Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Need some warm soup to fill you up? Our copycat Panera chicken & wild rice soup is creamy, hearty and flavorful. It's quick to make and so comforting on a cold rainy day.

Love Panera soups? You'll want to check out our copycat 10 vegetable soup and our copycat Bistro French onion soup.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Variations
• How to Make
• Questions
• Serve
• Store
• Pro Tips
• Recipe

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Ingredients

All the ingredients for this delicious Panera soup are pantry staples except the wild rice blend, which is easy to find at large grocery stores.

• Meat: We used boneless, skinless chicken breast that was poached and diced, but feel free to use leftover chicken.
• Fat: We used unsalted butter, but you can also use chicken fat.
• Vegetables: We used yellow onions, baby carrots, celery, and fresh garlic.
• Spices: We used all dried spices except for the parsley.
• Flour: We used all purpose flour, but use your favorite gluten free flour if you prefer.
• Rice: We used a blend of wild rice with brown rice, red rice, and black rice. Do not use a pre-packed rice mix.
• Liquids: We used chicken stock and water.
• Dairy: To keep this lower in fat, we used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.
• Sweeteners: We used ½ teaspoon of sugar, but feel free to use the sweetener of your choice.
• Thickener: We used a cornstarch slurry near the end of the cooking time. This soup is also thickened with a roux and the rice.

Variations

• Need this gluten free? Use gluten free flour and chicken stock.
• Want more broth? Use ½ cup less wild rice.
• Want other spice options? Use ¼ teaspoon oregano and ¼ teaspoon marjoram.
• Want it more yellow like Panera's? Use a pinch or two more turmeric near the end of cooking time.
• Want it to taste the creamiest? Use heavy cream. We used evaporated milk for lower fat.

How to Make

Melt the butter over medium high heat, then add the mirepoix and cook until the onions are soft and have some color.

Add the garlic and dried spices, and stir constantly for 1 minute so the spices can bloom and the garlic is fragrant.

Sprinkle on the flour, then whisk it for 2 minutes to help cook out the raw flour taste.

To toast the wild rice, stir constantly with a wooden spoon for a minute.

To deglaze the pot, slowly pour in a ½ cup of chicken stock while scraping the fond off the bottom with a wooden turner.

Pour in the rest of the chicken stock and the water.

Add in the sugar and fresh parsley. Mix well with a large wooden spoon.

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes to cook the wild rice.

Remove the lid and add the meat.

Stir in the evaporated milk.

Add the cornstarch slurry and mix it in with a spoon.

Taste and adjust any seasonings, then add more chicken stock if needed. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Enjoy hot!

Questions

Serve

Panera serves this soup with your choice of baguette, kettle chips, or a red apple. You can also pay a little more for a summer fruit cup.

You can turn this soup into a meal by serving it with a crisp green side salad, a tasty sandwich, or crusty bread.

Store

There is a good chance you'll have leftovers, since this copycat recipe makes a lot. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to a pot and reheat on medium, stirring occasionally.

Pro Tips

• Use freshly cooked chicken breast (roasted or poached) for the best taste.
• Bloom the spices, toast the rice, and deglaze the pot for more flavor.
• For a low fat option, use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.
• Check expiration dates on dried spices, especially the tarragon. Make sure they're fresh!
• This soup thickens up within an hour of cooking because of the rice.

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