Instant Pot Wild Rice & Chicken Soup
I’ve made this soup more times than I can count—especially during cold weeks when I want something warm, filling, and easy to throw together. It’s everything I love in a weeknight dinner: hearty without being heavy, super flavorful, and made with real ingredients I usually already have on hand.
You just toss everything into the Instant Pot, let it work its magic, and before you know it, you’ve got a big batch of nourishing, veggie-packed wild rice soup that’s perfect for leftovers or freezing for later. I usually keep it classic with rotisserie chicken and wild rice, but I’ve added plenty of ways to switch it up below too.
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Recipe Tips
Rinse your wild rice well: It helps remove excess starch and prevents the soup from getting gummy as it sits.
Don’t skip the sauté step: A few extra minutes softening the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic makes a big difference in flavor and gives the soup that slow-simmered taste—without actually having to slow simmer anything.
Use a good chicken broth: This is the base of your soup, so if you’re using store-bought, go with one you love. A bone broth works great too for extra richness.
Let it sit before serving: Like most soups, it gets even better as it rests. A few extra minutes before digging in helps everything thicken and come together even more.
Optional creaminess = game changer: Whether you use milk, half & half, or coconut cream, a splash stirred in at the end totally transforms the broth into something super cozy and comforting.
Ingredient Swaps: No rotisserie chicken ? Use leftover shredded chicken or sauté raw chicken breasts before essure cooking. Dairy-free ? Skip the milk or use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy, dairy-free finish. Extra veggies ? Add mushrooms, kale, frozen corn, or spinach—just stir them in after cooking. No wild rice ? Sub with brown rice or a wild rice blend–cooking time may vary slightly. Need protein boost ? Stir in a can of drained white beans or chickpeas for extra fiber and heartiness.
Fridge: Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months—let it cool completely before portioning into freezer bags or containers.
Reheat: Warm on the stove or microwave, adding a splash of broth if it thickens too much.
More Cozy Recipes:
Instant Pot Wild Rice & Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1 cup wild rice rinsed
- 1 onion diced
- 2-3 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk or coconut cream optional, for creamy version
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
- Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for about 3-4 minutes, until softened and fragrant
- Add wild rice, chicken, dried herbs, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and chicken broth and stir to combine
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing; set to manual or pressure cook mode and set the time to 20 minutes on high pressure
- After the cook time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes
- Add milk or coconut cream
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed
- Plate and enjoy!!!
