Final Up to date on October 22, 2025 by Carrie Korem, FNTP
There’s nothing fairly like a bowl of creamy wild rice soup with hen on a chilly day! It’s comforting and nourishing and made with easy, real-food substances that help your thyroid and immune well being.
This soup is gluten-free and makes use of arrowroot as a substitute of flour to maintain it creamy. Plus, soaking the wild rice in a single day makes it simpler to digest and helps your physique take up extra minerals.
Hen and Wild Rice Soup Substances
Right here’s what you’ll must make this cozy, nutrient-packed soup:
- 1 cup wild rice, soaked in a single day with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons butter (or ghee)
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon every dried thyme, rosemary, and sage
- 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups bone broth or meat inventory
- 4 boneless, skinless hen breasts (or thighs)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
The right way to Make Wild Rice Soup with Hen:
This recipe takes somewhat time as a result of it’s worthwhile to soak the rice, however is so value it!
- Soak the rice: About 8 hours earlier than cooking, place wild rice and vinegar in a bowl and canopy with water. This step makes an enormous distinction (see why under!).
- Prepare dinner the rice: Drain the rice, then prepare dinner it in boiling water in keeping with the bundle instructions. Drain and put aside.
- Prepare dinner the greens: Soften the butter in a big pot over low warmth. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Cowl and allow them to sweat for about half-hour.
- Add herbs and broth: Stir within the thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper till aromatic. Add the broth and hen, then carry to a boil. Cut back warmth and simmer for about 10 minutes, till the hen is cooked by way of.
- Shred the hen: Take away the hen, shred or chop, and return it to the pot.
- Thicken the soup: Combine the arrowroot flour with ¼ cup of water, then whisk in a ladle of scorching broth to mood it. Slowly stir the combination into the soup.
- Add the ending touches: Stir within the cream, cooked rice, lemon zest, and juice. Season to style and serve heat.
Why It’s Necessary to Soak the Rice Earlier than Cooking:
Soaking wild rice in a single day helps scale back phytic acid, a naturally occurring compound in grains and seeds. Phytic acid can block the absorption of key minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium and it’s additionally onerous on digestion.
Taking this easy step makes your soup extra nourishing and simpler to digest and is completely value the additional time!
Make This Wild Rice Soup with Hen Gluten-Free:
This recipe is of course gluten-free because it makes use of arrowroot flour to thicken as a substitute of wheat flour. Arrowroot provides the soup a wealthy, creamy texture with out including any gluten or heavy thickeners.
When you want a dairy-free possibility, use ghee or duck fats as a substitute of butter and full coconut milk (not a coconut beverage) rather than heavy cream.
Often Requested Questions
Will the Rice Get Mushy in Soup?
Wild rice holds its texture superbly, particularly when it’s cooked individually earlier than including it to the soup. Keep away from overcooking, and stir it in on the finish for the very best consistency.
How Can I Thicken This Soup?
Arrowroot flour is the proper gluten-free thickener. Simply whisk it with water earlier than including it to the new broth to stop clumping.
Can I Use Rotisserie Hen to Save Time?
Sure! You possibly can completely use natural rotisserie hen as a substitute of cooking recent hen breasts. Simply shred the meat and stir it in through the ultimate steps to heat by way of.
Can I Use Leftover Hen or Turkey?
Undoubtedly! This recipe works properly with leftover hen or turkey, particularly after the vacations. Merely add the cooked meat in towards the tip, so it stays tender and flavorful.
The Healthiest Broth for This Soup
You should utilize bone broth or meat inventory for this recipe. I like utilizing my do-it-yourself meat inventory as a result of it’s decrease in glutamates and gentler on the intestine which is particularly useful for anybody with autoimmunity or histamine points.
Each choices are wealthy in minerals, collagen, and amino acids that help thyroid well being and immune stability.
Extra Scrumptious Soup Recipes You’ll Take pleasure in:
When you love this wild rice soup with hen, listed below are a couple of different reader favorites:
This creamy wild rice soup with hen is a kind of recipes you’ll wish to make all season lengthy. It’s nutrient-rich, comforting and excellent for busy weeknights or gradual weekends at house.
When you strive making it with soaked wild rice and actual substances, you’ll see how significantly better do-it-yourself may be!
Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Hen
- Prep Time: 9 hours
- Prepare dinner Time: 55
- Whole Time: 9 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Class: Soup
- Food plan: Gluten Free
For the Soup:
- 3 tbs unsalted natural butter (or duck fats for dairy-free)
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary and sage
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
- 6 cups bone broth or meat inventory
- 4 boneless, skinless hen breasts (you should use boneless, skinless thighs for those who favor)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbs. recent lemon juice
- 2 tbs. arrowroot flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Directions
About 8 hours earlier than you wish to make the soup, put the wild rice and vinegar in a medium bowl and canopy with water. Let sit for 8 hours and drain.
Deliver a pot of water to boil and place rice in it. Prepare dinner, in keeping with the bundle instructions till tender. Drain. This may be achieved a day or two forward of time and the rice saved within the fridge.
Place the butter in a big pot and warmth over low to soften. Add the celery, carrots, onion and garlic and stir to mix. Put the lid on the pot and let the greens sweat for about half-hour over low warmth.
Take away the lid and stir within the herbs and sea salt and prepare dinner for about 1 minute, till aromatic. Pour within the broth and add the hen breasts. Enhance the warmth to excessive and convey to a boil. Flip right down to medium and proceed simmering for about 10 minutes till hen is cooked by way of.
Take away the hen and minimize or shred into bite-size items. Add the hen again to the pot.
Add the lemon zest and juice.
Put the two tbs arrowroot in a small measuring cup with 1/4 cup of water and stir properly. Add a ladle-full of the new broth and whisk (this tempers the arrowroot so it doesn’t clump while you advert it to the soup). Slowly pour the arrowroot combination into the pot and stir to mix. Stir within the cream and cooked rice. Season to style with sea salt and pepper. Serve scorching.
