The Coziest Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup (A One-Pot Wonder)

There’s a certain kind of chill that settles in on a dreary afternoon, the kind that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and a good book. On those days, there’s only one thing my family asks for: a big, warm bowl of my Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup.

This isn’t just any soup. It’s a hug in a bowl—creamy, savory, and packed with incredible textures. We’re talking tender chicken, salty bits of crispy bacon, and that wonderful, nutty chew from the wild rice, all swimming in a velvety, rich broth. It tastes like something you’d get at a fancy cafe, but I promise you, it’s so easy to make right in your own kitchen. Let’s get cooking, and I’ll show you how to create this masterpiece step-by-step.

Quick Recipe

• Preparation Time: 20M
• Cooking Time: 1H20M
• Total Time: 1H40M
• Type of dish: Soup, Main Course
• Cuisine: American
• Recipe Yield: 8 servings
• Calories: Approx. 495 calories per serving

Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Recipe

This isn’t just a recipe I wrote down; it’s one I’ve perfected over many chilly seasons. It’s the meal I bring to new parents and the one I crave after a long week. The secret is all in the technique. We don’t just dump ingredients into a pot. We build flavor from the ground up.

First, we cook the bacon until it’s perfectly crisp. But we don’t stop there! We use that rendered bacon fat—liquid gold!—to cook our vegetables. This simple step infuses the entire soup with a subtle, smoky depth that you just can’t get any other way. This is what separates a good soup from a great hearty winter soup.

The Cast of Characters: Your Ingredients

Getting your ingredients ready before you start, a practice cooks call mise en place, makes the whole process smooth and enjoyable. Here’s what you’ll need.

The Flavor Builders

• Bacon: Use a good quality, thick-cut bacon. It provides a better texture and renders more of that precious fat.
• The Mirepoix: This is just a fancy name for the classic trio of onion, carrots, and celery. They create the aromatic foundation of the soup.
• Garlic: Because everything is better with garlic.
• Herbs: A little dried thyme and a bay leaf add a classic, earthy flavor that complements the chicken and rice perfectly.

The Main Stars

• Chicken: A rotisserie chicken is my secret weapon for weeknight ease! It’s already cooked and seasoned, and you can shred it in minutes. If you have leftover cooked chicken breasts or thighs, those work great too.
• Wild Rice: This is key! You want to use 100% wild rice, not a wild rice blend. True wild rice is actually the seed of an aquatic grass and has a fantastic firm, chewy texture that holds up in the soup. A blend often contains other rice types that will get mushy.

For That Creamy Dreamy Base

• Butter & All-Purpose Flour: These two work together to create a “roux.” This is a simple paste that will thicken our soup beautifully, giving it body and richness without any raw flour taste.
• Chicken Broth: Use a low-sodium broth so you can control the saltiness yourself. The bacon will add a good amount of salt.
• Heavy Cream: This is what gives the soup its luxurious, velvety finish. We stir it in at the very end to keep it from curdling.

Let’s Get Cooking: Step-by-Step Instructions

Alright, grab your favorite heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, and let’s make some soup!

1. Crisp the Bacon: In your pot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but—and this is important—leave about 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat in the pot. This is pure flavor!

2. Sauté the Veggies: Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery (your mirepoix) to the bacon fat in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes. You want them to soften and become fragrant. This process is called “sweating” the vegetables, and it coaxes out their natural sweetness. Add the minced garlic and cook for just one more minute until you can smell it.

3. Make the Roux: Melt the butter into the vegetables. Once it’s melted, sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for about one minute. It will look like a thick paste coating the vegetables. Cooking the flour for a minute is crucial—it toasts it slightly and gets rid of any starchy, raw taste.

4. Build the Soup Base: Now, we’ll turn that paste into a beautiful broth. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the chicken broth. Adding it gradually while you whisk is the secret to a lump-free creamy chicken soup. Once all the broth is in, add the uncooked wild rice, thyme, and the bay leaf.

5. Simmer and Soften: Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer. This is where the magic happens. The rice will cook and soften, absorbing all that delicious flavor. This usually takes about 45-55 minutes. Check your wild rice package for specific timing.

6. Finish with the Good Stuff: Once the rice is tender (it should still have a slight chew), remove the bay leaf. Turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream, the shredded chicken, and about half of your crispy bacon. Let it heat through gently for a few minutes, but don’t let it boil after adding the cream.

Give it a taste! Now is the time to season with salt and freshly ground black pepper until it tastes perfect to you. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining crispy bacon and some fresh parsley if you’re feeling fancy.

Tips from My Kitchen for Perfect Soup

• Don’t Rush the Roux: That one minute of cooking the flour before adding liquid makes a world of difference in the final taste and texture.
• Taste As You Go: The saltiness of bacon and broth can vary. Taste the soup before adding the cream and again at the very end to adjust the salt and pepper perfectly.
• Storing and Reheating: This soup is even better the next day! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rice will absorb more liquid, so you may need to add a splash of broth or water when reheating it gently on the stove.

Essential Tools

• Large Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Pot
• Whisk
• Slotted Spoon
• Sharp Knife and Cutting Board

A Recipe to Cherish

This Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup is more than just a meal; it’s a tradition in my home, a reliable comfort on days we need it most. It’s proof that you can create incredibly delicious, restaurant-worthy meals with simple ingredients and a little bit of love.

I hope this becomes a favorite in your kitchen, too. Happy cooking!

The Coziest Curry Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup Recipe