Description
This Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is creamy, comforting, and packed with tender chicken, hearty wild rice, and savory vegetables. A homemade version of your Panera favorite that’s perfect for chilly nights, meal prep, or feeding a hungry family.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
½ cup onion, diced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Sauté the Vegetables
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until softened, about 5–7 minutes.Make the Roux
Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to form a roux.Add Liquids
Gradually pour in chicken broth and water while whisking to avoid lumps. Stir until slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes.Season the Soup
Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.Add Chicken and Rice
Stir in shredded chicken and cooked wild rice. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes.Incorporate the Cream
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer another 5–10 minutes.Serve
Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
Rotisserie chicken works great as a shortcut.
To make dairy-free, sub coconut milk for the cream and olive oil for butter.
Soup can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or frozen (without cream) for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg