Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

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A nourishing chicken soup with tender shredded chicken breast, wild rice, and hearty vegetables. Perfect for a quick and cozy weeknight dinner, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and ultra nourishing. Recipe kindly produced by Nutritionist Liv Kaplan.

Nutritional notes: This quick and easy dinner has all the gut-loving and anti-inflammatory goodness from the bone broth, combined with a healthy dose of fibre in wild rice and a dark leafy green to top it all off - the perfect healing dinner that is on the table in minutes!

Wild rice, despite its name, is not actually rice but the seed of aquatic grass. It has a chewy texture and a nutty flavour that pairs perfectly with the savoury elements of this chicken soup. But you can also use regular basmati rice instead, which I do as well.

Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Serves: 3      Prep time: 15 minutes      Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g wild rice
• 500g chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into discs
• 1L chicken bone broth
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed, roughly torn
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Method

Cook the Wild Rice 

1. In a pot, add the wild rice and water to a pot, using a ratio of 1 part rice to 3 parts water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.

Cook the Chicken Breast 

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and dried oregano.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cover with a lid.
3. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear.
4. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes before shredding it using two forks. Set aside.

Prepare the Soup

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the crushed garlic and carrot slices, and cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken bone broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the shredded chicken and cayenne pepper (if using).
6. Stir in the roughly torn kale and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the kale is tender.
7. Divide the cooked wild rice among bowls.
8. Ladle the hot soup over the rice and squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl for a burst of freshness. Serve immediately.

 

Notes

You can use curly kale, Tuscan kale, or even silverbeet.

For a low-carb option, you can serve this soup without the wild rice.

You can also serve this with basmati rice