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Easy Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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A quick and easy one-pot copycat of Panera’s creamy chicken and wild rice soup, ready in about 45 minutes with simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights and guaranteed to impress.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb (450g) boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup (180g) wild rice blend
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small (about 1 cup / 130g)
  • 2 stalks celery, diced small (about 1/2 cup / 60g)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 150g)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste (start with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Instructions

  1. Prep your vegetables (5 minutes): Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into small, uniform pieces—about 1/4-inch cubes. Mince the garlic. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut into bite-sized chunks, about 1-inch pieces. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Sauté the aromatics (5 minutes): Place your pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables start to soften—about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown.
  3. Cook the chicken (5 minutes): Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
  4. Add the flour (1 minute): Sprinkle the flour evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Stir continuously for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
  5. Pour in the broth (1 minute): Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
  6. Add the rice and seasonings (1 minute): Stir in the wild rice blend, dried thyme, crushed rosemary, and bay leaf. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir well.
  7. Simmer (35-40 minutes): Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer gently. Check the rice after 35 minutes—it should be tender but still have a pleasant chew. If needed, cook another 5-10 minutes.
  8. Add the cream (2 minutes): Once the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf and discard. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Warm through for about 2 minutes—do not let it boil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Rest and serve (5 minutes): Remove from heat and let the soup sit for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water). For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with olive oil and heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk. The soup tastes even better the next day as flavors meld. If freezing, freeze before adding cream and add cream after reheating.

Nutrition

Keywords: copycat Panera, chicken and wild rice soup, easy soup recipe, one-pot soup, weeknight dinner, comfort food

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/easy-copycat-panera-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/