Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
User Reviews
5
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
Description
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup combines chicken thighs browned in butter or oil with mushrooms and aromatics like onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. A blend of wild rice varieties is added along with spices such as thyme, oregano, and bay leaf, and chicken stock to build a savory, fragrant base. The soup cooks under pressure to quickly tenderize the chicken and soften the rice while melding flavors.
The thickness and creaminess come from mixing flour and heavy cream into the soup after cooking, which enriches the texture and flavor. This method creates a comforting soup with tender chicken, a slightly chewy rice mix, and balanced vegetable undertones. The use of unsalted stock and butter allows control over seasoning, and soy sauce adds umami depth.
Serving this soup offers a filling meal on cooler days, presenting warm notes from thyme and bay leaf along with wholesome, rustic ingredients. Adjust thickness by adding more stock if too thick or cooking longer to thicken further. Different wild rice blends may affect liquid needs and texture, so adjust accordingly based on the rice used.
The recipe notes suggest some brands of wild rice blends require different liquid amounts. Utilizing unsalted chicken stock and butter is recommended for precise seasoning control. Substitutes for heavy cream include 2% or whole milk. Leftover soup can be reheated gently to maintain texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds (800g) chicken thighs bone-in or bone-in chicken breasts
- 1 cup (210g) wild rice blend uncooked
- ¼ - ½ pound (114g - 228g) cremini mushrooms , sliced (optional)
- 1 (180g - 220g) onion roughly sliced, medium
- 3 (220g) carrot chopped
- 3 ribs (220g) celery , chopped
- 4 (23g) garlic minced, cloves
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter divided, or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (1g) thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon (0.4g) oregano dried
- 3 (0.6g) bay leaf
- 5 cups (1250ml) chicken stock divided, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce regular
- ½ teaspoon (4g) salt fine
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Thickener
- 2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown Chicken Thighs: Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" function to heat up your Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (roughly 8 minutes). Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Season one side of chicken gently with salt and black pepper. Add 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or olive oil in Instant Pot's inner pot. Make sure you cover the whole bottom with oil. Add the chicken (seasoned side down) in Instant Pot, then let it brown for 3.5 minutes. Lightly season the other side of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Flip and brown this side of chicken for another 2.5 minutes. Set aside the chicken.
- Saute Sliced Mushrooms: Add sliced mushrooms in Instant Pot, and make sure they are all coated with oil. Stir every minute, and let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Saute Onion & Vegetables: Add in sliced onion, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or olive oil (if necessary). Add in chopped carrot, celery, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, ½ tsp (0.4g) dried oregano, and 3 bay leaves, then saute for another minute. Add in minced garlic, then saute for another 30 seconds.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Add in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Wild Rice Soup: Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, ½ tsp (4g) fine salt, and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock. Add in set aside chicken and all its’ meat juice. Add in 1 cup (210g) wild rice blend, then make sure all the rice is fully submerged in the cooking liquid. With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Then, turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 13 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. Release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
- Shred Chicken Meat: Place chicken in a large bowl. Remove the chicken skin and bones, then shred the chicken meat with two forks. Note: Depending on your wild rice blend, your soup may look slightly reddish.
- Add Cream & Thicken Soup: Bring the soup to a simmer with the "Saute" function. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour with 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream, and stir thoroughly. Then, mix it into the soup one-third at a time until desired thickness. Add shredded chicken back in the soup. Taste the soup, then season with salt if necessary. For Reference: We added another ½ tsp (4g) of fine salt to properly season our wild rice soup.
- Garnish & Serve: Place your deliciously creamy wild rice soup in a serving bowl. Enjoy~
Notes
- Wild rice blends vary greatly; adjust liquid amounts according to the specific blend used to achieve desired rice tenderness.
- Using unsalted chicken stock and butter helps control overall saltiness; adjust salt after cooking if using salted ingredients.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with 2% or 3.25% milk for a lighter soup texture.
- If soup is too thick after cooking, add more stock; for thinner soup, reduce liquid or cook briefly uncovered.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6- 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 493 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 493kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 117mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 289mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 739mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 5236IU | 105% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
