Panera bread cream of chicken and wild rice soup recipe

Last updated on June 18th, 2021 at 06:06 pm

Panera Bread Chicken Wild Rice Soup Copycat is the easy homemade version of the chain’s comforting, hearty and creamy soup. Check out the short video tutorial below and see how easy and delicious this recipe is!

We love Panera Bread soups, and this one is on top of our list! The perfect soup to make during a cold winter day, which everyone in your family will enjoy!

The Best Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Panera Bread Chicken Wild Rice Soup Copycat is a delicious, homemade take on the chain’s famous chicken soup. Made with tender rotisserie chicken, chunky vegetables, cream, and wild rice, this soup is the epitome of comfort food.

This soup is flavorful and cozy and goes perfectly with a warm baguette on a cold winter day. This is our favorite go-to soup, especially during colder winter days. It is a creamy, delicious, and the ultimate comfort soup. I have also included a video of the recipe to better guide you through the cooking process.

Can I make Chicken And Wild Rice Soup Gluten-Free?

Yes! For a gluten-free version, you will have to swap the all-purpose flour with the gluten-free version.

Also, you can make a cornstarch slurry by simply mixing the same amount of cornstarch with cold water. Just mix the cornstarch until it dissolved with the water.  Then, once the rice has cooked, add in 1-2 tablespoons of the slurry to the soup at a time until the broth reaches your desired level of thickness.

Panera Bread Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe Tips:

• You can use rotisserie chicken in this recipe or cooked chicken breasts. I prefer rotisserie chicken, as it’s more flavorful and tender.
• Similarly, you could add some bacon to it. This will amp up the flavor of this dish!
• I like to use onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Make sure you don’t overcook the veggies, they need to be tender, but not mushy.
• Also, to make the soup even creamier, I like to puree half of it, either by adding it to a blender or using an immersion blender.
• To cut on the calories, you can use light cream or half-light cream and half milk.
• Since this is a homemade version, you can play with it, add more or less garlic and if you want, some red pepper flakes for some heat, more or fewer veggies.
• Feel free to use different rice or orzo. It is ok to swap the rice or orzo pasta if you would like. Just remember to adjust the cooking time based on the type of rice you are using. 

Can you freeze Chicken Wild Rice Soup?

Yes. I recommend using quart bags for this soup. Use a cup to transfer the soup from the pot into the bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. The bags can nicely be stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

To thaw the soup, remove it from the freezer the night before serving, or put the sealed soup bag in warm water to thaw it faster.

Looking for more comforting soup recipes? Check these out!

• Panera Bread Creamy Tomato Soup Copycat
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup
• Slow Cooker Corn Chowder with Bacon
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Tools I used to make the Panera Bread Chicken Wild Rice Soup Copycat Recipe:

• Immersion Blender – so convenient, makes it easy to puree food without having to add it to a blender.
• Dutch Oven – mine is from Le Creuset, but I also like this one and it’s reasonably priced.

• ▢ 2 boneless chicken breasts
• ▢ 6 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
• ▢ 1 6oz package long grain and wild rice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion (diced)
• ▢ 1 medium carrot (cut into thin rounds)
• ▢ 1 cup celery (diced)
• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 3 cup light or heavy cream

Garnish:

• ▢ Fresh chopped parsley

• ▢

  In a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, combine broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.

• ▢

  In a medium saucepan or large, deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.

• ▢

  Add diced onion, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. If the rice contained a seasoning packet, stir it in now and cook the veggies for another 5 minutes.

• ▢

  Gradually add the flour to the veggies, while constantly stirring to form a roux.

• ▢

  Sauté roux for 3-4 minutes and gradually, over low-medium heat, start whisking in the cream, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

• ▢

  Bring back the pot with chicken and rice, place it over low-medium heat and stir cream mixture into the broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through and the rice is done, 15-20 minutes.

• ▢

  If you want the soup to be creamier, blend half of it using an immersion blender. Or add 1/2 to a large blender and puree soup until there are no large chunks left.

• ▢

  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

• ▢

  Enjoy!

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 980mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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