Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Yes, I’m posting a comforting soup recipe in May. In my defense, it’s going to be in the 50’s all week and rainy so I deemed it appropriate. I love soup recipes and I make them often. Panera bread is kind of my go-to place when I go out to lunch during the week. Being the creature of habit that I am, I alternate between the Broccoli Cheddar Soup and the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. This Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is what I make when I’m fresh out of snacks.
I’m so glad you’re here! Follow along on Pinterest for more inspiration!
Back in 2012 when Mr. Wishes and I lived in Miami for six months, I went to Panera every single day for lunch. I wish I was exaggerating, but I am not. It was someplace I could walk to and sit for hours doing work on my laptop without looking out of place. The employees there got to know me and knew my order ahead of time after a while. One of Mr. Wishes’ favorite stories was how one day I was sitting in Panera Bread in Miami and I had the tomato soup. I called him up while he was at work because I thought I was having a heart attack. I literally thought I was going to keel over right there in that booth. He actually left work to come help me and I called him back a few minutes later to tell him it was just heartburn. Ha! It was really scary though.
Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- ½ cup finely diced carrots
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups milk, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or finely diced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4.3-ounce box of Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice + seasoning packet
- salt and pepper, to taste
- scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the carrots, celery, onion, and olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Allow the carrots, celery, and onion to simmer over medium heat for around 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic cloves, chicken stock, water, and 1 cup of milk to the mixture and stir until combined.
- Add the pepper, dried oregano, bay leaf, and shredded chicken. Mix until combined.
- Allow the soup to simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.