Autumn Harvest Chicken & Wild Rice Soup Recipe
This Autumn Harvest Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is a comforting and hearty fall recipe that combines tender chicken, earthy wild rice, sweet pumpkin, and aromatic vegetables. It’s perfect for chilly days, offering a creamy, flavorful meal that warms you from the inside out. The soup features a delightful medley of seasonal ingredients and is finished with a splash of cream and optional garnishes like roasted pumpkin seeds or crusty bread for dipping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 lbs Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts
- 1 sugar pumpkin, peeled, gutted, and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (baby bella or white button)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed and soaked
- 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 can white beans, drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
Optional Garnishes
- Croutons
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Extra thyme
- Warm crusty bread on the side
Instructions
- Prep the Vegetables and Rice: Chop all vegetables, peel and cube the sugar pumpkin, and soak wild rice in water while you prepare other ingredients.
- Build the Soup Base: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, then cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the same pot and cook for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Add Aromatics and Rice: Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and the soaked wild rice. Mix to coat the rice with flavors, then nestle the chicken back into the pot.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes to cook the rice and meld flavors.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove chicken from pot and shred or dice it into bite-sized pieces.
- Finish Cooking the Soup: Add cubed pumpkin, drained white beans, and shredded chicken back to the pot. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes until pumpkin is tender and rice is fully cooked. Test rice for doneness and cook longer if needed.
- Add Cream and Simmer: Stir in heavy cream and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds, croutons, or fresh thyme. Serve with warm crusty bread for dipping if desired.
Notes
- For deeper flavor, cook chicken in broth first and use that broth for the soup.
- Soup thickens when refrigerated; add broth or cream when reheating to loosen.
- This soup freezes well; add cream only when reheating.
- Tri-colored carrots add visual appeal but any carrots work well.
Keywords: autumn soup, chicken and wild rice soup, pumpkin soup, fall recipes, creamy chicken soup, hearty soup, seasonal soup
