Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice Soup (Printable)

Hearty bowl with tender chicken, vibrant veggies, and nutty wild rice in savory broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 14 ounces), diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 1 medium onion, chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced (optional)
07 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

→ Grains

08 - 3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 bay leaves
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Fresh Herbs & Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
17 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional, for brightness)

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip (if using), and green beans. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but not cooked through.
04 - Add wild rice, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40–45 minutes, or until wild rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Stir in parsley and lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It uses simple ingredients you probably already have, and somehow tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The wild rice adds a satisfying chew and nutty flavor that makes it feel more interesting than your average chicken soup.
  • You can toss in whatever vegetables need using up, and it still turns out comforting and delicious.
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day once all the flavors have mingled together in the fridge.
02 -
  • Wild rice takes longer to cook than white or brown rice, so don't rush the simmer or it will stay crunchy and chewy in an unpleasant way.
  • If you add the parsley too early, it turns dull and loses that fresh pop, so wait until the very end to stir it in.
  • The soup thickens as it sits because the rice keeps absorbing liquid, so thin it with extra broth or water when reheating leftovers.
03 -
  • Rinse the wild rice thoroughly before cooking to remove any debris or excess starch that can make the broth cloudy.
  • If you want a richer, more golden broth, brown the chicken pieces in batches before adding the liquid instead of just cooking them lightly.
  • Don't skip the lemon juice at the end, even if it's optional, because that little bit of brightness transforms the whole bowl.

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