Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is packed with loads of warm, hearty goodness meant for cold days like vegetables, chicken broth, Italian herbs, and shredded chicken that all comes together in a creamy, buttery sauce. 

For more immediately satisfying Instant Pot recipes, you should make my popular Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, my Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Soup, and my Instant Pot Roast and Potatoes soon! 

It’s that time again — time to get a fire going in the fireplace and get the Instant Pot out. Make some delicious, comforting soup, and curl up with a big bowl of it right in front of the fire. Sometimes we like to eat dinner like that, spread out on a tablecloth on the family room floor, bowls of soup in hand, doing our best to not spill all over the place. And if we do? Well, we can just roll up the tablecloth and wash it right away. Honestly, I’m more apt to spill my soup than the kids. Not sure why that is, but they sure do love when mom is the one who makes the mess. It really tickles their funny bone some reason? 

Now, eating this soup on the floor is not a prerequisite for making it (though totally encouraged), but this creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup does definitely make you feel like at least getting in your comfiest clothes after work or a long day and whipping up a quick batch. Even with some prep work to be done ahead of time and some cream sauce to make on the stove, you can still have this healthy chicken and wild rice soup ready in less than 45 minutes. That’s pretty darn good for such a delicious batch of soup, wouldn’t you say? 

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP? 

To make this Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, you’ll need the following ingredients: 

• Butter
• Carrots
• Celery
• White or yellow onion 
• Minced garlic 
• Sliced mushrooms 
• Wild rice
• Chicken broth
• Italian herb seasoning blend or Herbs de Provence see note for DIY
• Salt and pepper
• Chicken breasts
• Flour
• Milk 

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT?

There are three steps to making this soup, but don’t feel intimidated, it still goes waaaay quicker than usual. 

First, you’ll prepare your Instant Pot by setting it to “Saute” and adding to it the butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and mushrooms and stirring for 2-3 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent. Add the chicken broth, Italian spices, salt, and pepper and chicken breasts. Cover the Instant Pot and seal. Change the pressure cooker to “Manual” and set the timer for 30 minutes. When the timer is up, vent right away and turn your attention to the stovetop sauce. 

Second, make the cream sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, stirring continuously until a paste starts to form, then slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. 

Third (and finally), take the lid off the Instant Pot and pull the chicken out, shredding it gently with two forks. Return it to the pot, and stir in the cream sauce you made until the whole soup becomes creamy and delicious. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh herbs and more fresh black pepper if you like.

Cozy up by the fire (or something else that’s warm and snuggly) and dig in! 

WHAT GOES WITH CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP?

This soup is pretty satisfying all on its own, but I have to say there are a few sides I enjoy with this (and most) soups: 

• The easiest thing to grab and eat with this soup is some crackers. I love them, as do the kids so it’s a no-brainer. Oyster, Ritz, a club cracker, Triscuits, or even Goldfish — whatever is your favorite cracker, they’ll go great!  
• If you’re feeling a little fancy make some rolls or biscuits to go alongside this slow cooked Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. 
• Baguettes always make a good dipping bread. You don’t even need a knife, just rip one into chunks and divvy up among your dining partners. 
• On the flip side, I like to eat a nice, fresh garden salad with this creamy chicken soup. 

What’s the best sandwich to pair with soup? A grilled cheese, of course!