Sub-zero winter temps never fail to make me crave rich, creamy comforting soups. You know the type… those soups that coat the spoon just right and envelop your whole body in warmth and childhood nostalgia. For me, creamy chicken wild rice soup does just that. Minnesota is known for its wild rice harvest so my childhood was rich with wild rice meals particularly in the soups and hotdishes (<< that’s Minnesota speak for casseroles) that are common throughout fall and winter. Creamy chicken wild rice soup is a true Minnesota classic that I’ve made dairy free and with bacon. 

Wild rice has a wonderful nutty taste that is complemented beautifully by adding almond milk whisked into a slurry to account for the creaminess. This dairy free chicken wild rice soup recipe works well with any dairy-free milk, just be sure it’s unsweetened and not flavored. Coconut milk is what I normally use for my family due to my son’s nut allergies but I recommend using the version that’s in the dairy case in a carton for this rather than canned. Using canned coconut milk will result in a slight coconut flavor to the soup. The carton version in the dairy case has a much less intense coconut flavor so it’s less noticeable. Though I really didn’t mind a hint of coconut flavor in this soup either. If you’re okay with consuming dairy, try it with whole milk, half and half or even heavy cream making it extra decadent.

The addition of bacon in this soup creates a nice complex flavor profile that also imparts a bit of salt so be sure to use a low-sodium chicken stock. This will allow you to add additional salt if desired to taste and not result in a soup that is too salty.

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup {Dairy-Free}

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Author: Kari - CookingUpClean

Recipe type: Soups

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds chicken breast, diced (or about 4 cups), uncooked
• 4-8 slices of all natural uncured bacon, diced and uncooked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 quarts low sodium chicken stock/broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk of any kind (almond milk tastes great!)
• ½ cup gluten free all purpose flour (or regular flour if preferred)
• 2 green onions, sliced for garnish (optional)
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot, add chicken, bacon, onion, celery carrots, garlic, poultry seasoning and pepper with the olive oil.
2. Saute until veggies begin to soften and the chicken and bacon are cooked.
3. Add wild rice, stock and water.
4. Simmer about 45 minutes until rice is tender.
5. Whisk flour with the milk until flour is evenly combined.
6. Pour milk and flour mixture into the stockpot and heat until soup has thickened.
7. Serve hot with green onions as garnish.

Notes

If the soup ends up too thick, just thin it out to the desired consistency with a little water.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 228 Fat: 8g Carbohydrates: 15g Sodium: 293mg Protein: 25g

3.5.3239