but don’t be surprised when they start begging for seconds!
What is wild rice?
Wild rice is technically not rice at all! It’s the seed of a semi-aquatic grass that is native to North America. While rice and wild rice aren’t technically related, they’re both tender grains with delicious earthy and nutty flavors.
You can find dry wild rice at most grocery stores. The best wild rice will be on the pricier side, but will be hand-harvested, all-natural, and have the best flavor. Wild rice comes in a variety of different colors; I like to pick up a mix to give this soup some color.
Chicken and wild rice soup ingredients
- Chicken breasts - Make sure to cut the chicken into small pieces so they cook quickly and evenly in the pressure cooker.
- Wild rice mix - You should be able to find a wild rice mix at most grocery stores or online. You could try using another type of long-grain rice, like brown rice, basmati, or jasmine, but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Chicken broth - A homemade chicken bone broth is the most flavorful choice and adds a ton of nutrients.
- Vegetables - A mixture of white onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and kale creates a fun variety of textures and flavors.
- Heavy cream - Just a splash at the end will make this soup deliciously rich, creamy, and comforting.
- Spices - Fresh thyme, salt, and pepper put the finishing touch on this tasty soup.
How to make Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup
Instant Pot chicken rice soup is an easy set-it-and-forget-it dinner that can be made in just 5 simple steps:
Step 1: Using Saute mode on the Instant Pot, saute the onion and garlic in oil until translucent.
Step 2: Add in the carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until soft.
Step 3: Add the chicken broth, wild rice, and cubed chicken. Give everything a good stir, turn off Saute mode, place the lid on top, and cook on high pressure.
Step 4: Allow for a 5-minute natural pressure release before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
Step 5: Open up the Instant Pot and add the cream and kale. Stir to combine, serve, and enjoy!
Stovetop instructions
Wild rice can take at least 40 minutes to cook in a pot of boiling water on the stovetop. Get this step done first before preparing the rest of your soup:
- Cook the wild rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a large pot on the stove. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken broth and cubed chicken. Add a lid on top and let the soup simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the cooked wild rice, heavy cream, and kale to finish. Give everything a good stir before serving.
Slow cooker instructions
- Place the wild rice, chicken, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper, and chicken broth into the slow cooker.
- Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through but some liquid remains.
- Add the heavy cream and kale and give everything a good stir. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and variations
- Looking for a vegetarian alternative? Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken or bone broth, or make my Instant Pot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup.
- Speed up the process for swapping the raw chicken for leftover roasted chicken or a shredded rotisserie chicken. Stir it into the soup when you add the cream and kale.
- This soup pairs really well with a side of Irish soda bread or no knead artisan bread.
Storage and reheating
To store: Place the leftover soup into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Make sure the leftovers have cooled completely before transferring them to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Place the chilled or thawed soup into a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add additional chicken broth as necessary and serve when warmed through.
Looking for more cozy Instant Pot soup recipes?
Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, thinly chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice mix,
- 1 ½ lb 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups fresh kale, chopped
Instructions
- Turn instant pot on sauté mode and add in oil. When the oil is hot add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent (2-3 minutes)
- Start to add in the carrots, celery and mushrooms. I first add the carrots, let them sauté while I chop the celery to save time. Then I add the celery, stir and let it sauté while I slice the mushrooms. Finally I add the mushrooms, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add broth, rice and chicken, stir to combine. Turn sauté mode off and set on high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Allow 5 minutes of NPR then release all remaining pressure. Open the instant pot and pour in heavy cream and kale. Stir to combine. You may want to cover the pot to allow the kale to soften a bit, however you don’t need to.
Tina says
It’s a cold rainy day here in north Texas. I decided to make your Chicken and Wild Rice soup. It is delicious but I’m not happy with myself because I over cooked the rice. I will definitely make this again but cut down on cook time. Thanks for posting and by the way I love how easy it is to get to the recipes you post!!
Silvia Ribas says
That’s the nicest compliment, thanks so much Tina!! Thanks for trying my recipe and coming back to leave a feedback. Hope you will try (and love) many more! xoxo 🙂
Maria Vilma Ribas says
Vontade de fazer todas as receitasb
Anita says
Where did you find that rice blend? What is brand? Thank you.
Silvia Ribas says
I usually buy mine at Whole Foods, their brand 365 organic wild rice mix or Lundberg wild blend. They are both the same thing which is a mix of brown basmati and wild rice. This is the link to one of them on Amazon so you can take a look and see what it looks like: https://amzn.to/2LyJVm5
Anita says
Thank you. I was shopping when I asked. I bought & used a Rice Select Royal Blend - Texmati white, brown, Wild & Thai red blend. The soup was delicious!
Silvia Ribas says
Aw thank you so much Anita! I am so so glad you liked this recipe 🙂 Thanks for your feedback also, that means a lot to me!
Anita says
Very delicious!
Amy says
This was delicious! One question...when i made it i went ahead and sauted the chicken, as i wasn't sure if it needed to be cooked first. Do you cook your chicken first in the IP before pressurizing the rest? It was great, and better the longer it sat! Thanks!!
Silvia Ribas says
That’s great Amy, I am very happy to hear! To answer your question no, you do not need to sauté the chicken but I am sure it can’t hurt. 25 minutes under pressure is plenty time for the chicken to fully cook.
Yumi says
Hello, I haven't tried your recipe, but I have some questions...
- Can I substitute Half & Half for Heavy Cream?
- I'm surprised to see the Kale doesn't need to be sauteed? And I like Dino Kale over regular kale. Can I substitute it?
Thank you!
Silvia Ribas says
Thank you for your interest in trying this recipe. Although I haven’t personally tried, other have substituted the half and half for milk, heavy cream and dairy-free milk successfully. As for the kale, you can sub for other types of kale, collard or spinach and no it doesn’t need to be sauteed, the green will cook and soften in the hot broth within minutes. I hope this helps!
Sarah says
Can I double this recipe?
Silvia Ribas says
I would only recommend doubling the recipe if you have the larger instant pot, mine is a 6qt which will definitely not hold a double batch.
Emma says
I have the flu and I bought the ingredients to make this before I was diagnosed. I found the strength to make this today and it looks and tastes delicious. Thank you!!!
Silvia Ribas says
Oh Emma, I hope you feel better soon. This is a great recipe for when you have a cold or flu. I had it once, honestly it is NOT fun and I lived off of soup. Wishing you well... 🙂
Linda Sheehy says
Wow...now, this Recipe is GGGOOOOO! This is the 2nd time making it and I only modified it slightly. I diced my Chicken into roughly 1 inch cubes & did not shred later on. I added in (1)...a small palmful of chopped FRESH DILL (fresh is best) (I AM Polish, after all! lol!!) (2)...a small palmful of FESH ITALIAN PARSLEY, and (3) a 1/4 teaspoon squeeze of CHILI PEPPER PASTE & (4)...the juice of 1/2 LIME (after it is cooked), to cook it up a notch!! This is de-lish, though, as is written, and a nice dish during this Covid 19 Crisis here in Ontario. Thanks for the Recipe; it is keeper!~~~
Silvia Ribas says
Thanks so much Linda for your feedback! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Stay safe and healthy 🙂
Lisa says
Hi! I would love to make this soup in my large crockpot! How can I alter recipe?
Silvia Ribas says
My suggestion is that you follow sautéing instructions in a skillet or pot, then transfer everything to the crockpot and set to cook. I just don't know how long you might need to cook for since I haven't tested this recipe in the slow cooker.
Shaunda says
Our family LOVED this! Even the kids. Usually when I make soup we have leftovers for the next day. Not with this recipe- every bite was eaten at dinner time.
Silvia Ribas says
That's wonderful Shaunda, so happy to hear!
Mar Pap says
Looks yummy! Do you have suggestions for adjusting for the mini (3 qt)?
Silvia Ribas says
Thank you! I think the mini will hold half of recipe, is so I would recommend to cut the ingredients in half
Kristina says
Hello, if I don't have an Insta pot do you have any idea how long I should cook this for in a regular pot or in a crock pot? Thanks!
Silvia Ribas says
Hi Kristina, from my experience wild rice usually takes about 40-45 minutes to cook. I personally would simmer on medium-low to close to an hour, stirring here and there, keep your eyes on it after 45 minutes as you may be satisfied with the results at that point. I like my rice a bit more soft in a soup that's why I personally would cook for 50-55 minutes. Add the cream/ milk after. Let me know if you end up trying it and what you think!
Mary says
Thanks for the recipe! I made this tonight and my whole family liked it, but it really needs a lot more seasoning than you have listed. A pinch of salt just doesn't do it! I used all wild rice (rather than blend of rice), and cooking time of 35 minutes.
Silvia Ribas says
That's so good to hear Mary, I am glad your family enjoyed the recipe. I am actually making a new wild rice soup today and will pay special attention on the seasoning. Have a great day!
Nikki says
Has anyone try a dairy free option of this soup it looks delicious just have a family member who doesn’t tolerate cream.
Silvia Ribas says
Hi Nikki, I have a friend who tried using dairy-free milk and she enjoyed it. I have also tried with coconut milk as I am slowly shifting to dairy-free as well. Hope this helps
katie says
How much salt did everyone use? I added salt and pepper prior to cooking but it was no where near enough. Also my chicken is kind of dry the next day. Would smaller cuts make it better on the next go around? Otherwise the recipe is great, although I don't think I used the right kind of rice.
Tanya Silguero says
Does this recipe freeze well?
Silvia Ribas says
yes, I have many times.
Kristine says
I just made this soup! I doubled the recipe as I have a large instant pot and hungry family. Definitely needs more seasoning and mine turned out VERY thick. I will probably add another 4 cups of broth to thin it out. Looking forward to eating when it cools down a bit.
Kristine says
Definitely recommend adding more broth. Fresh rosemary, sage, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper! So tasty!
Silvia Ribas says
Hi Kristine, thanks for the feedback. I understand that the broth thing is personal, I love a thick soup myself. Adding more broth will require more seasoning too. I am so glad you adjusted to your liking and that you enjoyed the recipe.
Amber says
Does this recipe require the rice to be cooked first? Thanks so much!
Silvia Ribas says
No, the rice goes in the pot uncooked!
Cida says
This is the best chicken rice soup I ever made. I used coconut milk, the whole family loved it and asked for seconds!
Sally says
I made this tonight and it’s a really good and easy recipe. The vegetables were overcooked for my taste. Is there any reason not to cook the wild rice and chicken for 20 minutes then add the veggies, bring it back to pressure cook for 5 more minutes?
Silvia Dunnirvine says
Hi Sally, you can definitely adjust the cooking of the vegetables to your taste. But I am so glad you enjoyed it, and thanks so much for sharing your feedback, it's very helpful and insightful!
Garrit says
Absolutely delicious and super easy meal for college student!
Silvia Dunnirvine says
That's so great, happy to hear Garrit!