This Thai Chicken Wild Rice recipe is full of the best fresh and creamy curry flavors, it’s naturally gluten-free and full of protein and veggies, plus it’s ultra-easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop!
Anyone else love a good dump-it-and-forget-it Instant Pot (or Crock-Pot) soup recipe as much as I do?!
Well get ready, because I’m pretty sure you are absolutely going to fall in love with this Thai Chicken Wild Rice Soup. ♡♡♡
We’ve been making it at our house on repeat this past month — whipping it up for last-minute dinners, taking it to friends who just had a baby, heating it back up for easy weekday lunches and more — and I’m telling you, it’s one of those recipes that magically hits the spot every single time.
I mean, first off, it’s just crazy delicious. It’s made with all of those warm, creamy, cozy Thai red curry flavors that I absolutely love this time of year. Plus, the ingredient list is full of healthy fresh veggies and lean proteins that you can feel great about, and that also just so happen to be naturally gluten-free (or also vegan, if you’d like to omit the chicken). And best of all, as I mentioned above, this Thai chicken and wild rice is just super simple to make. Just dump all of the ingredients into your Instant Pot (or Crock-Pot), let it work its magic, then stir in some coconut milk just before serving — and voila! The most delicious pot of simmering hot chicken soup will be yours to enjoy in no time.
Let’s make some Thai chicken soup!
Thai Chicken Wild Rice Soup Ingredients:
Alright, let’s make a grocery list. To make this Thai Chicken and Rice Soup recipe, you will need (affiliate links included)…
- Chicken: Either boneless skinless breasts or thighs — you choose!
- Wild Rice: I used 100% wild rice in this recipe, but a wild rice blend would also work.
- Stock: Chicken stock, veggie stock, or whatever you prefer.
- Veggies: I used a combo of bell peppers, carrots, onion and mushroom. But feel free to use whatever veggies you love best in a curry.
- Seasonings: A simple combo of Thai red curry paste, garlic and ginger.
- Coconut milk: We will stir this in at the very end after the soup has cooked.
- Toppings: Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice are a must. Other optional toppings could include chopped green or red onion, toasted sesame seeds, and/or a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.
Full ingredient amounts included in the recipe below.
How To Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup:
I have included detailed instructions below for how to make this wild rice soup recipe either in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), Crock-Pot (slow cooker), or on the stovetop. But here are the basics. 🙂
- Cook the base of the soup. Whichever cooking method you choose, we will simmer the base soup ingredients (chicken, rice, broth, veggies and seasonings) until the rice is cooked and tender.
- Shred the chicken. Once the rice and chicken are tender, remove the cooked chicken and shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces, then add it back into the soup. (Or alternately, you’re welcome to just cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces beforehand.)
- Season. Stir in the coconut milk. Then taste the soup and season with salt, pepper and/or extra Thai red curry paste as needed.
- Serve warm. Garnished with a squeeze of lime juice and fresh cilantro, plus an extra toppings that sound good.
Possible Recipe Variations:
Want to customize this Thai chicken wild rice soup recipe a bit? Feel free to…
- Use green curry paste: This soup would also be just as delicious using green instead of red Thai curry paste.
- Use cream: If coconut milk isn’t your thing, feel free to sub heavy cream or half and half in its place.
- Use a different protein: If chicken isn’t your thing, feel free to swap in steak, pork or shrimp instead.
- Make it vegetarian/vegan: Or omit the meat entirely (and use veggie stock instead of chicken stock) to make this vegetarian or vegan wild rice soup. If you’d like, you’re welcome to add in some extra mushrooms, chickpeas or crispy tofu in place of the chicken too.
- Add extra/different veggies: As mentioned above, feel free to add or swap in whatever other veggies you might love here. If you would like to save a step, you could also just add in a bag of a pre-chopped frozen stir-fry veggie mix.
More Favorite Instant Pot Soup Recipes:
Looking for more Instant Pot soup inspiration this season? Here are a few more soup recipes that I think you might love (all of which can be made in the IP, Crock-Pot or slow cooker). ♡
Description
This Thai Chicken Wild Rice recipe is full of the best fresh and creamy curry flavors, and it’s easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop.
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small bell peppers, diced (I used one yellow, one red)
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
- garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro and fresh lime wedges
Instructions
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Instructions:
- Combine chicken, mushrooms, stock, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, onion, stock, wild rice, ginger and Thai chili paste in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Stir briefly to combine.
- Cover and set vent to “sealing”. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 30 minutes. Let the Instant Pot rest for an extra 10 minutes (natural release). Then carefully turn the vent to “venting” and release the remaining pressure (quick release). Remove lid.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate plate, and shred into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
- Add the shredded chicken and coconut milk to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt, pepper and/or additional curry paste as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Crock-Pot (Slow Cooker) Instructions:
- Combine chicken, mushrooms, stock, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, onion, stock, wild rice, ginger and Thai chili paste in the bowl of a large slow cooker. Stir briefly to combine, then cover with a lid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the rice is tender and the chicken shreds easily.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate plate, and shred into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
- Add the shredded chicken and coconut milk to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt, pepper and/or additional curry paste as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces; set aside.
- Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
- Add in the chicken, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, stock, wild rice and Thai chili paste. Stir to combine.
- Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the coconut milk until combined. Taste and season with salt, pepper and/or additional curry paste as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
