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The coziest bowl of Wild Rice and Orzo Chicken Soup to welcome these long, cold December nights. Made with wild rice, herbs, orzo pasta, and chicken. It’s a hearty warming meal to enjoy any night of the week. Just throw everything into the instant pot or slow cooker, set it, and walk away. Add a little browned sage butter just before serving. The browned butter takes just minutes to make but adds a wonderful layer of deliciousness to this creamy soup. Every spoonful is so delicious with a side of bread.
I don’t know how it happened so fast, but winter has officially hit us and all I have to say is brrr. Granted today was just an especially chilly, snowy day, it feels exceptionally cold out as I sit and type this cozied up inside.
Lately, I’ve been doing crazy simple recipes. Sometimes they have a mix of flavors going on. Hearty dishes from Asian cuisine, to creamy spiced Indian curries. I’m all over the place flavor-wise, but the one thing each recipe has in common? They’re all cozy.
Short cold days just put me in a cozy state of mind. I want to spend zero time on cooking dinner and all my time baking cookies. What can I say, tis’ the season!
Anyway, both my mom and I love wild rice. We would make the Uncle Ben’s wild rice blends all the time when I was growing up. And while I don’t use those ingredients when cooking now, I still love wild rice. Especially with herbs and butter. Such a cozy yet still wholesome combination.
I’ve made a few wild rice soups in the past, but never one like this. Today’s is special. It’s made with orzo pasta and golden sage butter.
Two simple additions that make all the difference.
Here is how I make this soup
Whenever I’m cooking wild rice, I almost always use the instant pot or crockpot. But usually just the instant pot since it works so fast. For whatever reason, I have a hard time with wild rice, but using the instant pot or crockpot always works so perfectly.
If you’re in a hurry though, stick with the instant pot!
Simply add almost all the ingredients – the chicken, onion, garlic, wild rice, poultry seasoning, paprika, and broth, right to the bowl of the instant pot or crockpot. You can make this on the stove too. Use the method that works for you!
Now lock the lid and set it for 12 minutes. I find this to be the perfect amount of time to cook the rice and chicken. If making this in the crockpot, cook low and slow, all day long.
Once the rice is cooked, I mix in the orzo and cook for a few minutes to allow time for the orzo to cook.
Add cream for extra creaminess.
While that’s cooking, I like to take the cloves of garlic and mix them together with the butter and sage on the stove. What happens is that the garlic gets crispy and the butter browns around both the garlic and sage.
This is so delicious and really adds a layer of freshness to a very creamy soup.
Finish the bowls of soup off with the sage butter, then parmesan, and fresh thyme.
I recommend serving this soup with a side of crusty bread. If you own the HBH Super Simple cookbook, there’s an easy, no-knead bread recipe that’s perfect to pair with this soup.
If you’re planning to enjoy this soup leftover, the rice and orzo will soak up all the broth. The taste is still incredible, but you will no longer have soup, you’ll have super creamy rice. You can either warm the rice and enjoy it as is or just add a little broth to make the rice and chicken soupy again.
Hope you all enjoy!
Looking for other winter meals? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice
Sweet Potato Cheddar Pierogi with Bacon Bits
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Cozy Wild Rice and Orzo Chicken Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cozy Wild Rice and Orzo Chicken Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 528 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup dry wild rice blend
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 rounded tablespoon poultry seasoning (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach or kale
- 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- shaved parmesan, for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, wild rice, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour over the broth and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Quick release the steam.2. Switch the instant pot to sauté. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the spinach and orzo. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parsley. If the soup needs more liquid, add additional water. 3. Add the butter, garlic, and sage to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon over the sage butter. Top with parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, wild rice, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour over the broth and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 2. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the spinach and orzo. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parsley. If the soup needs more liquid, add additional water. 3. Add the butter, garlic, and sage to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon over the sage butter. Top with parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Stove
- 1. In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Pour over the broth. Add the chicken and wild rice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low, cook 35-45 minutes, until the rice is tender.2. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the spinach and orzo. Cook another 6-8 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parsley. If the soup needs more liquid, add additional water. 3. Add the butter, garlic, and sage to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon over the sage butter. Top with parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers: If eating this leftover, the rice will soak up a good amount of liquid. It will still taste great, but if you’d like for it to be soup again, you will need to add broth. Or just eat this as deliciously flavored rice!
Poultry Seasoning: 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons dried sage, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.
Slow Cooker: slow cookers can vary. I recommend to start checking for doneness at around 5 hours on low. If the soup gets too thick, add water to thin.
Made it the same day you posted this week without even realizing you had posted. I made it last year and it is a winner. This time I added shitake mushrooms, ginger and squeezed a lemon into it at the end. I also substitute the cream for coconut milk so no dairy. And still amazing. Family favorite!
Hey Stacey,
Happy Friday!!❄️🧑🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Wanted to really like this recipe but found that the overall flavor was bland. I even added extra seasoning and herbs and flavor was still bland. Next time I would add a little bit of white wine to the cooking. Also a full cup of heavy cream was wayyy too much.
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Excited about making this! Has anyone doubled the recipe? Wondering if that is possible in the instant pot and how much longer to cook?
Thanks!
Hi Jancy,
When doubling a recipe, you’ll also need to double the cook time. For the instant pot, I would just make sure your pot is large enough to handle doubling all of the ingredients! Let me know if you give this dish a try! xT
Hi! I bought a box of Uncle Ben’s wild rice — would you suggest how to compensate? I’m planning to cook on the stove.
Hi Jennifer,
I would probably follow the instructions listed on the box for best results. Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xT
Making this tonight and can’t wait! I will be shredding a rotisserie chicken rather than putting in raw chicken breasts though! Do any of the steps needs to be modified considering that??
Hey Jenn,
I’ve not tested this recipe with rotisserie chicken, but let me know how it turns out! I hope it’s delish! xx
I’m a vegetarian, so I left out the chicken, and used vegetable stock, and it was still amazing. Definitely one to go in the rotation, it was delicious. One of the best soups we’ve had in a long time.
Hey Rebecca,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
We loved this soup so much! It was so satisfying and so flavorful. Best soup we have ever made.
Thanks so much Nicole!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xT
I’ve tried many of your recipes and they are all amazing. This one is exceptional!!
Hey Steen,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
Absolutely fantastic recipe. We will be making it again and again!
I needed a larger amount so I added 1 pound chicken thighs and doubles most of the rest of the ingredients.
Hey Mary,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🧑🎄
I used the crockpot to make this delicious soup! I made the recipe exactly as written using whole milk and can’t say enough good things about it. So easy and restaurant quality!
Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Shauna,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🧑🎄
I haven’t cooked wild rice in the instant pot and I was wary the rice would open. It did not. I am from Minnesota where wild rice is grown on reservations across the northern part of our state. If I made this again, I would cook the wild rice separately, the way I always cook it and it is perfect. If you want to know how I cook it, let me know! It is so much better!
Thanks so much for sharing Mary!!
I followed the stove top recipe and it turned out amazing! I subbed arborio rice for orzo and coconut cream for heavy cream to make it gluten free and dairy free. I needed to add a little more liquid since the rice is so absorbent. So much flavor and the garlic sage butter takes it to the next level. Thank you!
Hey Millisa,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Instead of garlic, I diced up about half of a large shallot and browned that with the sage in butter. Also did a cup of whole milk + quarter cup of half & half. Minor tweaks. This recipe is great!
Hey Michael,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Made this tonight and it was a hit! The sage butter added a great layer of extra flavor. Will be making this again for sure.
Hey Jennifer,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Hey there!!! Do you think you could do this recipe in the instant pot with potatoes instead of the rice and orzo?
Hey Ashley,
I probably wouldn’t recommend that for this recipe as you would have to make some adjustments that I have not tested. So sorry! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx