Recipe: Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Soup is the perfect comfort food, warming you from the inside out. Let’s dig into this delicious copycat of Panera’s Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.

Over the years, my oldest, Nick, has become my “soup kid.” With the exception of Split Pea Soup, and anything with seafood in it, he will try most any other kind, and loves them. He is particularly fond of any soup that Panera makes, and I don’t blame him.

Today our temps dropped below 40 degrees, and we were pelted with tiny bits of hail and freezing rain. In fact, as I type this, it’s still raining.

Which means two things.

One, our Fall season might actually be here (despite that the fact that it was seventy degrees over the weekend).

And two, SOUP WEATHER.

Soup is that perfect thing to take the chill off your bones and warm you up from the inside out. Add some light sandwiches or grilled cheese dippers, and you have the perfect easy yet filling meal.

Or we would if my youngest, Madeline, liked soup.

Completely opposite of her brother, she pretty much unilaterally hates all soup, whether she’s tried it or not.

What can I say? She’s a work in progress.

I’ve been working my way through finding a way to enjoy Panera’s soups at home. I already have a version of the Broccoli Cheddar one that I like, and the Black Bean one (to be shared soon). Today it’s about their Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I’ve taken a few different versions I’ve found online and put together our favorite parts (more garlic, more chicken, no celery …) for this big pot of deliciousness. Nick and I can get a few dinners out of it, or a week’s worth of lunches. It’s hearty and filling, and weeknight-friendly, especially if you use rotisserie chicken.

Hungry for more soup recipes?
This Rustic Tomato Soup recipe from Oprah is delish, and Weight Watchers friendly (and I’m still in love with that picture).
Three Ingredient Cauliflower Soup hits the stove every few months – so easy to make, and so creamy, you’d swear there was dairy in it.
An awful photo, but a Split Pea Soup recipe I swear by.
This Beer and Cheddar Soup is an old favorite, and it made an appearance at a recent Soup Exchange that I hosted.

Panera’s Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

Ingredients:
½ cup diced carrots
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
32 ounces low sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups milk, divided
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (rotisserie chicken is perfect for this)
½ cup all-purpose flour
4.3-ounce box of Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice + seasoning packet
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the carrots, onion, and olive oil in large soup pot. Allow the carrots and onion to simmer over medium heat for around 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic cloves, chicken stock, water, and 1 cup of milk to the mixture and stir until combined. Add the shredded chicken, and mix until combined. Allow the soup to simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
2. Whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk with the ½ cup flour until no lumps remain. Pour this into the soup mixture and whisk until well combined.
3. Place the long grain and wild rice and the seasoning packet into the soup and mix until combined. Allow the soup to simmer for 20 more minutes or until the rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve hot.