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. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
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
- ⅓ cup gluten free all purpose flour blend (45g)
- 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. Mix together and cook 1-2 minutes to cook 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 2-3 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.
Angela says
I don’t know if I did something wrong, but mine turned out way too thick. Not a soup consistency. Next time I will half the rice and add a cup or two of water.
Julie says
I’ve been doing something similar. I double the liquid and use 3/4 cup rice. It turns out beautifully. Add a packet of dry ranch seasoning for extra flavor.
Sarah Nevins says
Oooh I like the way you think adding a packet of ranch seasoning!
Sunny says
This was so so good! My hubby loved it too. I actually didn’t do the tapioca/corn starch mixture but just added 1 cup of full fat coconut milk in the end to make it creamy. So tasty! Thank you!
Sarah says
Thanks Sunny! That sounds lovely with the coconut milk!
Stephanie says
I just made this recipe tonight and it was fantastic! Delicious and healthy! Perfect for the rainy weekend that we got this time around. Thank you for the recipe!
Sarah says
Thanks Stephanie!
sharon says
Just made this tonight while we wait for the snowy weekend. Delicious, easy and healthy ! Thank you ❤️
Sarah says
Thanks Sharon – so glad you liked it!
Cheryl Towery says
We love this soup!!! What is a serving? 1 cup? I chart my food and keep track of veggies. Kinda macro eating.
Sarah says
Thanks Cheryl! So glad you like it! And yes – a serving comes to about 1 cup
Amanda says
I’m about to try this. Are you positive that 5 minutes of pressure cooking + 10 minutes depressurize is enough for whole chicken breast AND wild rice blend? Everything I’ve read says 35 mins for wild rice blend in instant pot
Sarah says
Hi Amanda! I’ve tried this countless times & I’ve had a lot of positive feedback on instagram with this recipe – so far no one has commented on having trouble with the time. Hope you like it but let me know if you do run into any trouble!
cwrex says
35 minutes if you were using TRUE all wild rice – wild rice blend is mostly white or brown rice, with a smidge of ACTUAL wild rice. I mean you could totally try 35 mins with a blend, but it’ll probably break down the rice to a gelatinous pudding.
Sarah says
Ooh thanks for clearing that up!
Maria says
This looks amazing and I hoped it to be my first instant pot recipe, however my thawed chicken is now spoiled. I have frozen chicken breasts, do you think I could still do it with this, Sarah? If so any recommendations on the time change difference
Sarah says
Hi Maria! That’s no problem at all – cooking chicken breasts from frozen in the instant pot is super easy! All you need to do here is increase the time to 12 minutes and just let the pressure release naturally at the end you’re all set. Hope that helps!
Gina Turella-Garcia says
I added a couple of small bay leaves to the mix and more garlic (5 cloves) plus a bit extra vegetables and wild rice blend. The leftover Thanksgiving turkey and 2.5 quarts of homemade turkey bone broth rounded out the ingredients and made a fabulous tasting soup. Thank you for the recipe. I’ve never used rice in an IP soup before so I appreciate your detailed instructions. I will definitely be making this soup again!
Sarah says
Thanks so much Gina! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jess says
This was the 3rd recipe I’ve tried using my new Instant Pot, and it turned out great!
I have a ton of food intolerances right now due to breastfeeding (dairy, soy, wheat, peanut…), but this meal was delicious and allergy-free!
Sarah says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought!
Drew says
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Drew! It depends on how big your instant pot is – I’ve got a 6 quart pot and doubling the recipe would be too much for it. You might be able to get away with doubling it if you have an 8 quart pot. As a rule of thumb, you never want to fill your pot more than 2/3 of the way full
Mande says
This was amazing! We loved it and even my super picky little guy wanted to eat all the shredded chicken.
Sarah says
Thanks Mande! So glad to hear that you and your little one loved it!