Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a popular classic creamy chicken and rice soup. A flavorful, hearty, comforting, and filling chicken soup.

Wild Rice Soup is usually made of wild rice, chicken, carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, herbs, and chicken stock. 

We crafted this Easy Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe with simple, healthy, and fresh ingredients. Yet it’s packed with layers of balanced flavors, a variety of textures, and nourishing nutrients. So you can enjoy each spoonful of creamy soup with a different satisfying mouthfeel.

Related Recipe: Instant Pot Wild Rice

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

Here are the ingredients for making Wild Rice Soup in Instant Pot:

Chicken

We recommend using bone-in chicken thighs because dark meat does better in soup or stew. The chicken bones will also add a lot of flavor to the soup.

If you prefer white meat, bone-in chicken breast will work with this wild rice soup recipe. 

Wild Rice Blend and Soup Consistency

Different brands of Wild Rice Blend have different types of rice and rice ratios.

Since the blend of rice will affect the soup’s consistency, keep in mind that some brands will need more liquid while some will need less. 

For reference, we used Floating Leaf Wild Rice Blend to test and develop this Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe. We’re not sponsored by them.

Our Wild Rice Blend: Riceberry Rice, Chusei Calrose Rice, Kow Mun Red Rice, Long Grain Brown Rice, and Wild Rice. We like that this wild rice blend has a hearty and nutty variety of rice with different textures.

Unsalted Chicken Stock & Unsalted Butter

We prefer to develop recipes with unsalted ingredients because we can better control the flavors of the dish.

If you’re substituting with salted chicken stock or salted butter, keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.

Heavy Cream

You can substitute the heavy cream with 2% or 3.25% milk for this Wild rice soup.

Tools for Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Wooden Spoon
• Pyrex Measuring Cups

Brown Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot

First, press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up your Instant Pot.

It’ll switch to “ON” on the screen.

Wait until it says “HOT” on the screen (takes roughly 8 minutes).

Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel, then season one side of the chicken gently with salt and black pepper.

Now, add 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or olive oil in the Instant Pot’s inner pot. Make sure you cover the whole bottom with oil.

Add the chicken (seasoned side down) in Instant Pot, then let it brown for 3.5 minutes. 

Lightly season the other side of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Then, flip and brown this side of chicken for another 2.5 minutes.

Finally, set aside the chicken thighs.

Saute Sliced Mushrooms

Add sliced mushroom in Instant Pot. Make sure all the mushrooms are coated with oil.

Give the mushrooms a stir every minute, and let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Saute Onion & Vegetables

Add sliced onion in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or olive oil if necessary.

Now, add chopped carrot, celery, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, ½ tsp (0.4g) dried oregano, and 3 bay leaves, then saute for another minute.

Add in minced garlic, then saute for another 30 seconds.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Add 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.

Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

Pressure Cook Wild Rice Soup

Add 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, ½ tsp (4g) fine salt, and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.

Add in the set aside browned chicken and all its’ meat juice.

Add in 1 cup (210g) wild rice blend, then make sure all the rice is fully submerged in the cooking liquid. 

With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Then, turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 13 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Shred Chicken Meat

Note: Depending on your wild rice blend, your soup may look slightly reddish.

Place the chicken in a large bowl. Remove the chicken skin and chicken bones, then shred the chicken meat with two forks.

Add Cream & Thicken Wild Rice Soup

Bring the wild rice soup to a simmer with the “Saute” function.

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour with 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream. Stir thoroughly.

Then, mix it into the wild rice soup one-third at a time until desired thickness.

Add back the shredded chicken in wild rice soup.

As always, taste the chicken wild rice soup, then season with salt if necessary. 

For Reference: We added another ½ tsp (4g) of fine salt to properly season our wild rice soup.

Garnish & Serve Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

Finally, place your wild rice soup in a serving bowl, then serve!

What Goes with Chicken Wild Rice Soup

You can serve Chicken Wild Rice Soup with a wide variety of delicious side dishes. This hearty and creamy soup goes well with sides that are light and refreshing.

• Bread, Sandwiches, Crackers: Serve this wild rice soup with a slice of tasty bread like Artisan No Knead Bread, toasted garlic bread, simple sandwiches like Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or saltine crackers.
• Salads: This hearty soup also goes well with simple salads like green salads (i.e. Caesar salad), Instant Pot Potato Salad, Instant Pot Egg Salad, Greek salad, or other vegetable salads.
• Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes: Enjoy this soup with your favorite potatoes or sweet potatoes sides like Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, or Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.
• Vegetables: You can also serve this hearty soup with some simple veggies on the side like Instant Pot Corn on the Cob, Instant Pot Green Beans, or Instant Pot Zucchini.

Enjoy Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup~

Other Instant Pot Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot Mushroom Soup
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
• Instant Pot Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Tomato Soup