Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Panera Copycat
Published
Published
This Chicken Wild Rice Soup is one of Panera Bread’s most popular soups, but easily made at home with super simple ingredients like wild rice instead of noodles, a creamy broth, and a blend of wonderful spices. It’s great for lunch or dinner and perfect on a chilly day. My family loves it so much.
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5 STAR REVIEWS
Nothing quite feeds my soul when it’s cold and blistery out (or when I’m sick!) then chicken soup, and I have a few that I alternate between – my classic chicken noodle soup, avgolemono soup, and this chicken wild rice soup.
This tastes like your favorite soup at Panera Bread – creamy, with lots of goodies in every spoonful. It’s perfect in the winter time, but light enough for the spring and summer months, too. My family loves it.
If you love wild rice, make sure to check out my favorite stuffed salmon and stuffed acorn squash!
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Unsalted butter and olive oil. These together add richness and are used to sauté the veggies.
- Vegetables. Diced onion and carrots add flavor, texture, and nutrition. You could also add in some diced celery and minced garlic.
- Chicken broth. I use low sodium since the spice packet contains salt.
- Long grain wild rice with spice packet. Buy the 4.3 ounce box, but you can make up your own blend, if you prefer. You will need 3/4 cup of dry wild rice and 3 tablespoons of seasoning.
- Chopped, cooked chicken. You can make your own roast chicken, use baked chicken breast, or buy a rotisserie chicken.
- Half-and-half. This is equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. If you can’t have dairy, canned coconut milk is an ok substitute.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 48 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 4.3 ounce box long grain wild rice with spice packet
- 2 1/2 cups cooked and seasoned chicken pieces
- 1 cup half-and-half
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour in chicken broth and raise temperature to medium high heat; bring to a boil and pour in rice and the seasoning packet that came with the rice. Cover and reduce heat to simmer lightly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cooked chicken pieces and half-and-half. Cook 2-3 more minutes or until rice is softened completely, soup has thickened slightly and chicken is warmed through.
- Taste and season accordingly. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup Panera Copycat Step By Step
- Gather your ingredients.
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons each unsalted butter and olive oil.
- Add 1 medium sweet onion that’s diced and 4 medium peeled carrots sliced into rounds; sauté, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour in 48 ounces low-sodium chicken broth and raise temperature to medium high heat; bring to a boil and pour in a 4.3 ounce box of long grain wild rice and the seasoning packet that came with it. Cover and reduce heat to simmer lightly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 2 & 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast and 1 cup half-and-half.
- Cook 2-3 more minutes or until rice is softened completely, soup has thickened slightly and chicken is warmed through.
- Taste and season accordingly. Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This soup is creamy, with great flavor from the rice spice packet, and full of goodies in every spoonful. So delicious! It’s pretty substantial on its own, but you can’t go wrong with some homemade garlic bread on the side to mop up any last dribbles in the bowl. Or enjoy a soup and salad combo with a simple side salad.
Storing Leftovers
Allow to cool completely, then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. (Keep in mind that the rice will continue to plump up as it rests.) I do not recommend freezing this soup due to the dairy component, which tends to separate after thawing, leaving a less than desirable taste and texture.
More Soup Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
My Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe was originally published 4/14/11. It was retested and republished to be better than ever 1/15/26.
Amazing! I would give this 100 stars if I could!! BETTER than Panera’s!
I made this again today. It’s so delicious. I used cooked, boneless chicken thighs this time, but I prefer chicken breasts. I couldn’t find the rice a roni wild rice mix this time, so I used Uncle Ben’s. Easy , quick meal. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Love your posts!
This soup was fantastic and easy. I usually struggle to make a soup with as much flavor as a restaurant can. This one defied. Left overs were just as delicious. Thanks.
I made this last night and the family loved it!
OMG! Made today a double batch, glad I did. This is soooo good. Easy to make, flavorful, just downright delicious.
Will make again when my recipe is gone.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes. Now also making the Honey garlic chicken in crockpot. Can’t wait to taste that for dinner.
I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Made this tonight. It was great!! Definitely a share for friends and family. Yum!!
I love, love, love your recipes. I would really like to know the brand of wild rice this is that includes the spice packet. OR, I would like to know what spices make up the three table spoons required to make your own “packet”. Thanks for your time. Love seeing your family take part in your videos. They are lovely.
Hi Mary! I use Rice-A-Roni. Enjoy!
Just made this today and it’s a WINNER!! I added three stalks of celery, a 8 ounce package of cremini mushrooms diced and only about a cup of chicken. So yummy!! Since we like a thicker soup, I added about 1/3 cup of plain instant mashed potato flakes. Makes it have more body without changing the flavor. Definitely making this one again!!
Great minds think alike. I did something similar since I also wanted a little thicker consistency. I added some left-over mashed potatoes (and the mushrooms and celery.) It was perfect!
I made the chicken wild rice soup and it was delicious. My husband and I are looking forward to having it again tonight.
This is recipe is on constant repeat at our house.. we have been trying to up our protein and lower our calories and have recently starting subbing blended cottage cheese for the half and half and it’s still fabulous!
Hello. I just discovered your site and will be trying some of your interesting recipes, including this one for the wild rice soup. I had two questions, though. 1.) is there a particular brand of wild rice with spice packet that you used when you made this recipe, that you prefer? and 2.) if I wanted to thicken this soup a bit, what would you recommend (what would be the best way to thicken it?–less broth? more half and half? ) Thanks you!
My family LOVED it!
I have made this for my family and many other families. Every time, the recipients call me and ask for the recipe. It’s always a hit with everyone.
I loved these excellent recipes, they are simple and feels tasty
Just made this soup and it was YUMMY! One of the best soups I’ve made in a long time. I did substitute a 13 oz. can of cocoanut milk for the half and half since I’m allergic to dairy.
This is the perfect soup for cold winter nights. Definitely making this again!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s really easy and delicious. Even my picky eaters love it.
Delicious. I used Near East wild rice with spice packet, since the recipe didn’t specify.
Thanks for the great chicken soup recipe – my family loved it.
Thanks for the alternative to make the rice and spice packet from scratch. That’s what I did, since we buy our wild rice in bulk. Very helpful. Turned out delicious.
Yummmmmy!! Just made this and it hits the spot on a cool fall day! I usually avoid making chicken soup because of my perceived notion that it is too time consuming. This was so quick and easy! Next time I make it I will add some garlic.( The flavor is good, but I need my garlic :)
I have to be in the mood for soup, which usually means REALLY cold weather or being sick. Somehow soup really DOES make you feel better. This ounds great, Amy. Although, I bet it would be better with celery. :)
Glad you guys are feeling better! Spring-time sickness is no fun!
I love soup all year round. Can’t wait to try this.
This is one of the rare soups I actually eat year-round. We love it!
I’ve been craving wild rice soup all winter, but have never managed to make up a batch. Looking at this delicious pot of goodness is making me famished — and I feel just fine :)
This soup is crazy good and unbelievably easy. Going in rotation!
This one is delicious; perfect soup to pick you guys us up by the bootstraps.
OMG Amy, we have done it again….guess what my next post is? Go ahead?
Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup. So dang close. We are always on the same wave length. Mine does have celery in it…and shrooms too! Glad you’re both feeling better. Can’t wait to see what we both make next, lol.
I’m always so glad that you and I feel the same way about celery. It makes me feel more sane.
It was gross and rainy here yesterday. I poofy-haired myself all the way to starbucks (about a half mile) and I’m sure I looked like a crazy person and I really could have used some soup. Ah. Next time. This looks so delicious!