Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Panera Copycat)

Although it’s been 10+ years since I’ve eaten at Panera, on account of having Celiac Diesase, I went so often in high school that the taste and texture of their Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is burned into my memory.

That said, trust me when I tell you that my Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a perfect dupe. Thick and hearty, decadent and satisfying – no restaurant required!

Watch How to Make It

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Main Ingredients

Truly this recipe tastes just like Panera’s except it’s gluten free and made from scratch with just a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Veggies: carrots, celery, and shallots or onions make up the veggie portion of the soup.
• Dried herbs and seasonings: poultry seasoning, dried thyme, salt, and pepper provide lots of cozy, slow-cooked flavor to each bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup.
• Chicken stock or broth: forms the base of the soup.
• Chicken breasts: are poached in the stock or broth to keep them tender and juicy, then are chopped or shredded. Feel free to use leftover rotisserie or baked chicken instead.
• Wild Rice Blend: I typically use Lundberg Wild Blend Rice for all of my wild rice-based dishes, though I’ve found that Rice Select’s Royal Blend Wild Rice has a particular type of rice that puffs and curls like the Panera Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup does. SO RANDOM, I know, but I really like using the Rice Select blend for this particular soup. Lundberg works great too!
• Gluten free flour: use the blend you keep on hand for gluten free baking, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, vs a single flour like almond flour or coconut flour. You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t need to eat GF.
• Milk: whatever you keep on hand for drinking. I’ve made this soup with everything from unsweetened almond milk to whole milk with fantastic results — no heavy cream needed!

How to Store and Reheat

My recipe for Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup makes enough to feed an army, which is great because it’s reheats super well for easy, cozy lunches throughout the week.

• To store: cool the soup down to warm or room temperature then cover the soup pot with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or, scoop the soup into individual-sized storage containers with lids and refrigerate.
• To reheat: add chicken broth or stock to the pot then reheat over medium heat until warmed through. Or, add a splash of stock or broth to the individual storage container then stir and microwave until warmed through.

I do not recommend freezing this soup as cooked rice has a tendency to turn to mush one frozen then reheated.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Step 1: Saute the vegetables and aromatics.

Start by adding minced carrots, celery, and shallots or onion to extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper then sauté until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add fresh garlic, poultry seasoning, and dried thyme then saute until the garlic is very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Step 2: Poach then chop the chicken.

Add chicken stock or broth to the pot then place a lid on top and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, add chicken breasts that have been cut in half then place the lid back on top, turn the heat down to low, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board then chop or shred it once it’s cool enough to handle.

Step 3: Add the wild rice blend.

Meanwhile, add a wild rice blend to the pot then place a lid back on top and simmer the rice until it’s al dente, 20-30 minutes depending on the brand used, stirring occasionally.

Again, I really love Rice Select’s Royal Blend Wild Rice for this soup, but my typical go-to, Lundberg Wild Blend Rice, works great too!

Step 4: Thicken the soup.

When the rice has 10 minutes or so left to cook, create a white sauce with roux and milk, which will thicken our chicken wild rice soup.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat then whisk in gluten free flour and cook while whisking for one minute.

Stream in milk (any kind), while whisking to create a smooth sauce then cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture has slightly thickened, stirring slowly yet constantly. If the rice still has a little bit of time left to cook, remove the pan from the heat then place a lid on top to keep the mixture warm.

Once the rice is al dente, stream in the milk + butter + flour mixture while whisking the soup constantly. Add the chicken then give everything a big stir to combine and cook until the rice is fully cooked and the soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.

That’s all she wrote! Pair with Gluten Free Focaccia or Gluten Free Flatbread to soak up every last drop.

This simple yet stunning and cozy wild rice soup recipe with chicken is one you will make over and over again. SO satisfying, SO thick and hearty — you’ll love every last drop. Enjoy!

More Cozy and Hearty Soups

• Gluten Free Lasagna Soup
• Chicken Stew
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Pastina Soup
• Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
• Hamburger Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Cheesy Taco Soup
• Sweet Corn, Kielbasa, and Potato Soup

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin

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