This Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe contains ham for added flavor. It is perfect for cold winter days!
It’s still cold here in Minnesota. So cold that we paid to go ice skating indoors this weekend, rather than using one of the free outdoor rinks. Everyone is sick of the cold weather and the snowbanks that are so high you can’t see over them in some places. What do you do when it is so cold out (besides rack up a huge heating bill)? You make comfort food like warm soup for dinner.
Wild rice is very prevalent here in Minnesota. We have wild rice soup, wild rice salad and eat wild rice, often mixed with white rice, as a side dish. For much of my life, I never even gave wild rice a thought and just figured that everyone else ate wild rice like we did. Then, one time when I had out of state company and served them wild rice soup, they made a comment about all of the wild rice in Minnesota and how we must really like it. It made me realize that not everyone else has it as much as we do. I found out that wild rice is the Minnesota state grain. It is native to North America and grows predominantly in the Great Lakes region. For many years, nearly all the wild rice produced in the world came from Minnesota, and most still does.
I typically make wild rice soup with chicken using a recipe that my mother-in-law gave me. I decided to add ham this time and one of these days I am going to make it with bacon!
I prefer using wild rice that has already been cooked. The precooked wild rice is sold in canned and frozen varieties in our grocery stores. Cooking wild rice takes about an hour and it doesn’t smell very good while cooking so the precooked version is way easier!
Chicken and Ham Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 2 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 5 tablespoon flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup diced cooked chicken
- 1 cup diced cooked ham
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 6 quart pot over medium-high heat.
- Add celery, carrots, and onions. Saute until tender crisp.
- Stir in flour and mixture will become lumpy.
- Add chicken broth and milk. Stir until the lumps are gone.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken.
- Add chicken, ham and cooked wild rice.
- Continue heating, stirring often as the soup thickens, until it starts to boil and the chicken, ham and wild rice are hot.
- Taste to see if you need to add salt and more pepper. (I added 1 teaspoon of salt and another 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.)
Kelly says
Just what I was looking for, Thank you. Since I moved to Az from MN I’ve been missing my comfort foods, this being high on the list. I grew up on this kind of food in MN and need it back in my life. I can’t wait to make this with some warm fresh out of the oven bread and I’ll be in heaven soon.
Thanks again.
Melanie S. says
I make this recipe regularly in the winter. I like to buy the wild rice mix and cook with the seasoning packet (Uncle Bens). I also add cheese at the end. It is so good!
Kelli says
Fellow Minnesotan and I am part native and LOVE wild rice. I always thought the same thing, that everyone else had wild rice like we did. My father used to make wild rice and venison soup which is my favorite thing in the world, especially with fry bread. This version sounds amazing. I’m gonna have to try it.
Tonia says
It would be amazing with fry bread! I’ve never thought to put the two together but now I’ll have to try it!
Ruth Eggert says
Would love the recipe for wild rice and venison…as my family hunts dear…and this would be a great meal…thanks!
Theresa says
Tonia, this looks like a great recipe. Going to try it for dinner tonight.
Barb says
Tried this tonight and loved it.
Barb says
Tried this tonight and loved it.
movita beaucoup says
This sounds divine! It’s been snowing here AGAIN today, so I’ve got a hankerin’ for some comfort food…
Gail says
Hi Tonia,
How many servings does the soup make? Would love making it for a church women’s group.
Thanks!
Liz says
Thank you for the nice recipes. Have a Super-Duper Day!