This Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is made with sautéd aromatic veggies mixed with a wild rice blend and chicken cooked in a silky, savory broth without any dairy needed.
Original recipe shared on October 23, 2017 – updated Dec 21, 2025 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup – Good to Know
- It’s made in the instant pot:
- You need a 6-quart instant pot or larger.
- It’s dairy free:
- Most wild rice soup recipes use heavy cream to create a thick, rich texture. Dairy free versions often include full fat coconut milk which imparts a coconut flavor. Instead of dairy, this soup is thickened with a little bit of flour stirred into the sautéd veggies.
- You need to use a wild-rice blend: two main reasons
- Speed: A blend cooks much faster than the sole-grain.
- Availability: I literally cannot find a full wild-rice variety that’s gluten free/free from cross contamination warnings local to me. I’m sure I could find something online, but that’s just one extra hurdle I don’t want to cross. If this is true for me, it’s likely true for many of you, so a wild-rice blend it is!
- Time Needed: a little over an hour
- prep: about 15-20 minutes to gather & dice
- pre-pressure cooking cook: about 15 minutes to sauté, etc
- warm up time: about 10 minutes (time will vary)
- pressure cook time: 9 minutes
- post cook, depressurising: 10 minutes
- final touches: 5 minutes to shred chicken & season
- Final Taste & Texture:
- This soup is rich & savory, a little earthy thanks to the mushrooms & nutty due to the wild-rice blend. Texturally, it’s got a thick and silky-like texture – even without the dairy.
How to Make this Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup: Step-By-Step
Sauté the vegetable and herbs in oil or butter (dairy free butter if needed). Cook, about 8-10 minutes to soften the veggies. Stir often to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the flour. Stir into the vegetable mixture until well combined.
Deglaze with wine (or water). Pour the wine into the floured veggie mixture. Stir well until no lumps remain. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add the wild rice blend. Stir the rice into the mixture until well combined.
Add chicken & stock or broth. Place the chicken over the veggies then add the remaining liquid. Stir everything one more time before covering.
Cover and cook. Set the pot to cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. Remember that the pot will need some time to warm up before the time starts counting down.
↳TIP: Let the pot depressurise a bit before venting.
After the time is up, leave the pot to keep warm & naturally depressurise for at least 10 minutes before switching the seal to vent the remaining pressure.
The extra time will allow the contents to keep cooking a bit and reduce the amount of steam that spits out at the end.
Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board or plate. Use a couple of forks to shred into bite-sized pieces then return to the pot once more.
Add the final touches. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in some fresh chopped parsley for a final boost of flavor and serve.
↳TIP: You can thicken the soup even more with a starch slurry.
- Use a soup ladle to scoop out about 1/4 cup of broth from the pot (try to leave behind chunks of veggies and meat) and transfer to a heat-safe cup or bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot starch until no lumps remain.
- Set the instant pot back to sauté (lid off) to bring the soup to a simmer/boil. While simmering, stir the slurry back into the soup and let it cook 1-2 minutes to thicken.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with herby, homemade gluten free croutons on top for a bit of crunch or cheesy crackers on the side. These soft and fluffy dinner rolls and breadsticks are perfect for dipping into the soup. Add a simple side salad like this Lebanese Cabbage Slaw or basic roasted vegetables for a healthy side. This soup also pairs well with a classic grilled cheese for an extra hearty meal.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Carne Desmechada
- Vietnamese Five Spice Pulled Pork (Instant Pot)
- Bacon & Chipotle Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- From Scratch Instant Pot Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Adobada Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- See all → Instant Pot Recipes←
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this instant pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Made with sautéd veggies, a wild rice blend and chicken cooked in a silky + savory dairy-free broth. It’s a simple, nourishing dish that’s especially great for cold weather!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil or butter - dairy or non dairy (60g)
- 1 cup celery, diced (3 ribs)
- 1 cup carrots, diced (2 medium)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 cup mushrooms, trimmed & sliced (226g) - any variety
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
- ½ tsp salt and black pepper, each
- ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour blend (35g)
- ¾ cup dry white wine or water (180ml)
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend - ensure gluten free (185g)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs (450g)
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth (1.2L)
- small handful of fresh parsley, chopped for serving - optional
Instructions
- In a 6-quart instant pot: Press the sauté button on the instant pot and wait for it to heat up. Add the oil or butter. When the oil is simmering add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the flour and coat the veggies.
- Stir in the wine, mixing well to ensure no lumps of flour remain. Make sure to scrape down the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to loosen up any stuck on bits. If needed, add a splash of water to the pot to help you loosen up stubborn bits. Cook about 2 minutes then stir in the rice.
- Add the chicken and chicken stock/broth to the pot. Stir everything together one last time.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and make sure the dial on top is set to 'sealing'. Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. (Press 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set the timer to 9 minutes.) After the time is up the Instant Pot will automatically switch the keep warm. Let it keep warm for 10 depressurising on its own then switch the seal to the venting position.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board or a plate. Use a couple of forks shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces then carefully add back to the soup.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as you see fit. Serve warm with parsley or other fresh herbs on top (optional) and serve.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Freeze in 1-2 cup portions up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring to a boil for a few minutes to reheat fully before serving. If needed, add a bit more water or chicken broth when reheating.
- Use pre-cooked chicken or turkey instead: If you have leftover roast chicken or turkey you can easily add them to this soup. Instead of adding the uncooked chicken breast before cooking just add the cooked shredded chicken/turkey at the end.
- Poultry Seasoning Substitute: 1½ tsp dried sage + 1 tsp dried thyme + ½ tsp dried rosemary + pinch of nutmeg.
- Wine: I recommend something like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Marsala. Feel free to just use water if you prefer.
chzplz says
Minor typo – “Add the chicken, tapioca mixture, **stock and stock**.”
🙂
Sarah says
Oops! Thanks for pointing that out to me so I could fix it!
Courtney says
Does the chicken really cook in five minutes?? Just want to make sure I’m doing this correctly!
Sarah says
Yes! Once the instant pot is at full temperature the timer starts and it’s only five minutes – just keep in mind that after you set it it might take a few minutes to heat up before the timer actually starts
Laura says
Made this tonight. My husband said best chicken soup he has ever had. Followed recipe exactly.
Sarah says
So glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review letting me know what you thought!
Jackie says
This sounds great & easy, would love to know what rice blend you use!
Sarah says
Hi Jackie! I’ve used the generic grocery store brand wild rice from Sainsbury’s and I’ve also made this using Tilda Basmati & Wild Rice blend
Dana says
If I’m using frozen chicken what needs to change?
Sarah says
Do everything the same until you and the chicken and then just cook 10 minutes on high and that should do it. Hope you like it!
Karen says
I mainly made this for my 2-year-old grandson, who is on a dairy-free, gluten-free diet. I must say, it is one of the best soups I have ever made! It really hit the spot on a chilly day. I used basil instead of rosemary and parsley because that’s what I had on hand. Also, I used basmati rice instead of wild rice for the same reason. My husband said it was excellent (and he is picky), and my grandson ate three bowls!
Sarah says
Aww that makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for coming back to share – I’m really glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Lauren says
Used this recipe the first time using my Instant Pot, and was not disappointed! Thanks! Soup turned out eith incredible flavor – chicken cooked perfectly. I put out some lemon slices with each bowl which zested it up a bit too.
Sarah says
Yay! So glad to hear it – thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought! Also – love the addition of lemon slices!
Bill Voltzke says
Is this using a prepared wild rice? Wild rice alone in the instant pot still suggests 35 minutes or so under high pressure.
Sarah says
Maybe it’s because I use a wild rice blend it doesn’t need so long? I’ve never had any issues with it being undercooked with this amount of time
Bill Voltzke says
Hi Sarah,
This recipe turned out fantastically delicious once I figured out how to properly address the long-grain wild rice.
Care to add a modification to the recipe? *if using long-grain wild rice instead of the blend, simply cook the wild rice and chicken broth for 25 minutes on high in the instant pot. While the rice is cooking, prep the other ingredients for the sauté step. Once the rice finishes, quick-release and set broth and rice aside in another bowl and move onto the sauté steps. When the recipe calls for rice and broth to be added, just pour the mixture back into the pot and continue with the recipe
Sarah says
Hi Bill! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how it went for you and sharing what worked! I added your modification to the recipe which I know will be helpful for others coming after you with long grain wild rice. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks again for your help!
Allie says
Do you think this would work in a crockpot?
Sarah says
Yes! Cook on low for about 6-8 hours or high on 3-4. You can sauté the veggies first separately or just throw them in the pot along with everything else and cook from there
Debbie says
I am doubling the recipe. Do I need to double the cooking time?
Sarah says
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe yet so I can’t say for sure but I do know that the general rule of thumb for doubling recipes in a pressure cooker is jut keep the cook time the same. Your pot may take a little longer to come to pressure before it starts but you won’t have to decrease the time