Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

A hearty and healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is made quickly and easily in the Instant Pot!  Shredded chicken is combined with onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms to make a cozy soup recipe will warm you up from the inside-out.  A few dried herbs and spices give it a ton of flavor along with a dairy-free starch slurry to thicken it up while keeping it healthy.

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

For the past few years I have been OBSESSED with making all of the Instant Pot soups.

This Chicken Vegetable Soup has been a particular favorite of ours.

There’s just something about a creamy broth loaded with vegetables and lean chicken that makes your belly want to do a happy dance.

While I am a creature of habit, even our go-to recipe was starting to get a tad old.

So recently I decided to change things up a bit.  I added in some wild rice in place of the potatoes and swapped out a few of the vegetables for heartier mushrooms.

And wowzers is it good!

It’s just hearty enough to keep you full, but light enough that you feel fueled and energized after eating.  (And don’t slip into a food coma!)

But I will give you a little warning.

While it may initially seem like there are a TON of ingredients, trust me when I say it is WORTH IT to use an array of spices and herbs.

And chances are you already have most of them hanging out in your cabinet, anyways.

Ingredients

Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients you’ll need for this chicken wild rice soup recipe:

• Chicken – Breasts are preferred but boneless chicken thighs may also be used.
• Wild Rice – This healthy grain is full of antioxidants, fiber, and is lower in calories and carbs than its brown rice cousin.
• Vegetables – Celery, carrots, and onions are used for the base of the vegetable flavor in this soup.
• Mushrooms – Hearty and meaty, these add a delightful texture and absorb a lot of the soup’s flavor.  Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms were used in this recipe, but white button can also be substituted.
• Herbs – Dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano combine to give a ton of herbal flavor to the soup.
• Paprika – My secret ingredient for adding a subtle kick.
• Starch Slurry – “What’s this?” –  you may be wondering.  It’s a little dairy-free trick I like to use to help thicken up my soups.  Just before serving you’ll whisk together some warmed milk and starch to make a thickener for the soup.

Wild Rice

This grain is actually not a rice at all.  Wild rice is the seed of a grass species found in the Great Lakes region of the US.

It has double the protein and more fiber than brown rice.  This healthier option also has 50 fewer calories and 10 fewer carbs per cup of rice.

Wild rice does have a stronger, earthier taste versus brown rice which is a bit milder and nuttier in flavor.

How to Make in Instant Pot

While this recipe is written for a 6-quart Instant Pot, you may also easily make it in an 8-quart Instant Pot with no alterations to the ingredients or instructions.

1. Sauté oil, onions, and celery in a 6-quart Instant Pot for 3-4 minutes.  Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute. (step 1 above)
2. Pour in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure no bits or pieces are stuck.  Mix in wild rice along with the dried herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper. (step 2 above)
3. Submerge chicken breasts in the liquid. (step 3 above)
   • It’s important that you place the chicken IN the liquid so it gets juicy and not dried out.
4. Layer carrots and then mushrooms in the pot. (step 4 above)
   • Carrots first and then mushrooms so the mushrooms do not get overcooked.
5. Close the lid, ensure the pressure release valve is sealed, and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the contents sit for 10 minutes (10 minute NPR) before releasing the pressure valve.  Shred the chicken breasts when the soup is done cooking. (step 5 & 6 above)
6. Whisk together the warmed milk and starch until smooth.  Add starch slurry to soup and stir until well incorporated.

Stovetop Instructions

Don’t have an Instant Pot?  Well you’re in luck!  It’s actually super easy to convert this pressure cooker recipe into a stovetop one.

Here are the basic changes you will need to make:

1. Use a large Dutch oven or pot.
2. Sauté over medium-low heat.
3. Bring pot of ingredients to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid.
5. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken shreds easily with forks.

How to Thicken Soup

How do we thicken up soup without adding a bunch of heavy cream?

A simple solution of warm milk (cashew, soy, or almond milk) and a couple tablespoons of starch (tapioca or corn starch) get whisked together to form an incredible thickening agent.

This is otherwise known as a starch slurry.

Simply add it to the soup when it is done cooking in your Instant Pot and voila!  A super thick and creamy, comforting soup without the heavy cream.

Serving

While this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is incredibly filling and delicious on it’s own, there are a few things you can serve it with to make it even better:

• Multi-grain or gluten-free crackers
• A baguette or French bread
• Homemade croutons to soak up all of the brothy goodness

Storing

Soup always seems to get better with time… if you have the patience for it.  The flavors somehow meld together even more perfectly if refrigerated for about 24 hours.  So if storing for later, or you just have too many leftovers:

• Store in refrigerator in a glass or plastic container for up to 3-5 days.
• Store in the freezer after following the directions above and letting the soup refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  Store soup in freezer safe plastic containers for up to 3-4 months.

Soup is the absolute BEST when reheated in a pot on the stove.  However, if you’re in a hurry simply pop it in the microwave for a few minutes and it will be ready to enjoy!

Other Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Didn’t get enough yummy soup yet?  No worries – I’m just as obsessed as you are and have a TON of other pressure cooker soup recipes you might enjoy:

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yellow Chicken Curry

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Ground Turkey Chili

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

Lemon Chicken Soup

5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

A hearty and healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is made quickly and easily in the Instant Pot!  Shredded chicken is combined with onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms to make a cozy soup recipe will warm you up from the inside-out.  A few dried herbs and spices give it a ton of flavor along with a dairy-free starch slurry to thicken it up while keeping it healthy. 

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Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free, healthy, instant pot, pressure cooker

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 509 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
• 3 stalks celery finely chopped
• 1 sweet onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 6 cups chicken broth regular sodium
• 1 cup wild rice
• ½ tsp. thyme dried
• ½ tsp. rosemary dried
• ¼ tsp. oregano dried
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 1 ½ - 2 tsp. salt to taste
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 - 1 ¼ lb. chicken breasts
• 4 carrots peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 lb. baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cashew milk warmed
• 3 Tbsp. tapioca starch or cornstarch

Instructions

1. Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to the sauté function and add oil, onions, and celery. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute.

2. Pour in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure no bits or pieces are stuck.
3. Mix in wild rice along with the dried herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Submerge chicken breasts in the liquid.
5. Layer carrots and then mushrooms in the pot.
6. Close the lid, ensure the pressure release valve is sealed, and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the contents sit for 10 minutes (10 minute NPR) before releasing the pressure valve. Shred the chicken breasts when the soup is done cooking.
7. While soup is cooking, whisk together the warmed milk and starch until smooth. Add starch slurry to soup and stir until well incorporated.

8. Serve chicken wild rice soup with crackers or homemade croutons.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 509 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 131mg44%

Sodium 2701mg117%

Potassium 1795mg51%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 53g106%

Vitamin A 8603IU172%

Vitamin C 29mg35%

Calcium 98mg10%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.