Martha Stewart Chicken And Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Thirty-five minutes and it only serves two. Martha Stewart’s Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is not a crowd soup, it is a Tuesday night soup. Boneless chicken thighs simmer in chicken broth with carrots, celery, onion, and a wild-rice blend until the meat is tender enough to shred and the rice is plump and chewy.

I make this chicken rice soup on cold winter nights when it is just the two of us and I do not feel like standing over a full stockpot. This is the kind of Martha Stewart chicken soup that feels like a proper meal without the fuss, and you can double it if more people show up.

Try More Soup Recipes:

• Almond Chicken Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Corn Chowder

Why You Will Love This Wild Rice Soup:

• It is done before you get impatient: Most wild rice soups take over an hour because wild rice is slow to cook. Martha uses a boxed wild-rice blend that is partially precooked, so the whole soup is on the table in 35 minutes. I was sceptical the first time but the rice came out perfectly chewy.
• Chicken thighs stay tender: Dark meat does not dry out the way breast meat does when it simmers. Martha poaches the thighs right in the broth, pulls them out to shred, and stirs them back in. The chicken stays juicy and the broth picks up all that flavour.
• Small batch means no waste: This serves two. I know that sounds small but that is the point. Not every soup needs to fill a Dutch oven. I make exactly what we eat and there is nothing sitting in the fridge for days getting thick and sad.

Chicken And Wild Rice Soup Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 ounces total)
• 1/3 cup boxed wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

1. Cook the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the broth, chicken, and rice: Pour in the chicken broth, add the chicken thighs and the wild-rice blend, and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until the chicken is opaque all the way through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Shred the chicken: Use a slotted spoon to move the chicken to a cutting board. Let it cool for a minute, then shred it with two forks or cut it into bite-size pieces.
4. Finish the rice: While the chicken cools, keep the soup simmering uncovered until the rice is tender, about 6 to 8 more minutes.
5. Put it back together: Drop the shredded chicken back into the pot and simmer for about 1 minute until it is heated through. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Throw away the seasoning packet: The boxed wild-rice blend comes with a seasoning packet. Do not use it. Martha discards it because the soup gets all its flavour from the broth, vegetables, and chicken. The packet would make it too salty and taste artificial.
• Do not skip the shredding step: It is tempting to just chop the thighs before cooking but poaching them whole first keeps them juicier. Shredding after gives you those ragged, brothy pieces that catch all the liquid in every spoonful.
• Add water along with the broth: Martha calls for 1 1/2 cups of water in addition to the can of broth. I forgot this once and the soup was way too salty and thick. The water is not optional, it balances the whole pot.

How To Scale This Up

This serves two but Martha says you can double or triple it easily. I double it every time because the effort is the same and leftovers taste even better the next day once the rice has soaked up more broth.

If you want it richer, stir in a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream right at the end. It is not traditional but it turns this into a completely different soup, thick and cozy. I do this when I am really cold and want something that feels like a blanket.

What Goes Well With This Wild Rice Soup

Warm 20 minute bread for tearing and dunking. That is the whole plan. Maybe some quick green beans if I feel like putting something green on the table.

On bigger nights I throw together a 7 layer salad and it turns into a real dinner. Most nights though, just the soup and the bread.

How To Store Leftovers

The rice drinks up all the broth overnight so do not panic when it looks like a stew the next day. Fridge for 2 days, freezer for 3 months. Add extra broth when you reheat either way.

I eat the leftovers cold sometimes, straight from the fridge like a thick chicken and rice porridge. Not for everyone but I like it better than reheating.

FAQs

• Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes but the breast will take about 5 minutes longer to cook through and it will not be as tender. Martha uses thighs because dark meat stays juicy in the broth. If you go with breast, watch it carefully so it does not dry out.
• Can I make this in a slow cooker? You can. Add a little extra broth because the rice will soak up more liquid on a long, slow cook. Martha does not give slow cooker instructions but I have done it on low for about 4 hours and it worked fine.
• Can I use leftover chicken or turkey? Yes. Chop or shred it and stir it in during the last 5 minutes of cooking just to warm through. This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken or holiday turkey.
• Why is my soup not creamy? Because this is not a cream-based soup. The rice starches thicken the broth slightly but it stays clear and light. If you want it creamy, stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream or drop a spoon of sour cream into each bowl before serving.

More Soup Recipes:

• French Onion Soup
• Tomato Soup
• Vegetable Soup

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 2)

• Calories: 340
• Total Fat: 13g
• Saturated Fat: 2.5g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 650mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 28g
• Protein: 28g