This recipe for Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is mouthwatering – its incredibly delicious, super easy and much cheaper to make right at home!

If you love the chicken soup from Panera but want to save money, try this Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. It is easy to prepare and tastes just like what you would buy at the restaurant.

What Is Chicken & Wild Rice Soup?

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is a soup consisting of chicken broth, fresh pieces of cooked chicken, wild rice, vegetables, and a blend of different seasonings. It is a creamy soup that soothes the soul and keeps you warm on those cold days. If you enjoyed it at Panera, you will love it even more when you follow this Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. It is just like what you would get at the restaurant, but it will taste even fresher because you are making it with ingredients you have right in your kitchen.

Ingredients to Use to Make the Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

When making the Panera Copycat Recipe, these are the ingredients you will need to have in your kitchen:

• Carrot. Dice the carrot into small pieces.

• Celery. Grab a stalk of celery and chop it into small pieces before adding it to your pot with the carrots.

• Chicken Stock. Use chicken stock as the base for your soup for extra flavor.

• Whole Milk. Adding milk to the soup is the perfect way to make it thicker and creamier.

• Chicken Breasts. Cook your boneless, skinless chicken breasts and shred them into pieces before adding them to the pot with other ingredients.

• Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice. Use this rice mixture as a shortcut for your recipe.

You will need a few other ingredients, including chopped onion, light virgin olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, water, dried bay leaf, all purpose flour, salt, pepper, and scallions. It might seem like a lot of ingredients, but once you combine these ingredients, you will have a large batch of your favorite soup to enjoy throughout the week.

Can I Use Canned Chicken or Chicken Thighs?

If you want the recipe to taste just like what you would get at Panera, it is better to cook your chicken breasts and then shred them down before adding them to the pot with your chicken broth and other ingredients. However, if you would like to take a shortcut, you can use canned chicken. If you only have chicken thighs, you can use them as a replacement for your chicken breasts. At the end of the day, Chicken and wild rice soup is the best, no matter what kind of chicken you use. 

Can I Add Extra Vegetables to the Soup?

You can add extra vegetables to the soup. If you want it to taste just like what you would get at Panera, skip the extra veggies. However, if you would like to make this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup even more nutritious, you can add extra vegetables to it. Some good veggies to include are peas and corn.

What to Serve With the Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Serve your Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup in a bowl with a side of buttered crackers or bread. French bread tastes great when dipped in the soup. You can also add croutons to the soup for an extra crunch. If you know how to make bread bowls, consider using a bread bowl and pouring your soup into it. Cornbread or buttery biscuits are also great on the side!

How to Store Your Soup

Store the soup in a large plastic container with a lid. Be sure to seal the container shut and put your soup in the fridge. If you keep it in the fridge, it will stay good for up to five days. You can easily reheat the Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup on the stovetop or in the microwave when you want a quick meal.

Can I Freeze the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup?

It is possible to freeze the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, especially if you would like to save it for longer than a week. All you have to do is put it in a food storage container and place it in the freezer. You can keep the soup frozen for six months. When you want your soup, put it in the fridge to defrost and then heat it with a bit of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. It will taste just as good as it did when you first made it.

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Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

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Ingredients

  

• ▢ 1 small carrot finely diced
• ▢ 1 stalk celery finely diced
• ▢ 1 large white onion finely diced
• ▢ 1 TB. olive oil
• ▢ 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• ▢ 2 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream divided
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 2 cups whole milk divided
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• ▢ 1 dried bay leaf
• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• ▢ 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 4.3oz. box of Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice + seasoning packet
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ scallions

Instructions

• In a large stock pot over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute carrots, onion, celery until onions are tender, or about 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, chicken stock, water and 1 cup of the milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream until well combined.
• Add pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and chicken.
• Simmer soup over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of cream and flour until smooth.
• Pour flour mixture into the soup and stir until blended.
• Add the box of rice, along with the packet, to the soup and stir.
• Simmer soup for an additional 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
• Add salt and pepper and top with scallions.
• ENJOY!

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