Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Warm and cozy instant pot chicken wild rice soup takes under an hour to make! It’s cream, snug, and studded with celery, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. The perfect meal for chilly winter nights!
Snug as a bug!
Instant pot chicken wild rice soup has been the most memorable recipe I’ve made this fall. It’s warm and cozy and loaded with garlic, onions, dried herbs, and studded with carrots, mushrooms, and celery. Every bite starts with tender chicken, nutty and chewy wild rice and smooths out with that luscious, rich and creamy flavor.
Warm and hearty soups like this always remind me of the cold and frostbitten days in Chicago. One look outside our grand bay windows and you’d see everything enveloped in a blanket of glistening snowflakes as far as the eyes can stretch. My mom was the kind that always had a hot after school snack ready and waiting for us when we got off the bus and finally peeled off the layers that shielded us from the blistering wind. As soon as the bus would stop, she’d opened the front door, and as you got close, you’d feel the warmth and the smell of a pot of soup that had been slow-simmering with love. During the winter months, my brother and I were elated to see hearty bowls of soup and bread.
And though chicken wild rice soup was not something I’d had until I was much older, it always reminds me of those simpler times.
A couple of weekends ago when the weather dipped well below 40, the hankering for a warm bowl of soup kicked in. That night we invited some of our closest friends over for a cozy meal and a Stranger Things marathon. I have to say, in my thirties, I look forward to a night in with comfort food, sweats, good friends, and a satisfying TV show.
So I began scrolling through some of the recipes on the blog and settled on the slow cooker chicken wild rice soup that so many of you have made and loved. I wanted to experiment making chicken wild rice soup in the instant pot (so it’s ready in less than 1/2 the time). To amp up the flavors a bit, I swapped out the wild rice blend I usually use for the real deal wild rice, added more seasonings, more veggies, more garlic (because why not), and cut back on the flour just a hint to make this a little more… soupy?
When we sat down to dinner, my friend’s 18-month old started shoveling drippy spoonfuls into his mouth and in between, he’d look up and give us all a huge toothy grin, pieces of wild rice stuck to his chin, and not a care in the world. I have to say, he was totally projecting how we all felt about this soup.
It’s homey and goes great with a simple salad and lots of chewy bread. Looking back, I wish I had made the roasted garlic rosemary focaccia that night. I would’ve been in garlicky, comfort food heaven.
What I love most about instant pot chicken wild rice soup is that it’s super quick and easy to make. It also tastes like cream of mushroom soup meets chicken and wild rice. I have to say, I absolutely love this mashup. A.) because I’m big on the shrooms and B) it adds an umami-esque factor to the whole thing, and I so dig that.
To make this even faster, you can pick up prechopped mirepoix from the store. Or toss it into a food processor and pulse until the veggies break down a little bit. Then it’s as simple as tossing everything into the instant pot and letting it cook all the way through. The wild rice takes the same time to prepare as the chicken and veggies. In 35 minutes you’ve got all of that marked off and done.
Then, it’s as simple and making the roux and adding it to the instant pot (affiliate link).
A few things I’d like to mention about this instant pot chicken wild rice soup:
- Actual wild rice: with 35 minutes of cooking time, you’ll need to use real wild rice for this one. I don’t suggest a blend, or brown rice, or white rice. It’s actual wild rice (affiliate link). It can be difficult to find in stores so if you’ve got a Trader Joe’s nearby, you can pick it up there. Or if your grocery store entirely does not carry it, you can buy it online.
- Seasonings: like the slow cooker version of my chicken wild rice soup, this one also calls for a seasoning blend. I use the 21 seasoning salute from TJ’s, but Mrs. Dash (affiliate link) also makes one that you can find in almost all grocery stores. Just be sure to use the salt-free kind.
- Roux: the roux for this instant pot chicken wild rice soup is cooked separately from the soup so you’ll need a small saucepan, five tablespoons of butter, 1/3 cup of flour, and 2 cups of milk or cream. Depending on my mood, I might even add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to amp up the flavor a little more. Often I find the milk leaves this soup a little lacking in richness so I’ve started using half and half (half cream, half milk) and I find this certainly satisfies my tastebuds a whole lot more. But you can play around with this recipe and use what you like!
If you don’t like mushrooms, just omit it from the recipe and if you don’t eat chicken, just double the mushrooms, so you get a little bit in every bite.
The hardest part about this whole instant pot chicken wild rice soup is waiting for 45 minutes. But here’s the thing – it’s simple, humble, feel-good food. It’s also perfect for those of us that want a warm bowl of soup for lunch every day of the week as this recipe makes enough for 6-8 servings.
Quick to throw together, straightforward, easily adaptable to your preference. Instant pot chicken wild rice soup is perfect to meal prep on Sundays and enjoy all week long!
In fact, I think it’s going on the menu again for next week!
Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Warm and cozy instant pot chicken wild rice soup takes under an hour to make! It's cream, snug, and studded with celery, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. The perfect meal for chilly winter nights!
Ingredients
soup:
- 3 cups mirepoix (equal parts, chopped onion, carrots, and celery)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, diced (see notes)
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed (see notes)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1-3 tablespoons Mrs. Dash's seasoning (see notes)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH salt AND pepper
roux:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 2 cups milk (or half and half)
Instructions
- INSTANT POT: Add all the ingredients listed under the soup section into the instant pot, cover, and cook on manual (high pressure) for 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes prepare the roux. Quick-release the steam by turning the valve. Remove the chicken, shred it using two forks, and add it back into the instant pot.
- ROUX: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Let the flour mixture cook for 2 minutes before adding the garlic powder (if using). Continue whisking as you slowly start streaming in the milk (or half and half). Once the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes), add a sprinkling of salt.
- CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP: Stir the prepared roux into the instant pot and let sit for 5-7 minutes before serving. This allows the soup to thicken just a tad bit. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve with tons of crusty bread!
Notes
01/21: After several reviews, I've changed the quantity of the all-purpose seasoning to 1-3. The original recipe called for 3 tablespoons but some readers have mentioned that this made their soup quite spicy for them. We make this soup with 3 tablespoons often and don't find it spicy, but you may want to start with 1 tablespoon and add more if this is your first time making this soup!
- Purchase prechopped veggies or pop each individual veggie into a food processor and give it a few pulses to make this faster.
- I used Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute for this recipe (that's their version of the Mrs. Dash salt-free Original seasoning blend.)
- The soup will thicken significantly as it sits. Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated. Additional milk, cream, broth, or water can be used to adjust the consistency of the soup when reheating.
- I suggest using real wild rice for this recipe. A wild rice blend, white rice, or brown rice won't produce the same results. Unfortunately, they do soften quite a bit in the time needed to prepare this recipe.
- Update: Leftovers can be frozen, just allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. You may need additional water or broth to help bring it back to its normal consistency.
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When do you cut up the chicken?
Thanks!
Whoops! End of step one 🙂
I like to dice it all up fine before putting in the instant pot. Along with all my veggies.
Absolutely love this recipe. Delicious!
Would this soup freeze well? ?
Unfortunately, I can’t say with certainty as I haven’t tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing/reheating.
You can freeze it before you add the cream. Dairy separates when frozen.
Since my last comment, I’ve tried freezing a small batch and the soup held up just fine! It did need a little liquid to help bring it back to its normal consistency and chicken broth works really well here. 🙂
Freezes great!
How long would you put this in the slow cooker for? And at what setting? Thanks!
Hey Jayna, there’s a link to my slow cooker version at the bottom of the recipe card. The recipe is slightly different but you can use this recipe and just follow those directions!
Would you cook for the same amount of time if you double the recipe? Thanks!
Hi there! Not sure if you’d be able to double this recipe in a 6qt instant pot, if you’ve got a larger IP then perhaps you may be able to. The cooking time should be nearly the same, give or take a few minutes.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t tinker with the recipe. Delicious as written! So warm and comforting. Keep the IP recipes coming!
If I use already cooked wild rice. How long should I cook in the IP?
Thx
Unfortunately I haven’t experimented with using cooked wild rice in this recipe before so I’m unsure. Also worried that it may end up being too much broth for the soup if you’re using cooked wild rice. If you decide to give it a try, would love to know how it went!
What would the cooking time be in a regulat pressure cooker – 35 minutes after it comes up to high pressure? Seems like a long time for a chicken breast. Also, would any variety of mushroom work?
Hi there! I’ve only tested the recipe in an electric pressure cooker so I’m not too sure how or if the recipe would need to be tweaked for a stovetop pressure cooker. I do think it wouldn’t be more than a couple minutes difference, here or there. For the mushrooms, I’m confident you can use chopped portobellos, baby bellas, and button mushrooms!
Thanks! I’ll try a few minutes less since the ingredients will actually be cooking while the pressure cooker is coming up to full pressure. I have some shiitake mushrooms – do you think the flavor would be too strong? I’m excited to try this recipe as I have not cooked with wild rice before but have always loved it when I’ve had it in restaurants!
If you love shiitakes, I say go for it! I know I do and I think it’s worth a try!
Would this work with pre-cut bite sized pieces of chicken breast – or would the cook time then be way too long? Or I also have frozen tenderloins (smaller than breasts, but maybe similar cook time if from frozen?)
Hi there! I think you’re right, the cooking time would be too long and you run the risk of overcooking the meat if you use something like bite-sized pieces or tenders. I do think you could swap the boneless breasts for skinless, bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts though if you’ve got any on hand!
Hi,
I tried it with cut pieces of chicken breast and arborio rice , and the meat was really good 🙂
I always pre cut the meat into a small dice… Pretty much equal to veggies, and it turns out great.
Delicious Soup!!!!!
Recipe was perfect!
This is my new favorite soup! So delicious. I have made it about 5 times now, and every time it has turned out perfect. I always freeze in 2 portion servings in the inexpensive food storage containers you can find anywhere. It freezes and thaws fine and I have not had to add any liquid nor did the cream separate . The longest time I have frozen it for was probably about 3 weeks.
Oh I love this soup! Made it last night for dinner in my instant pot. My husband loved it too. this will go in my best recipe binder. thanks for sharing such a great recipe. FYI you can buy wild rice on amazon for a whole lot cheaper
Love the soup and followed the recipe closely, so why is mine so spicy…? too much garlic? too much Mrs. Dash. I hardly used any pepper. Any suggestion for toning it down a bit would be appreciated.
Hmm.. not really sure where the spice is coming from, maybe the black pepper that’s already in the seasoning mix? To tone it down a bit, you can stir in some heavy cream or add a knob of butter to hot soup, that should help!
My first try was the same! To much pepper in the TJ mix. Am making again today and will sub in other spices instead. Also did not thicken with milk and flour and was still good!
Has anyone tried this with frozen chicken breasts? How does the cook time compare?
To answer your question, cook time was the same. Chicken came out tender and shredded easily.
Can I leave out Mrs Dash or trader Jo seasoning as not available here.
Hi Baljit, I wouldn’t suggest leaving the seasoning out altogether, you would need to replace it with some kind of salt-free poultry seasoning because without it the soup won’t have much flavor. You can use a combination of dried lemon zest, orange zest, garlic flakes, onion flakes, dried thyme, black pepper, dried marjoram, dried parsley, dried sage etc. and that should help provide a similar flavor to the seasoning.
Made this recipe last night as my first foray into cooking with and Instant Pot. It was a big hit with the family! I substituted boneless, skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts as they tend to have more flavor and don’t dry out. Because my husband and teenage son like more meat in a soup I upped the chicken thighs to 2 lbs. and chopped it into about 1.5″ cubes, and upped the chicken broth to 8 cups (I have the largest Instant Pot and wanted to have lots of leftovers). I didn’t have any Mrs. Dash, so I just used some other herbs and spices such as parsley and sage. I highly recommend this recipe.
I used a cooked rotisserie chicken and a wild rice blend. I was worried about the IP time, but I put all the soup stuff in without the chicken and put the pressure on high for 22 minutes instead of 35. I used my hands to shred the chicken and discard bones. I followed the rest of the recipe the same(except i added the chicken to the soup mix after it was finished in IP before starting or adding the rue). It turned out great! Thank you for sharing!
This was my third recipe in as many days after purchasing my 8qt Ultra Instant Pot. I prepared this exactly as the recipe states and it turned out amazing. I used the garlic and the half and half and it turned out like a wonderful mushroom chowder. The flavours and tastes are amazing. I used my food processor for the mirepoix and over processed it (oops) and it is still amazing. Next time I will chop the onions myself and not process so much
I made this the other night. It was amazing!!! I live in a rural town and our store doesnt carry wid rice. I was too impatient to wait to try this until I could get my hands on true wild rice so I got the blend put store carried. I made the rice in a separate pan as per package directions and just added to the soup after. It turned out great! Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper for sure!
My husband loves mushrooms, but doesn’t like celery. I made the recipe just as you said, but with boneless, skinless, chicken thighs. I did use 1 cup heavy whipping cream & 1 cup 2% milk to to make half & half. He ate 2 bowls and never knew he was eating celery! We LOVED this soup & will definitely be making it again. I can’t wait to share with my friends! Marzia, I appreciate the pictures you show of the ingredients & the steps. There beautiful & helpful.
Love, love, love this delicious soup! I have made it 3 or 4 times exactly as stated except that I used a wild rice mix and it turned out great! Thank you
Love love this IP recipe. Thank you so much! I’ve done used the original Mrs. Dash & the garlic herb one. Both delicious. I’ll have to agree with you it’s better with the half & half.
I had gone through probably 4 or 5 chicken and wild rice recipes before trying this—this one is by far the best. I did sauté the veggies in the pot for a couple of minutes and substituted left over turkey for chicken but otherwise no major changes. This is flavorful, creamy (but not too creamy), and all around delicious.
Best chicken wild rice soup recipe ever! I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical as to how it would turn out, but it was absolutely delicious. Not mushy whatsoever and the wild rice had the perfect bite. I threw in frozen chicken breasts (broke them apart first) and timed it for 35 minutes which was perfect. I also used Trader Joe’s 21 Salute seasoning. Super easy weeknight meal and FULL of flavor!
Delicious new winter favorite! I followed the recipe for the most part, but used a wild rice blend–that’s what I had in the pantry, and boneless chicken thighs. I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sauted them in the pot with the mirepoix and garlic briefly (although, I think this step could be skipped). After adding remaining soup ingredients, I reduced pressure-cooking time to 15 minutes and followed the recipe as written. So good!
Do you think soy milk would act as a good substitute for half and half? Need to avoid dairy.
Thanks,
Lizzy
I’m not too sure about soy milk. I think canned coconut milk would make a decent substitute, but I’m not at all certain if the coconut flavor comes through very strongly as I haven’t tested it before. Would love to know how it goes if you decide to try it ?
I used Oat milk.
I have made this recipe several times using almond milk or almond/ cashew milk. Tastes great!
I have also used coconut milk (the full fat version from a can) That worked well too, but could taste the coconut a bit. I didn’t bother me, but my teenage kids said they preferred it w/o the coconut milk.
What size portions was your nutritional information based on? Looking forward to trying this but want to make sure I add the right info to my nutrition app. Thanks!
This is a new family favorite! My go-to recipe especially on cold, rainy days! I follow the directions as is, with just these two small exceptions: (1) I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour in the place of AP flour and (2) Bragg’s 24 Herbs and Spices Seasoning in place of Mrs. Dash’s seasoning. Always delicious and always a hit! Thank you!!
So glad to hear it! Thank you for letting me know that GF flour works for this recipe, I’m sure others will appreciate that as well 🙂
Never made a comment on any recipe before, but this was Fantastic ! I say even Essential. Thank You Marzia!!!
Hands down the BEST chicken wild rice soup we have ever eaten. Full of flavor. Easy to make. Followed the directions just as you outlined them. I think it would be also interesting to add a bit of sherry, but we didn’t do it. We wanted to try it just as you said. Used the Trader Joe’s spices. Will make it again next week. Have one little helping in the freezer, but need more!
Absolutely delicious! The roux adds so much more flavor… butter does the trick! Such a comfort soup/meal.