We’ve been leaning into those slow stovetop meals lately, and this recipe was born out of a craving for something that feels like a decadent winter treat but is secretly packed with the good stuff. It’s earthy, it’s velvety (completely dairy-free, believe it or not), and the aroma? Unbeatable.
Dutch Oven | Soup Bowls | Kitchen Sources
The Soup Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken, meat pulled/shredded
- Hey Old Sport Overachiever Seasoning
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1.5″ chunks
- 3 stalks celery (use the inner “heart” sections for better flavor)
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (1/2″ pieces)
- 3 cups mushrooms, brown varieties (I love Maitake and Brown Beech for the texture)
- 1/2 cup wild rice (I used Whole Food’s 360 brand black wild rice)
- 1 bulb roasted garlic (see note below)
- Fresh herbs: 2 sprigs thyme and 1 sprig oregano, tied with kitchen twine
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock (or bone broth)
- 2 cups light coconut milk (I love Califia Farms)
- 2 TBSP olive oil
How to Make the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
1. The Garlic Foundation: If you have the time, do this a day ahead to speed it up. Place a bulb of garlic in a mini cocotte, cover with olive oil and a pinch of my Hey Old Sport Overachiever seasoning, and roast at 350°F for 45–60 minutes. When it’s done, you can squeeze the cloves right out of their “jackets” and into the pot. It’s pure gold.
2. Toasting the Rice: Heat the olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the wild rice first. Just a minute of toasting it in the oil brings out a deep, nutty flavor that really anchors the soup.
3. The Sauté: Add in the onion, celery, carrots, and those beautiful mushrooms. Hold back the sweet potatoes for now—they don’t need as long to cook. Let the vegetables soften for a few minutes until the kitchen starts smelling incredible.
4. Simmer: Pour in your stock and the coconut milk. Stir in that squeezed roasted garlic, drop in the herb bundle and bay leaves, and bring it to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sweet potato chunks and continue simmering for 20 more minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and the wild rice has “bloomed.”
5. The Finish: Add in the shredded chicken and heat until warmed.
Tip: Make This Soup Work Double-Duty
I’ll let you in on a little kitchen ritual of mine: The Freezer Pouch. While I’m prepping a dish like this, I keep a reusable freezer bag on the counter. Every onion shaving, every carrot peel, and especially the bones and skin from the rotisserie chicken go straight in there. When that bag is full, you’ve got the start of the best homemade bone broth you’ll ever taste (recipe here!).
Chicken, Mushroom, & Wild Rice Soup (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients:
- 1 rotisserie chicken meat only, bones and skins discarded or saved for stock
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 1/4 bunch celery just the inner parts – a couple stalks and all of the leafy parts
- 3 carrots sliced
- 3 cups mushrooms chopped, any brown variety works
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled, diced
- 6 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 2 cups Califia Farms Organic coconut milk or regular milk if dairy isn't an issue
- 1 head garlic roasted
- olive oil as needed
- TT Hey Old Sport Overachiever Seasoning Blend
Directions:
- Put a large cast iron dutch oven over medium heat. Tie the thyme and oregano together in a bundle. Add 2 tbsp or so of olive oil, along with the wild rice and sauté until fragrant. Add the onions, celery, carrots, along with the herbs and bay leaves, and season with a sprinkle of Overachiever. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the pot and stir to incorporate evenly.
- Add the chicken stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the diced sweet potato. Stir, cover, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes begin to break down.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and herbs. Add the coconut milk and pulled chicken and bring to a simmer. Immediately turn off the heat and season with more Overachiever to taste. Enjoy!
Hi. Haven’t made this yet. It looks and sounds delicious, but I had to find -and I did!- a better rotisserie chicken. One last question. My wild rice takes 55 minutes to cook fully. Why so little time on yours? Thanks for answering.
Some wild rice is quick cook. Just look at the timing on the packaging of your wild rice and add the sweet potatoes 15-20 minutes before the rice will be done cooking.
This sounds so delicious! I have a few butternut squash left over from my garden, do you think one of those could be substituted for the sweet potato? Thanks.