Oh, just look at it. Is this not the kind of hearty, creamy, chicken and rice packed soup you want to just tuck into right now? Like right this instant?
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Not only is this the kind of soup that's thick and creamy and so packed with tender chicken, veggies, and rice that you could almost eat it with a fork, there are cheesy parmesan dumplings in there. I am in love with those dumplings. No joke. Full stop. IN LOVE.
Also, the dumplings are so easy to make you'll probably start adding them to everything from this point forward. I may speak from experience.
But also, why wouldn't you (me) add them to everything???
This soup is a one-pot situation. Every single thing, from the bacon to the chicken, to the creamy rice and parmesan dumplings are cooked in the same pot. I used my favorite pan - this braiser - because I use it almost every day for so many things. But, a large stockpot, saucepan, or dutch oven will work just as well.
3 variations of this soup
- To make a dairy free version, use unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy cream, OR use a ratio of 2 parts nondairy milk to 1 part oil by volume, OR, make some cashew cream. I almost always use cashew cream to make Butter Chicken (check out the recipe for how to make it) and as the base for vegan sour cream. Skip the parmesan dumplings. The soup is perfectly delicious without them.
- Use pretty much any other kind of protein besides chicken breasts, just be thoughtful about how long it needs to cook. This soup is actually a delicious way to use up leftover meat of any kind - simply add it at the end of cooking.
- Make a meatless version by simply leaving out the bacon and chicken. Wild rice soup with parmesan dumplings is really so delicious and hearty, you won't even miss the chicken.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Chop the bacon into pieces and cook the pieces in some vegetable or canola oil until they are crispy but not crumbly. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan. Pour all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pan.
Pat boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pan, then add a couple of the chicken thighs - do not over crowd the pan. Cook until brown on both sides then repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
Remove the chicken from the pan and add chopped onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook for a few minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the wild rice and cook, stirring, for about a minute.
Pour a cup of white wine into the pan and cook until almost all of the wine has evaporated.
Add the broth then nestle the chicken pieces into the broth along with the fresh thyme. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and continue to cook until the rice is tender.
While the chicken and rice cook, prepare the dumplings. Add all the ingredients for the dumplings to a bowl and stir to mix. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Shape the dough into generous tablespoon size balls that are slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place them on a parchment lined plate.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, use your fingers to shred it into bite size pieces.
When the rice is tender, stir in the cream.
Add the shredded chicken.
Add the dumplings, using a spoon to push them down into the simmering broth.
The dumplings will take about 5 minutes to cook. When done they will work their way back up to the surface of the liquid.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve topped with the cooked bacon and chopped fresh parsley.
What to serve with chicken and rice soup
I have been making these homemade dinner rolls for literal decades. They are simple to make, soft and buttery, and so, so delicious with warm bowls of chicken and rice soup.
Another great option is flaky buttermilk biscuits, because I mean, is there a soup in existence that is not made better by biscuits??? Of course not.
For a soup and salad situation, it's impossible to go wrong with this simple Israeli salad.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate it!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Parmesan Dumplings
This soup is a one-pot situation. Every single thing, from the bacon to the chicken, to the creamy rice and parmesan dumplings are cooked in the same pot.
Ingredients
- About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- ½ to ¾ pound thick cut bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 large carrots
- About ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 6 cups chicken broth, or Better Than Bouillon chicken base mixed with water (see link below)
- Several sprigs of fresh thyme, about .5 ounces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- The juice from one large lemon (zest the lemon for the dumplings before juicing)
- About 1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
For the parmesan dumplings:
- 3 ounces (1 cup) shredded parmesan
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon tap water
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat
- ¼ teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Lay the chicken thighs out on paper towels and use another paper towel to blot excess moisture from the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil to a large heavy bottom saucepan, dutch oven, or braiser and set it over medium heat.
- Chop the bacon into 1 or 2 inch pieces and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp but not crumbly. Turn off the burner and use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Carefully pour all the hot fat from the pan into a heat proof bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of fat back to the pan. Do not discard the remaining fat - set it aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Set the pan over medium high heat. Add as many chicken thighs to the pan as will fit without being over crowded. Let the chicken cook until it releases easily from the bottom of the pan. Flip the pieces over and cook until browned on both sides. Remove the browned chicken from the pan, place it on a plate, and repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
- While the chicken is browning, peel and chop the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots into small pieces.
- When all the chicken has been browned, lower the heat to medium and add the chopped vegetables to the pan. Cook stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1 cup wild rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Pour 1 cup of dry white wine into the pan and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated. (If not using wine, skip this step.)
- Pour 6 cups of chicken broth or 6 cups of water mixed with Better Than Bouillon chicken base into the pan.
- Use a string or piece of thread to tie the fresh thyme sprigs together into a bundle. (This is optional but will make it much easier to remove the stems from the soup later. You can also just remove the thyme leaves from the stems and add the leaves to the soup.)
- Add the chicken back to the pan, nestling it down into the liquid.
- Bring the liquid to a boil then cover the pan and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate or a bowl, cover the pan, and continue cooking the rice until it is tender (how long this takes will vary based on the kind of rice you are using.)
- Prepare the dumplings while the chicken and rice cook: Add all the dumpling ingredients to a bowl and mix with a spoon, rubber spatula, or your fingers until everything is mixed together into a dough. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, form tablespoon sized pieces of dough into balls, and place them on a parchment covered plate. You’ll have about 16-20 dumplings.
- If the rice is not yet cooked through, cover the dumplings and put them back into the refrigerator.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, use your fingers to shred it into bite size pieces.
- When the rice is tender, stir in the cream. Bring the liquid back to a simmer and add the shredded chicken and the dumplings to the simmering broth, using a spoon to push them under the surface of the liquid.
- Cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes; when cooked through, they will float to the surface of the soup.
- Remove the soup from the heat and stir in some lemon juice. Taste, and add as much more lemon juice and/ or salt and pepper as you like.
- Serve the soup topped with crispy bacon and chopped parsley.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
⅙th of the recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 724Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 259mgSodium: 2571mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 62g
SpicySoup says
It's a little unclear from the recipe what ingredients are for the dumplings. I assume it's the parmesan, bread crumbs and egg whites.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi there! You're right... that is a bit unclear. I've updated the recipe so the dumpling ingredients are in their own section. So sorry for the confusion! Please let me know if you have any other questions!