Instant Pot – Chicken Wild Rice Soup
What could be easier than a comforting bowl of Chicken Wild Rice Soup made right in your Instant Pot? There are a few more steps than you might be used to for an Instant Pot recipe, but it’s really not a big deal. Sauté the chicken and vegetables, and let the pressure cooking function do most of the work. No fuss, and you end up with some amazing homemade goodness!
I love wild rice, especially in this soup. Did you know that wild rice isn’t actually rice? It’s the seed of a semi-aquatic grass. It has a nutty taste and a somewhat chewy texture. If you haven’t tried it, you’re in for a treat and this recipe is a great place to start. If you’re interested in learning more about how to cook wild rice, check out this post!
What You’ll Need for Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
Obviously, the first thing you’ll need is an Instant Pot or some other brand of multicooker. This is the one I have and I really like it!. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I have directions below on how you can make this Chicken Wild Rice Soup on the stove in a Dutch oven.
- chicken thighs
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
- celery
- carrots
- onion
- garlic
- rosemary
- thyme
- wild rice
- bay leaf
- butter
- flour
- kale
- chicken broth
- half-and-half
- lemon juice
No Instant Pot? No Problem!
The recipe for this Chicken Wild Rice Soup calls for an Instant Pot or other multicooker, but if you don’t have one, there’s another option. You can make this soup in a Dutch oven or large soup pot.
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Cut chicken into cubes; sauté. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Sauté the celery, carrots, onion, rosemary, and thyme for 2 – 3 minutes, add the minced garlic during the last minute of cooking.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth, scrapping up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the wild rice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wild rice is tender.
- In a small bowl combine the butter and flour to make a paste. Stir this into the simmering soup and simmer for a few minutes until the broth thickens a bit.
- Add the chopped kale and simmer about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and remove pot from heat.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaf, stir in the lemon juice and adjust seasonings.
Equipment
- Instant Pot or similar multicooker.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, skinless,
- 1 tsp. salt, Kosher
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 celery, stalks, cut in 1/4" slices
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 onion, yellow or sweet, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp. rosemary, dried
- 3/4 tsp. thyme, dried
- 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp. flour, all-purpose
- 1/2 bunch kale, tough stems and ribs removed, roughly chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Directions
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and set to sauté. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; both sides. Add the chicken (in batches) to the pot and cook until lightly browned on each side, about 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the sliced celery, carrots, onion, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes. During the last minute, add the minced garlic. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the cooking pot. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining broth and the wild rice. Add the chicken as well as any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the bay leaf.
- Put the cover on the Instant Pot; make sure the steam valve is in the "seal" position. Set the pressure cooking function for 25 minutes on high. When the time is up, very carefully slide the steam valve to the vent position, releasing the steam. This is the quick release method. Carefully unlock the lid and remove from pot, taking care to open the lid away from you to avoid getting burned from any remaining steam that might be left in the pressure cooker.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken. Return to cooking pot.
- In a small bowl combine the butter and flour to make a paste.
- Add the butter mixture to the pot and stir to thicken the liquid. Turn the Instant Pot back on to the sauté function. Add the chopped kale and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half; bring to a simmer. Once soup comes to a simmer, turn off the Instant Pot. Remove the bay leaf.
To Serve:
- Stir in the lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.
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