Creamy, Healthy, & Easy Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free!)

Prepare to fall in love with your new favorite one-pot wonder: Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup! This incredibly delicious and wholesome soup is the epitome of comfort food, reimagined for your busy lifestyle. Forget long hours slaving over the stove; this recipe delivers a thick, creamy, and hearty meal in less than an hour, all thanks to the magic of your electric pressure cooker. What’s more, it’s thoughtfully crafted to be both dairy-free and gluten-free, making it a fantastic option for a wide range of dietary needs without sacrificing any flavor or texture.

Whether you’re seeking a nutritious weeknight dinner that the whole family will adore, or you’re looking for an efficient way to stock your fridge with healthy meal prep for days, this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is your answer. Its rich, satisfying flavor profile and effortless preparation make it a standout recipe that you’ll return to again and again. Get ready to transform simple ingredients into a gourmet-level soup with minimal effort!

*This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated with new text and a video to enhance your cooking experience. The original, beloved recipe remains unchanged, ensuring the same delicious results you’ve come to expect.

Since its initial publication almost a year ago, this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup has quickly ascended to the top of my personal recipe rotation. It’s my absolute go-to for healthy, satisfying meals. I often prepare a generous batch on Sundays, which effortlessly sorts out dinners and lunches for several days, freeing up valuable time during the week. The best part? It’s genuinely so simple to make, requiring minimal active cooking time and maximum flavor payoff.

Why This Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup Will Become Your New Favorite

This creamy chicken wild rice soup isn’t just another recipe; it’s a game-changer for anyone seeking healthy, convenient, and utterly delicious meals. Here are the top reasons you’ll find yourself reaching for this recipe time and time again:

• Minimal Ingredients for Maximum Flavor: You only need about 10 core ingredients, plus salt and pepper, to create this incredibly flavorful soup. This simplicity means less time grocery shopping and more time enjoying a wholesome, homemade meal. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in building the soup’s depth and richness, proving that you don’t need a pantry full of exotic items to cook something extraordinary.
• Effortless “Set It and Forget It” Cooking: The Instant Pot truly shines with this recipe. After a quick initial assembly, you simply set your pressure cooker and let it do most of the work. This hands-off approach frees you up to tackle other tasks or simply relax while your dinner practically cooks itself. The only active steps involve a brief shredding of the tender chicken and stirring in the dairy-free thickener at the end.
• No More Handling Raw Chicken: One of the often-dreaded parts of cooking with chicken is cutting and handling raw meat. With this recipe, you can skip that step entirely! The chicken breasts cook up whole within the soup, becoming incredibly tender and easy to shred once cooked. This not only simplifies preparation but also makes for a cleaner, more pleasant cooking experience.
• Creamy Texture Without the Dairy: Achieving a luscious, creamy soup typically involves heavy cream or other dairy products. However, this recipe offers a brilliant dairy-free solution, using a simple, gluten-free mixture of tapioca flour and a nut milk of your choice. This ingenious combination delivers all the richness and velvety texture you crave, making the soup suitable for those with dairy allergies, sensitivities, or anyone simply looking for a lighter, plant-based alternative. You won’t miss the cream, we promise!
• Hearty and Wholesome Goodness: Packed with lean protein from chicken, fiber-rich wild rice, and an abundance of vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, and spinach, this soup is a complete and balanced meal in a bowl. It’s incredibly satisfying and will keep you feeling full and nourished, making it an ideal choice for healthy meal planning.

Ingredient Spotlight: Crafting Your Perfect Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Each ingredient in this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup plays a vital role in creating its balanced flavors and comforting texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and some tips for variations:

Chicken: Our recipe calls for two fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts. These cook beautifully in the Instant Pot, becoming incredibly tender and easy to shred. If you’re looking to boost the protein content or want to stretch the soup to feed more people or for extra meal prep, feel free to add another chicken breast. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used for a slightly richer flavor and even more tender texture; just ensure they are of similar size for even cooking. Always ensure your chicken is fresh for the best results.

Dried Basil and Oregano: These classic Mediterranean herbs lend a warm, aromatic foundation to the soup. Dried herbs are potent, so a teaspoon of each is sufficient. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, remember to triple the amount, as fresh herbs are less concentrated in flavor. Experimentation is encouraged! Consider adding a sprig of fresh rosemary for an earthy note or a bay leaf during the pressure cooking phase for an added layer of depth. These small adjustments can significantly alter the soup’s aromatic profile.

Salt and Pepper: These fundamental seasonings are essential for enhancing all the other flavors in the soup. We start with a modest amount, but always taste and adjust at the end to suit your personal preference. Using kosher salt is recommended for its cleaner taste and easier measurement compared to table salt. Freshly ground black pepper will also offer a more vibrant peppery kick than pre-ground varieties.

Carrots and Mushrooms: These vegetables add sweetness, earthiness, and texture to the soup. It’s crucial to chop your carrots into roughly 1/2-inch thick pieces and quarter your mushrooms (or leave them whole if they are particularly small). Cutting vegetables too thin will cause them to overcook and become mushy during the pressure cooking process, losing their delightful bite and nutritional integrity. Feel free to add other sturdy vegetables like celery or parsnips, cut to a similar size, for more variety.

Wild Rice Blend: This is a key component for both flavor and texture. Our recipe specifically calls for a wild rice blend, which typically includes a mix of wild rice and whole grain brown rice. This blend is preferred because it cooks more quickly and evenly in the Instant Pot compared to using 100% wild rice. If you opt for an all-wild rice variety, you will need to increase the pressure cooking time significantly, which could lead to the other soup ingredients, especially the vegetables, becoming overcooked. The blend provides a beautiful nutty flavor and a satisfying chew without compromising the texture of the other components. Always check that your blend is certified gluten-free if catering to that dietary need.

Chicken Broth: We recommend using no salt added chicken broth to give you full control over the soup’s sodium content. This allows you to season the soup precisely to your liking. However, if you prefer a slightly saltier soup or simply have it on hand, low-sodium or even regular chicken broth can be used. Just be mindful to taste before adding additional salt. For a vegetarian or vegan version, a high-quality vegetable broth works perfectly as a substitute.

Tapioca Flour: This is our secret weapon for achieving that incredible thick, creamy, and velvety texture without any dairy. Tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch) is a fantastic gluten-free thickener that creates a smooth consistency without becoming gummy. It’s mixed with nut milk to form a slurry before being stirred into the hot soup. While cornstarch can be used as an alternative, note that soups thickened with cornstarch tend to gel slightly when cooled, though they will easily liquefy and return to a creamy consistency upon reheating.

Nut Milk: To keep this soup wonderfully dairy-free, we typically use unsweetened cashew or almond milk. These options provide a subtle richness without imparting an overpowering flavor. Ensure you choose unsweetened varieties to avoid any unintended sweetness in your savory soup. If dairy is not a concern for you, feel free to use regular dairy milk (such as 2% or whole milk) for an equally creamy result.

Spinach: A generous few cups of packed fresh baby spinach are added towards the very end of the cooking process. Spinach wilts quickly, adding a boost of vibrant color and essential nutrients without getting mushy. If you prefer, other leafy greens like kale or collard greens can be used. If using tougher greens like kale, make sure they are torn into small pieces and added slightly earlier, perhaps along with the thickener, to give them a bit more time to cook down and soften appropriately.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Master Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Making this hearty and healthy soup in your Instant Pot is incredibly straightforward. Follow these detailed steps to ensure a perfect, creamy, and flavorful result every time:

• Prepare and Load the Instant Pot: Begin by lightly greasing the inner pot of your Instant Pot with a cooking spray or a thin layer of oil to prevent anything from sticking. Carefully place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the bottom. Season the chicken generously with the dried basil, oregano, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Next, add your prepared carrots, mushrooms, and the wild rice blend directly into the pot, distributing them evenly. Finally, pour in the chicken broth, making sure all ingredients are mostly submerged. Give everything a gentle stir to combine, but avoid over-mixing.
• Pressure Cook to Perfection: Secure the lid on your Instant Pot, ensuring it’s properly locked in place. Turn the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position. Select the “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) setting and set the cooking time to 12 minutes on High Pressure. The Instant Pot will take approximately 10-15 minutes to build pressure before the actual cooking countdown begins. This is an important part of the process, so don’t be alarmed by the initial delay.
• Natural and Quick Pressure Release: Once the 12-minute cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. This means you do nothing and let the pressure come down on its own for the first five minutes. After this initial natural release, carefully switch the steam release valve to the “Venting” position to perform a quick release. Be cautious of the hot steam that will escape. Wait until the float valve drops completely before attempting to open the lid.
• Shred the Chicken: With the lid safely removed, carefully take out the cooked chicken breasts from the soup and transfer them to a clean cutting board. Using two forks, easily shred the now incredibly tender chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once shredded, return all the chicken back into the warm soup in the Instant Pot.
• Prepare the Thickener: In a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, combine the tapioca flour with the unsweetened nut milk. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is completely smooth and free of any lumps. This slurry is what will transform your soup into a creamy delight.
• Thicken and Finish the Soup: With the lid off, set your Instant Pot to the “Sauté” mode for about 5 minutes. As the soup begins to simmer gently, slowly pour in the tapioca flour and nut milk mixture, stirring continuously. Keep stirring gently as the soup heats up; you’ll notice it start to thicken beautifully and develop that desired creamy texture within a few minutes. Towards the very end of this sautéing period, add the fresh baby spinach to the pot. Continue to stir until the spinach has completely wilted into the soup. Be sure to stir regularly to prevent any ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Final Seasoning and Serve: Once the soup has reached your desired consistency and the spinach is wilted, taste it. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt and pepper if needed. Serve your hot and creamy Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup immediately, perhaps with some crusty bread or crackers for dipping.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Here are answers to some common questions about making and enjoying this delicious and healthy Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup:

How do you thicken creamy chicken wild rice soup without cream?
Achieving a rich, creamy texture without any dairy is one of the highlights of this recipe! The secret lies in a simple yet effective gluten-free thickener: tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch) combined with nut milk. To thicken, simply whisk 1/4 cup of tapioca flour with 3/4 cup of unsweetened nut milk (like almond or cashew milk) until it forms a perfectly smooth slurry with no lumps. Once your soup has finished pressure cooking and you’ve shredded the chicken, set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode. Slowly pour the tapioca flour mixture into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. You’ll notice the soup gradually thicken as it heats, creating a velvety, dairy-free creaminess. If tapioca flour isn’t available, cornstarch can be used as a substitute with similar thickening power. However, it’s worth noting that soups thickened with cornstarch tend to gel slightly when cooled, but they will readily return to a liquid, creamy consistency upon reheating.

Can you use frozen chicken breasts in this soup?
While the Instant Pot is versatile, I haven’t specifically tested this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, and generally, I advise against it for this particular soup. The primary concern with cooking frozen chicken directly in a soup with other ingredients is the uneven cooking time. Although some Instant Pot recipes can accommodate frozen chicken, it usually requires a significantly longer pressure cooking time to ensure the chicken is fully cooked through to a safe internal temperature (165°F or 74°C). This extended cooking duration would very likely result in the other delicate soup ingredients, such as the wild rice blend, carrots, and mushrooms, becoming overcooked and mushy. To maintain the ideal texture and consistency of all components in this delicious wild rice soup, it’s best to use fresh (thawed) boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you only have frozen chicken, I strongly recommend thawing it completely in the refrigerator beforehand.

What’s the total cooking time for this soup in the Instant Pot?
The beauty of the Instant Pot is its speed! For this chicken wild rice soup, the active pressure cooking time is just 12 minutes. However, the total time from start to finish will be approximately 58 minutes. This includes a crucial period of about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to build sufficient pressure before the 12-minute cook cycle begins. Following the cooking, there’s a 5-minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick release, which takes around 1-2 minutes. Finally, the soup is finished on ‘Sauté’ mode for about 5 minutes to incorporate the thickener and wilt the spinach. So, while the “cooking” itself is quick, factor in the pressure build-up and release times for an accurate total meal preparation estimate.

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing Best Practices

Once you’ve made a delicious batch of Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup, you’ll want to ensure you can enjoy it for days to come. Here’s how to properly store, reheat, and what to know about freezing:

How do you store any leftover soup and how long will it last?
To maintain the freshness and flavor of your leftover soup, transfer it to an airtight glass container. Glass containers are ideal as they don’t absorb odors or colors and are typically safer for reheating. Store the sealed container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, your Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup should remain fresh and delicious for 3 to 4 days. Always ensure the soup has cooled down sufficiently before transferring it to the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth and to avoid raising the temperature of your fridge.

How do you reheat this soup?
Reheating this soup is simple, whether you prefer the stovetop or microwave. When stored in the refrigerator, you might notice that the soup thickens considerably, becoming quite dense due to the tapioca flour and rice absorbing more liquid. This is perfectly normal! When reheating on the stovetop, place the desired portion in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. For microwave reheating, use a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring between each, until thoroughly warmed. To achieve its original creamy, smooth consistency, I highly recommend adding a splash of extra chicken broth or even a little water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per serving) before reheating. Stir it in as the soup warms up until it reaches your preferred consistency. This also helps prevent it from becoming too thick or sticky.

Can you freeze this soup?
Unfortunately, I do not recommend freezing this particular soup. The main reason is the wild rice blend. Cooked rice, especially wild rice, tends to become mushy and develop an undesirable, grainy texture once it’s been frozen and then defrosted and reheated. The freezing and thawing process significantly alters its structural integrity, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the soup. While the broth and chicken would likely freeze well, the rice component makes it less suitable for freezer storage. For best results, enjoy this soup fresh or within the recommended 3-4 days from the refrigerator.

Essential Tips & Creative Substitutions for Your Soup

Take your Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup to the next level with these expert tips and versatile substitution ideas:

• Adjust Cook Time for Chicken Breast Size: The 12-minute pressure cooking time is ideal for average-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, if your chicken breasts are particularly large or very thin, you might need to slightly adjust the cook time (e.g., add 1-2 minutes for very large breasts, or reduce by 1 minute for very thin ones). The most important thing is to ensure your chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) as measured with a meat thermometer.
• Instant Pot Capacity Matters: This recipe was developed and tested in a standard 6-quart Instant Pot, and it fills the insert approximately three-quarters full, which is a safe maximum for pressure cooking. If you own a smaller Instant Pot (e.g., 3-quart), it’s crucial to halve the recipe ingredients to avoid overfilling and ensure safe operation. Larger Instant Pots (8-quart or more) can handle the full recipe, or even a 1.5x batch if you need more.
• Customize Soup Consistency: If you have a preference for a thinner soup, you have a couple of easy options. You can either reduce the amount of tapioca flour used for thickening (e.g., start with 2 tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup) or, after the soup is finished, simply stir in additional warm chicken broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency. For a very thin soup, you can even omit the thickener entirely, though it won’t have the same creamy mouthfeel.
• Ensure Gluten-Free Integrity: For those strictly adhering to a gluten-free diet, it’s vital to check the labels of all your ingredients. While tapioca flour is naturally gluten-free, some wild rice blends may contain other grains that are not. Similarly, not all chicken broths are certified gluten-free. Always look for clear “gluten-free” certifications on your rice blend and chicken broth packaging to ensure your soup is safe for consumption.
• Add a Pop of Freshness: While the soup is hearty on its own, a garnish can truly elevate the dining experience. Consider a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or chives right before serving for a burst of fresh flavor and color. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end can also brighten up the entire dish, adding a lovely tangy counterpoint to the rich, creamy soup.
• Serving Suggestions: This Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a complete meal, but it pairs wonderfully with a side. Serve it with a crusty loaf of gluten-free bread for dipping, a simple side salad with a light vinaigrette, or some gluten-free crackers for extra crunch.

Explore More Homemade Chicken Soup Recipes

If you love the comfort and versatility of homemade chicken soup, be sure to check out these other fantastic recipes from Crumb Top Baking, perfect for any occasion:

• Chicken Fajita Soup: Dive into all the zesty and spicy flavors of your favorite fajita dish, but in a comforting soup form! This vibrant recipe is loaded with black beans, sweet corn, bell peppers, and onions, offering a delightful Tex-Mex twist on classic chicken soup.
• Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup: A sophisticated and elevated take on the beloved chicken noodle soup. This version features tender chicken, delicate orzo pasta, nutrient-rich fresh kale, and a bright squeeze of lemon, making it a wholesome and incredibly flavorful meal that’s perfect for a cozy evening.

I genuinely hope you enjoy making and savoring this Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup! If you try this recipe, I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below. Your experiences help others too!

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