As the summer days start to shorten and we head towards fall, nothing quite beats a comforting warm bowl of chicken soup for lunch or dinner. But this Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is no ordinary soup!
In fact, it’s a copycat of my favorite Panera dish – chicken and wild rice soup! Today, you get to make this hearty meal for the family in just 30 minutes thanks to the speed and convenience of an Instant Pot. Let me show you how to make this coypcat Panera chicken and wild rice soup recipe.
While you could make this wild rice soup on your stovetop, I just love any excuse to make a wholesome meal in my Instant Pot – it tends to create super tender food, beautifully infused with your favorite seasoning and broth and requires hardly any supervision which is always a big win!
What Is Chicken And Wild Rice Soup?
This Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is inspired by the popular Panera chicken and wild rice soup (a copycat version if you will), that’ll spare you a trip to your local Panera and save you a few bucks too!
Essentially, it’s a bowl of tender shredded chicken mixed in with a generous amount of soft and well seasoned sauteed vegetables, long grain wild rice, and simmered in chicken broth (either store bought or homemade). If you thought your mom’s chicken soup was magical, you’ve yet to taste this addictive bowl of comfort food!
Panera Copycat Chicken And Wild Rice Soup Ingredients
Making this Panera copycat dish certainly doesn’t involve any difficulty thanks to the Instant Pot but you will need the following ingredients to make this comforting Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup:
- Olive Oil
- minced garlic
- onion, diced
- carrots, diced
- mushrooms, diced
- chopped spinach
- chicken broth
- water
- chicken breasts
- long grain wild rice with seasoning packet
- salt (optional)
- ground black pepper
- Italian seasoning
How To Make Chicken And Rice Soup In The Instant Pot
You’ll never believe just how simple it is to make Chicken and Rice Soup in your Instant Pot! Follow the steps below for guaranteed success and satisfaction:
Step 1: Set the Instant Pot and Add the Ingredients To Cook
Set the instant pot to sauté and add the oil. Once oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, garlic and mushrooms and then sauté for 5 minutes.
Once 5 minutes is done, add the chicken breast, broth, water, rice and seasonings, making sure that the rice is mixed in well.
When all the ingredients are added, close the lid and pressure valve and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Make sure to manually release pressure when done.
Step 2: Remove the Chicken and Thicken the Soup
Once the cooking time is complete, remove the chicken and set aside. In the meantime, add the spinach and milk to the Instant Pot and stir until the soup thickens.
Step 3: Shred the Chicken and Add it Back to the Soup
Shred the chicken and stir back into the soup. And that’s it! All done, ready to be served as a comforting warm and wholesome meal without having to make a trip to your local Panera!
Can I Make This On The Stove Top?
Yes, you can! While I love using the Instant Pot for convenience, if you don’t have an Instant Pot you can still make this top notch soup. Here are the steps you’ll need to take when making your wild rice soup on the stovetop:
- Add your oil to a large saucepan and allow to heat up. Then add in your prepared vegetables (onion, carrots, garlic and mushrooms) and saute until the vegetables are softened which should take about 7-10 minutes.
- Add your wild rice, water and stock to the saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add in pre-cooked and shredded chicken to the soup mixture and simmer for an additional 10 – 15 minutes until the wild rice is nice and tender.
- Just prior to completion, add in the spinach to soften slightly without it wilting and serve!
Can I Use Homemade Chicken Broth?
Definitely! This recipe is great with store-bought broth or homemade chicken broth. The benefit of making your own broth is that you have complete control over the choice of ingredients used which usually results in a healthier alternative to store bought broth.
Make additional chicken broth and freeze it for later use in recipes such as this Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup, Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili, or Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls.
Side Dish Recommendations
If you’re feeding a crowd or feel like enjoying this Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with a side dish then be sure to consider the following tasty additions:
How To Store Leftovers
Got any leftovers from making this recipe? Instant Pot Wild Rice can be stored in the refrigerator in the actual Instant Pot inner pot, covered by a silicone or glass lid. Otherwise, store your leftovers in an airtight container. Either way, your leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To reheat your wild rice soup, add it to the stovetop with a splash of water or extra chicken broth, breaking up the thickened rice into smaller pieces and stir till heated throughout.
Can I Freeze It?
Absolutely! If you don’t anticipate eating your leftovers anytime soon, store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw the frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stovetop.
Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
How to make copycat Panera soup in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 2/3 cup onion, diced
- 2/3 cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup mushrooms, diced
- 1 cup rough chopped spinach
- 4 cups homemade or low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 pkg long grain wild rice with seasoning packet, I used uncle ben’s
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Instructions
1. Set the instant pot to sauté and add the oil. Once oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes
2. Add the chicken breast, broth, water, rice and seasoning packet, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Make sure the rice is mixed in.
3. Close the lid and pressure valve and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Manually release pressure when done.
4. Remove chicken and set aside. Add the spinach and milk and stir until soup thickens.
5. Shred the chicken and stir back into the soup.
Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Chicken Tetrazzini
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Did you make this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a review in the comments below or in the recipe card above. Want to make it later? You can pin the image below.
