Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Copycat Panera chicken and wild rice soup is the recipe to grab when the weather gets chilly and you need something to feed a group. It is creamy and savory with plenty of chicken and wild rice and can be made in under an hour.

Years ago my sister made this for a birthday party and every aunt in the room requested the recipe before they left. That's the bar this soup clears.

Why Uncle Ben’s Is the Secret Here

The key is using Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice with the seasoning packet. I know it sounds like cheating but trust me when I say that packet is what makes it taste like Panera. The mix of herbs and seasonings in that little foil pack does the heavy lifting. That's the exact trick that makes this soup taste like it took all day when in reality it did not.

When you combine sautéed onion, carrots, and celery with good chicken broth, shredded rotisserie chicken, and heavy cream stirred in at the end, it makes a perfect restaurant quality soup. I have catered small get togethers and have had multiple people ask me how I made it.

What Goes Into This Soup

Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice (seasoning packet included) (6.2 oz box) You add both the rice and the seasoning packet. Do not skip the packet, do not substitute for plain wild rice – the seasoning is the flavor base of the entire soup.

Rotisserie chicken (3 cups, shredded) You can get about 3 cups of shredded meat from one whole rotisserie chicken. It's pre cooked, pre seasoned, and shreds in seconds. You can also use leftover chicken from another recipe. If you are preparing chicken just for this, use 2 boneless chicken breasts cooked at 375°F for 25 minutes.

Onions, carrots, and celery are the classic soup base ingredients. Dice them small so they cook down in about 5 minutes. Don't skip the sauté step — softening the vegetables in butter first gives the soup a depth you don't get from dumping them in raw.

Butter and flourA basic roux (flour and butter) is what provides the soup with its silky and rich texture. Make sure to cook the flour in the butter for a minute so that it doesn't taste raw before you add the broth.

Chicken broth (4-6 cups) Use low sodium chicken broth so that the seasoning packet doesn't make the broth too salty. Start with 4 cups and add more if you want to make the soup thinner.

Cream (1 cup) Add while removing the pot from the stove. It's essential for the Panera-style rich creaminess. The soup will be noticeably lighter using whole milk. Half-and-half is an acceptable compromise

How to Make Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

In a large pot or Dutch oven, over the medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add in the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for five minutes or until the onion is translucent and the carrots have softened a bit.

Add 1/4 cup of flour to the vegetables and mix them up to coat all of them. Stir for 1 minute – this gets rid of the taste of uncooked flour. Initially, the mixture will look dry and clumped together, and that's how it should look.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, adding it bit by bit to avoid creating lumps. Next, add the whole box of Uncle Ben’s rice with the seasoning packet included. Stir to mix.

After bringing it to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover, and let it simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.

Add the shredded chicken, mix together, and warm for about 3 minutes.

Take off the heat, then add the heavy cream. Season and taste. The soup is definitely better the next day, so make extra if you can, as the rice absorbs more of the broth.

Make-Ahead and Storage

You can keep leftover soup for four days in an airtight container in the fridge. The rice will soak up some of the broth. When you reheat it, add a little chicken broth.

You can prepare the soup base a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Just add the chicken, and cream when you’re ready to reheat it. That way, the cream won’t break, and the rice won't get so thick.

You can freeze this soup for up to two months. Cream-based soups tend to separate a bit when thawed, but they can be brought back together by stirring vigorously while reheating over low heat.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup FAQ

Can I use plain wild rice instead of Uncle Ben’s?

Sure, you could do that, but you would be missing out on the flavors that really make this dish taste like Panera. It would not be the same using just a plain wild rice bag. You would have to add and season the rice with garlic and onion powder, thyme, and sage to get anywhere close to the flavor. That Uncle Ben's rice packet is the shortcut that helps this recipe work, and it really is worth the extra 30 seconds!

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes. Add all ingredients except for the cream, flour, and butter into the slow cooker with one additional cup of broth. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. 30 minutes before you want to serve the soup, make a paste from 1/4 cup of softened butter and 1/4 cup of flour. Stir this into the soup and cook uncovered until the soup has thickened. Stir in the cream just before serving.

Why is my soup too thick?

It’s totally normal for the wild rice to absorb more liquid as the soup sits (especially overnight). Before you heat it up, just add some more chicken broth (about a cup at a time) until you get the consistency you want. The soup thickens, the flavor concentrates, and it may even taste more delicious on day two than on day one.

Other Cozy Soups Worth Making

• White Bean Turkey Chili — a lighter chili with great northern beans and ground turkey, hearty without being heavy
• Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque — rich tomato soup with fresh basil, the perfect pair for a grilled cheese
• Crockpot Lasagna — for the nights when you want something even heartier than soup