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Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a family favorite soup. This creamy soup is loaded with flavor and is easy to make.

Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a Dutch Oven Pot with a wooden spoon
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Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Panera Bread Recipe is delicious and loaded with easy ingredients. We love how creamy it is and one of our favorite soups that we get at Panera Bread.

We all know that I love recreating our favorite recipes from restaurants. This allows me to control the ingredients. Not add anything that is not necessary. This copycat recipe is one of our favorite soup recipes and it saved me time and money making it at home.

This soup is delicious served with a slice of French bread or a grilled cheese sandwich. You can make this soup in a Dutch oven on your stovetop or in your slow cooker. You are going to love how easy this soup is to make.

Ingredients needed - carrots, celery, onion, olive oil, chicken, minced garlic, chicken broth, water, milk, pepper, salt, oregano, bay leaf, flour, rice

Ingredients: 

  • Carrots (peeled and finely diced) 
  • Ribs Celery (finely diced) 
  • Onion (finely diced) 
  • Olive Oil 
  • Chicken Breasts (diced into 1 inch pieces) 
  • Minced Garlic 
  • Chicken Broth 
  • Water 
  • Milk 
  • Pepper 
  • Salt 
  • Dried Oregano 
  • Bay Leaf 
  • All Purpose Flour 
  • Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice (4.3 oz box) 
Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a white bowl

How to Make Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: 

  • Step 1 – Cook Vegetables – Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add in the carrots, celery and onions to the pan.  Sauté for 10-12 minutes until the onions are translucent. 
Softening the vegetables in a large pot
  • Step 2 – Brown Chicken – Add in the chicken and garlic.  Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is browned.  
Mixing in the dice chicken and vegetable together
  • Step 3 – Stir in broth, milk and seasoning – Then stir in the chicken broth, water, 1 cup of milk and seasonings.  Allow the soup to simmer over medium high heat for 15 minutes. 
Pouring in the broth into the soup
  • Step 4 – Whisk flour and milk – Then whisk together the remaining milk with the flour.  Stir this mixture into the pot. 
Adding the seasoning to the chicken and wild rice soup
  • Step 5 – Stir in rice and seasoning – Then stir in the wild rice and the seasoning mixture from the package.  Allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and cooked through. 
Mixing the cornstarch and water in a measuring cup
  • Step 6 – Serve and enjoy – Taste test the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve warm and enjoy.
Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a Dutch Oven Pot with a Ladle

What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:

There are many sides that would pair perfectly with this soup. Here are some of our favorites.

  • French Bread – Serve this soup with some french bread for dipping and to make sure you get every last drop.
  • Grilled Cheese – There is nothing better there the combination of a grilled cheese and soup. It is even delicious to dip your sandwich into the soup.
  • Turkey Sandwich – Anytime we go to Panera, I always get their turkey sandwich and it goes well with this soup.
  • Cheese and Crackers – This is a simple side but one of my favorites. I like to crumble crackers in my soup while eating.
  • Bacon Sandwich – Make a delicious BLT to pair with this tomato soup for a delicious combination.
  • Salads – A nice green salad pairs perfectly with this soup. Makes for a light and healthy lunch or dinner. Try making this Panera Fuji Apple Salad.
Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a Dutch Oven Pot with a Ladle

Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Tips:

  • Thickening Soup – You can use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup if you prefer. 
  • Cook Vegetables – Before combining ingredients, cook the vegetables in oil on the skillet.
  • Chicken – Brown chicken before adding to the soup. The chicken will continue to cook while it is in the soup.
  • Cooking Time – Cooking time will vary depending how large you cut your vegetables.
  • Serving Soup – We love to serve this soup in a bread bowl because of how creamy it is. The soup really soaks in the bread and I like to eat it all together.
Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a Dutch Oven Pot with a Ladle

How to Store:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When you are ready to reheat, we recommend reheating on the stove in a sauce pan. This makes sure there is no hot spots.

You can also reheat in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Reheat in 30 second intervals to make sure that it doesn’t overheat.

Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a bowl with a spoon

Recipe Variations:

  • Chicken – This is great soup to use leftover cooked chicken. We have even used rotisserie chicken as a variations.
  • Vegetable – Change the vegetables and use what you have on hand. Green beans, peas or chopped broccoli would be a great addition to this soup.
  • Seasoning – Feel free to change the seasoning to what you prefer. This wild rice soup recipe with a seasoning packet or other seasoning that you have on hand.
  • Chicken Broth – You can substitute the chicken broth with chicken stock.
  • Heavy Cream – If you prefer, you can substitute the milk for heavy cream.
Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a Dutch Oven Pot with a ladle in the soup

Can you Freeze Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?

Yes, you can freeze this soup. I like to put the soup in small pre-portioned containers or bags so that I can easily grab for quick lunches and dinners.

When you are ready to reheat, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. Then place in a saucepan or reheat in the microwave.

Freezing leftover soup saves time and money.

Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a bowl with a spoon with loafs of french bread

Print Recipe here for Copycat Panera Bread Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:

Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

5 from 46 votes
Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a family favorite soup. This creamy soup is loaded with flavor and is easy to make.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Cuisine American
Course Soup
Calories 279

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add in the carrots, celery and onions to the pan.  Sauté for 10-12 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • Add in the chicken and garlic.  Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is browned.
  • Then stir in the chicken broth, water, 1 cup of milk and seasonings.  Allow the soup to simmer over medium high heat for 15 minutes.
  • Then whisk together the remaining milk with the flour.  Stir this mixture into the pot.  Then stir in the wild rice and the seasoning mixture from the package.  Allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and cooked through.
  • Taste test the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  
You can use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup if you prefer. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 279kcal, Carbohydrates 32g, Protein 24g, Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1g, Monounsaturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0.01g, Cholesterol 61mg, Sodium 901mg, Potassium 650mg, Fiber 3g, Sugar 7g, Vitamin A 5268IU, Vitamin C 4mg, Calcium 137mg, Iron 1mg

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Panera Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a bowl with a spoon

More Copycat Panera Soup Recipes:

Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a family favorite soup. This creamy soup is loaded with flavor and is easy to make. Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Panera Bread Recipe is delicious and loaded with easy ingredients. We love how creamy it is and one of our favorite soups that we get at Panera Bread. #eatingonadime #panerachickenwildricesoup #copycatpanerasoup

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

5 from 46 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Carrie Barnard says:

    Soy milk or hemp milk will work great in this recipe instead of milk.

  2. Swati T. says:

    What can one use instead of milk for lactose intolerant people?

  3. Tess H says:

    5 stars
    This ish SLAPS. I haven’t had the wild rice from Panera but I this is the first time I veered away from my go to recipe for this soup. I made a few adjustments: I used heavy cream for the first part of the recipe and 2% milk for the second part of the recipe (where you whisk with flour). I also seared and then oven roasted chicken in a cast iron and then shredded vs adding in cubed raw with the veggies. (I lost my job, I had the time.) I added in paprika and a little red pepper flake not for spice just for a warm mouth feeling and I used two bay leaves instead of one. Once you add the rice you DO need to reduce heat and stir every 5 or so just to make sure the rice doesn’t stick. Since we aren’t steaming here it’s ok to lift and check. Will be making again. Directions were a little confusing, I wish the measurements were included in the directions so I didn’t have to keep flipping back and forth between ingredients and instruction but other than that it’s fantastic.

  4. Carrie Barnard says:

    You can use brown rice or basmati rice instead of wild rice.

  5. Carrie Barnard says:

    I would stir more frequently and turn down the heat.

  6. Kellie says:

    Any suggestions on the rice getting stuck to the bottom of the pot? Second try and it’s ruining the bottom of my pots 🙁

  7. Heather Jones says:

    Good morning, I live in England and I can’t find the rice yiu use, can you suggest. An alternative
    Kind regards
    Heather

  8. Carrie Barnard says:

    I would use 1-2 Tablespoon with 1/4 cup of milk or water. Either will work great.

  9. Rachel Hurley says:

    How much cornstarch would you use? Would you make slurry with water or milk?