Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
This 15-minute Instant Pot soup recipe is made with tender chicken thighs and boxed wild rice blend. Fresh onions and celery give a homemade taste to a quick and easy chicken soup your family will love, even on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- 3 ribs of celery chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tbsp white wine optional
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 (6 oz) packages of Uncle Ben's long-grain and wild rice mix see notes for substitution
- 4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR 2 cups cooked chicken, like a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, chopped
- 1/2 cup half-and-half optional
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn on the Saute function and add the butter to the pot. Let it melt completely. Add the chopped celery and onion and stir them into the butter. Cook until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour to the pot and whisk it in. Let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until it smells slightly nutty. Pour in the white wine (if using) and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Pour in roughly 2 cups of chicken stock and whisk the flour into the broth. Once all flour lumps have been whisked until smooth, add the remaining 6 cups of chicken stock.
- Pour both boxes of rice and just one packet of the seasoning into the pot and stir.
- If Using Raw Chicken: Nestle the raw chicken into the broth. Cover the Instant Pot and set to cook for 15 minutes on HIGH pressure. Quick release and stir the soup, breaking the chicken into chunks as you stir.
- If Using Pre-Cooked Chicken (Like a Rotisserie Chicken): Cook the soup WITHOUT the chicken first. Cover the Instant Pot and set it to cook for 5 minutes on HIGH pressure. Quick release and stir the reserved chicken meat into the soup and let it warm through for 2 minutes.
- The chicken soup will be wonderfully thick and creamy at this point but if you like your soup extra rich, stir in the half-and-half and let it warm through for 2 minutes before serving.
Stovetop Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped celery and onion and stir them into the butter. Cook until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour to the pot and whisk it in. Let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until it smells slightly nutty. Pour in the white wine (if using) and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Pour in roughly 2 cups of chicken stock and whisk the flour into the broth. Once all flour lumps have been whisked until smooth, add the remaining 6 cups of chicken stock.
- Add both boxes of wild rice and just ONE of the seasoning packets to the broth and stir.
- If Using Raw Chicken: Nestle the raw chicken into the broth. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Cover the soup pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the soup cook for 30 - 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and reads 180°F with an instant probe thermometer. Break the chicken up into chunks with your spoon and stir it back in.
- If Using Pre-Cooked Chicken (Like a Rotisserie Chicken): Cook the soup WITHOUT the chicken first. Bring the chicken broth to a bubble over HIGH heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the soup and let the rice cook in the broth for 25 minutes. Stir the reserved chicken into the soup and let it warm through for 2 minutes.
- The chicken soup will be wonderfully thick and creamy at this point but if you like your soup extra rich, stir in the half-and-half and let it warm through for 2 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Substitution for Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
If you prefer to use bulk wild rice blend instead of the Uncle Ben's boxed rice, simply use this substitution for the 2 boxes of rice and the single packet of Uncle Ben's seasoning:- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried ginger