Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Nothing beats curling up next to the fire with a warm bowl of soup, and my copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is just the one for the job! A creamy chicken broth base is filled with a medley of warming spices, vegetables, and hearty chicken. It’s undeniably delicious and easy to make with minimal prep time!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 284kcal
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 stalks of celery diced
- 1 cup chopped green cabbage
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1.5 cups wild rice
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you aren't using leftover chicken, season 2 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Air fry the chicken breasts at 385 degrees for 15-17 minutes, flipping haflway through.
- While those are cooking in the air fryer, start the soup by heating up the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Sauté the diced celery, carrot, onion, and cabbage for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the spices: onion powder, thyme, parsley, tarragon, and turmeric and stir for one minute.
- Add in the butter and stir until it's fully melted and coating the veggies.
- Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour begins to turn a light brown.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring occassionaly.
- Once it's boiling, add in the wild rice and reduce to medium heat. Cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes untill the rice is tender.
- When the chicken is done, remove from the air fryer and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Dice into small pieces and add it into the soup.
- When the rice is tender, turn off the heat and add the heavy cream.
- Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.
Notes
Storage Directions:
Separate the leftover soup into portions of 2-3 servings and put them in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost by adding to the stove top and re-heating over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Don't skip the butter and flour (roux). Part of what makes Panera chicken wild rice soup amazing is how thick it is, and our roux will thicken it right up, giving the broth a really luscious texture. This way, we don’t have to add any additional heavy cream.
- Add the spices to the vegetables while sautéing them to really develop the flavor profile.
- Combine the chicken stock slowly to the vegetables and flour mixture. Adding the stock one cup at a time is more than just a practice in patience, it allows the broth to thicken well.
- Splurge on the wild rice. I couldn’t recommend this more. The cook time is a little longer, but it does wonders to the soup’s texture and consistency. Check the instructions on the box of rice – you’ll want to follow the package directions closely to cook it correctly.
- Make it a Panera-inspired meal and pair the soup with copycat recipes, like the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt and a tall glass of Papaya Green Tea!
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3042IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg