Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is hearty, healthy, and the perfect Fall or Winter recipe. It is quick and easy to cook up chicken, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, herbs, and wild rice in your pressure cooker. Warm up the whole family with this flavorful dish you can serve in the traditional way or make a few changes to be gluten-free and dairy-free.

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 comfort food.

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 my 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

These are the simple 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 the seed of a grass species found in the Great Lakes region of the US and is full of antioxidants and fiber, and lower in calories and carbs than its brown rice cousin. Wild rice does have a stronger, earthier taste versus brown rice which is a bit milder and nuttier in flavor. A wild rice blend will work if that is all you can find.
• 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.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Follow these easy steps to make this Instant Pot wild rice soup recipe:

Prep and Sauté the Veggies

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.

Use a sharp knife to dice the onions and celery and slice the carrots.

Turn your Instant Pot to sauté and add some oil.

Cook the onions and celery for 3-4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute.

Add the Chicken and Broth

Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure no bits or pieces are stuck.  Mix in the wild rice along with the dried herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Submerge the chicken breasts in the liquid. It’s important that you place the chicken IN the broth, so it gets juicy and not dried out.

Toss in Veggies and Pressure Cook

Layer the carrots and then mushrooms in the pot. Place the carrots in first and then the mushrooms so the mushrooms do not get overcooked.

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 for a natural pressure release before opening up the pressure valve. 

Shred, Thicken, and Serve

Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the chicken breasts. Then, shred each one with two forks. Carefully return the chicken to the soup.

A simple solution to thicken soup without heavy cream is warm milk (cashew, soy, or almond milk) and a couple of tablespoons of starch (tapioca or corn starch) whisked together to form an incredible thickening agent.

Add this mixture to the soup and then stir until it is well incorporated.

Stove top 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.

What to Serve with Soup?

While this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is incredibly filling and delicious on its 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

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Soup is one of the best recipes to meal-prep. Simply make this wild rice mushroom soup the day before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy.
• To Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container for up to 3-5 days.
• To Freeze: Be sure to let the soup cool completely and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours.  Then store the soup in freezer-safe plastic containers for up to 3-4 months.
• To Reheat: 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!

FAQs

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already refined sugar free as written.  Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

• Dairy-free: Opt for a non-dairy alternative, like almond or cashew milk.
• Gluten-free: Stick with a starch that has no gluten.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Double it up. This recipe is perfect for meal-prep, so make extra for later.
• Don’t skip. You might be tempted to throw everything in the pot at the same time, but sautéing and cooking in stages adds a depth of flavor.
• Adjust as needed. Pay attention to the cooking time if you use a different rice. Increase or decrease the salt depending on the broth.
• Keep it warm. Avoid adding cold milk directly to a hot soup, or it could curdle.
• Serve it up. This soup is delicious on its own with some crackers, or alongside sandwiches or salads.

What to Serve with Wild Rice Soup?

Though you don’t need anything else with this soup, it is delicious with any of these accompaniments:

• Homemade Croutons
• Chopped Green Onions
• Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
• Air Fryer Baked Potato
• Chopped Kale Salad with Cranberries
• Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

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
• Instant Pot Potato Soup

5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is hearty, healthy, and the perfect Fall or Winter recipe. It is quick and easy to cook up chicken, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, herbs, and wild rice in your pressure cooker.

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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.

Recipe Notes

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Soup is one of the best recipes to meal-prep Simply make this wild rice mushroom soup the day before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy.
• To Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container for up to 3-5 days.
• To Freeze: Be sure to let the soup cool completely and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours.  Then store the soup in freezer-safe plastic containers for up to 3-4 months.
• To Reheat: 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!

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.