Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
on Jan 14, 2021, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is tasty, hearty, and can be made in a jiffy thanks to your instant pot. So light a fire and enjoy a hot bowl of soup after a chilly day.
The combination of flavors and textures in Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup are just delightful. It’s the perfect combination of vegetables, chicken, and creamy broth make winter nights feel so warm and cozy.
You can eat this hearty soup on its own or serve it with a Chef Salad and a slice of bread – Sourdough Focaccia Bread, No-Knead Bread, or Jumbo Dinner Rolls are all delicious alongside this soup.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a super easy soup because the Instant Pot does most of the work.
- Doesn’t create a ton of dishes.
- It’s packed with nutritious and hearty ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion, carrots, and celery: Or you can buy mirepoix at the grocery store.
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken broth
- Wild rice
- Salt and pepper
- Dried parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch
- Cream cheese
- Milk
- Half and half
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice
- Step #1. Set your Instant Pot to Browning/Sauté, melt the butter in the pot and then sauté the diced onions, carrots, and celery for about 5 minutes.
- Step #2. Add the cubed chicken, chicken broth, and spices, lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Then do a quick pressure release.
- Step #3. Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Turn the pressure cooked on Simmer/Sauté and a the cornstarch mixture to the pot stirring constantly.
- Step #4. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Add the milk and half and half. Heat through but not boiling. Serve hot.
Recipe FAQs
Wild rice isn’t actually rice at all. It’s a species of grass that produces edible seeds that look like rice. Wild rice is higher in protein than other rice or grains, making it a healthier option.
Yes. Hand-harvested wild rice has a nuttier flavor than cultivated wild rice and you could use ¾ cup of either in place of the Uncle Ben’s blend. You could also use brown rice in this recipe as well.
Yes! You can substitute the chicken for a can of chickpeas and replace the chicken broth with vegetable stock. You will still end up with a delicious soup.
Yes! All of the ingredients in this soup are naturally gluten-free but be sure to check the ingredients you use to be sure.
Expert Tips
- To save yourself some time, look for mirepoix at your local grocery store – it’s a mixture of diced onion, carrots, and celery and usually a refrigerator in the produce section.
- Don’t let your soup boil once the cream cheese, milk and half, and half have been added or it could split (curdle). It’s also easier to scorch the soup on the bottom of the pan if it gets too hot.
- When the soup is almost done, add a little more salt and pepper to taste if needed.
More One-Pot Meals to Consider
Dinner Ideas
One-Pot Sausage, Rice, and Peas Dinner
Quick Dinner Ideas
Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Texas Chili Recipe
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
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Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 large chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cans chicken broth, 14.5 fluid oz. each
- 1 pkg. 6 oz Uncle Ben’s Long-Grain and WIld Rice, discard seasoning packet
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- dash red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
Instructions
- Select the “Browning/Sauté” option on your electric pressure cooker.
- Melt butter in the pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, chicken broth, rice, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Lock the lid, place the valve to the sealing position, and select the “High Pressure” option and 5 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. After 5 minutes, do the quick pressure release.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Select the “Simmer/Sauté” and add the slurry to the pot, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Stir in milk and half-and-half.
- Heat through, without boiling, and serve hot.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the Uncle Ben’s rice with ¾ cup of wild rice, brown rice or another rice mix that you have on hand.
- You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you want.
- To make this a vegetarian soup, use chickpeas and vegetable broth instead of chicken breasts and chicken broth.
- This recipe is from The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook from Pressure Cooking Today.
