Description
A comforting, one-pot weeknight dinner featuring wild rice, chicken thighs, and fresh thyme. This rustic soup is easy to make, freezer-friendly, and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup wild rice (rinsed)
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 2 large carrots (diced)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: Frozen peas, sliced cremini mushrooms, or rotisserie chicken
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice under cold water in a colander to remove dust and debris. Set aside.
- Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables are softening.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add rinsed wild rice, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the wild rice is tender but still has a slight chew.
- Add chicken chunks to the pot (if using raw chicken). Cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F). If using rotisserie chicken, add it in the last 5 minutes to warm through.
- Remove the pot from heat. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Stir in heavy cream. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread or pumpkin bread.
Notes
Wild rice absorbs a lot of liquid; add more broth if the soup is too thick. Always add cream off the heat to prevent curdling. This soup freezes well but do not freeze with the cream added; stir in cream after thawing and reheating. For a vegetarian version, swap chicken for mushrooms and use vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 22
Keywords: chicken soup, wild rice soup, one pot dinner, weeknight meals, cozy soup, thyme soup, easy dinner, freezer friendly