Chicken Vegetable Soup with Wild Rice (Printable Version)

Tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and nutty wild rice simmered in savory broth. Gluten-free, easy to prepare, serves six.

# Ingredient List:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), diced

→ Grains

02 - 3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 1 medium onion, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
10 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Liquids

11 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Spices & Herbs

12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

→ Other

17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in chicken pieces and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned but not cooked through.
04 - Add wild rice, zucchini, green beans, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until wild rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Add frozen peas and simmer for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The wild rice adds this amazing nutty texture that elevates it beyond ordinary chicken soup, like that secret ingredient nobody can quite identify.
  • Its incredibly forgiving if youre running short on a vegetable or two, making it perfect for those end-of-week refrigerator clean-outs that somehow turn into family favorites.
02 -
  • Wild rice needs the full cooking time to open up and soften properly - I once rushed it and ended up with teeth-challenging grains that my daughter still teases me about.
  • Adding the frozen peas at the very end preserves their vibrant color and prevents them from turning mushy, a mistake I made several times before getting it right.
03 -
  • If you find yourself short on fresh herbs, a tablespoon of pesto stirred in at the end provides a similar brightness with an unexpected twist of flavor.
  • The soup freezes beautifully if you stop just short of fully cooking the vegetables, allowing them to finish when you reheat without becoming mushy.

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