Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a warm, hearty soup recipe for wintery days.
Quick and easy pressure cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a creamy soup that’s loaded with chicken, two kinds of rice, carrots, onion, and celery. It’s a comforting meal that comes together in just 30 minutes in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
A while back, I spent two days at the Salt Lake City courthouse for jury duty. Lucky for me, the courthouse cafeteria offered a pretty tasty chicken and wild rice soup. It hit the spot, and I decided to make my own Instant Pot version for my family.
Since I originally posted this recipe, it has become one of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot chicken recipes on Pressure Cooking Today! I’ve updated the photos and answer some common reader questions below.
Click here to pin for later
How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in an Instant Pot or Any Brand of Electric Pressure Cooker
This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
What Kind of Rice to Look For
The key to this easy family dinner starts with choosing the right rice. I use Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe, (originally called Uncle Ben’s) which calls for a 25-minute stovetop cook time.
(Don’t get it confused with the Fast Cook wild rice, which has a 5-minute stovetop time and cooks up mushy in the finished soup.)
I chose the original, longer-cooking rice so that the chicken and rice will cook at the same time in the same pot.
One thing to note: There is a flavoring packet inside Ben’s Wild Rice mix. Our recipe does not call for you to use the packet, as there are so many other tasty flavors from the fresh vegetables and chicken stock. (If you want to use the wild rice seasoning, however, taste the soup before adding salt. The seasoning packet also contains salt, and you don’t want to overdo it!)
Tip: If you can’t find parboiled wild rice, regular raw white rice will also work, with no change to the cooking time.
Serving Chicken Wild Rice Soup
While picking up the chicken and vegetables for this recipe, I saw bread bowls at the grocery store. This pressure cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is so thick and creamy, I thought it would go perfectly in a fluffy bread bowl.
If you’re feeling adventurous, bake your own homemade bread bowls! Or make these Favorite Dinner Rolls from Barbara Bakes.
Can I Make This Chicken Wild Rice Soup on the Stovetop?
Certainly! Simply follow the instructions as written for a pressure cooker. After adding the broth, chicken, and rice, cover and simmer your creamy chicken soup for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
Add the cornstarch slurry, cream cheese, milk, and half and half after simmering. Finally, warm the soup through without boiling.
How Many Servings Does This Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe Make?
As the recipe is written, you can feed 8 people a hot bowl of homemade wild rice soup. Each serving is about a 1½ cups.
Tip: If your Instant Pot or pressure cooker is 6-quarts or larger, you can double the recipe with no change to the cook time. If doubling, add 3 cans of chicken broth before you pressurize the pot. Add the remaining broth after you release the pressure.
Pressure Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice soup is a quick, easy, and delicious Instant Pot soup recipe. Whether you pour it into a bread bowl or serve it alongside crusty bread and butter, your family will thank you for this hearty winter meal!
More Hearty Pressure Cooker Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Potato Cheese Soup, Pressure Cooking Today
- Pressure Cooker Vegetable Beef and Rice Soup, Pressure Cooking Today
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup, Pressure Cooking Today
- Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup, Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato, Cookin’ Canuck
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a creamy meal loaded with chicken, long grain and wild rice, carrots, onion, and celery. A 30-minute hearty soup recipe you'll want to make all winter long!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cans (14 ounces) chicken broth
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked and diced
- 1 package (6 ounces) Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice (discard the seasoning packet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Dash red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup half and half
- Crusty bread, for serving, optional
- Fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Select Sauté and add butter to the pressure cooking pot. When the butter is melted, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, chicken, wild rice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley to the pressure cooking pot.
- Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and 5 minutes cook time and Start. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
- When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water. Select Sauté (adjusted to low if your brand has that capability), and add the cornstarch mixture to the cooking pot, stirring constantly.
- Add cubed cream cheese, and stir until cheese is melted. Add milk and half and half and heat through, but do not bring to a boil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crusty bread, and garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 523mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 16g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY
🥘 Browse our collection of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot recipes.
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.
🥧 If you’re interested in more than just Instant Pot recipes, follow us at Barbara Bakes. There we post amazing breakfasts, breads, and the best dessert recipes!
Pin It
I’ve made many of Barbara’s recipes and we’ve liked them all, but this soup isn’t just good or delicious, it’s exceptional. Both my housemate and I both said out loud upon first spoonful, “Wow, this is really good.” I encourage all of you to try it if you haven’t already. At this moment it has 329 comments so there must be many folks who agree with me.
The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts but we used boneless, skinless chicken thighs (our preference). Just wanted to mention it in case there are others who also prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts. I can rarely find turkey parts for sale in the supermarket but I bet this soup would be fabulous with turkey.
Thanks for the rave review and tips!
We have probably made this a hundred times or more, but ours is modified. We do use the seasoning packet in the soup, and omit the chicken and cream cheese, but use heavy whipping cream in place of half and half. We generally use a bullion cube/base or homemade vegetable stock in place of premade too. Sometimes we make it without the milk and cream for just a basic wild rice soup, and my husband often makes it without onion altogether. He makes this weekly for lunches for himself, and we still have it for dinner at least monthly. Oh, and it is very kid approved!
So fun to hear your family loves the soup! Thanks for sharing your tweaks.
A favorite in our house! I’ve changed up the recipe a bit so it doesn’t include chicken for an even cheaper meal. So good. Thank you!
Could I use sausage instead of chicken?
Hi Sharita – I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like a delicious substitution. Let me know if you try it.
We wanted to add corn to this as well. I’m super new to using my instapot so would I use fresh, uncooked corn cut off the cob or could I use frozen corn?
Hi Jill – you could use either. If you’re using fresh corn cut off the cob, I would add it before pressure cooking. If you’re using frozen corn, you can add it after pressure cooking.
Corn sounds like a nice addition to this soup. Would be tasty and add some veggies.
Can you use fat free milk and fat free half & half for a healthier version?
Hi Ellen – your best option would be to use more cornstarch slurry and fat free milk. Fat Free half and half usually has added corn syrup so I would avoid that.
Is it really only 5 min pressure high?
Hi Dana – yes, the pressure cook time is 5 minutes, but it will take longer to come to pressure, you let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, and saute the soup after to thicken it and melt the cheeses, so your overall cook time is about 30 minutes.
OMG, this soup is incredible! I used jasmine rice instead and it turned out so delicious -the ultimate comfort food and a go to from now on!!!!
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Nikki!
This sounds great. Unfortunately, I only have 1 box of Reese wild rice, a little over ½ c, on hand. I also have a blend of rice which includes brown rice, red rice, black rice & wild rice. The stove top cook time on this blend is 45 min. The cook time on the Reese wild rice 60 min. My plan is to mix these together to get the 1 c needed for this recipe, but I’m not sure of the instant pot cook time using the blend.
Thanks Cindy – you’ll want to cook the brown rice blend separately to avoid overcooking the chicken. Use my brown rice recipe as a guide https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-brown-rice-and-a-giveaway/ and then stir in the cooked rice after pressure cooking the chicken, then thicken the soup and add the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!
First recipe I tried in my new Instapot. It was a hit!!! Everyone loved it and said to make it anytime!
That’s great – thanks Michael! Sounds like you’re off to a great start. Have fun!
This has been my go to recipe! Third time making it since the new year! I just skip the cream cheese, and I have a loaf of Asiago garlic bread to dunk. Thank you 🙂
Sounds like a delicious way to serve it. Thanks Sasha!
This is our go to recipe for chicken wild rice soup! Our entire family loves it. Just wanted to say thank you!
Thanks Tricia – that’s so nice to hear!
I just made this today on a whim with what I had on home, which included everything but the milk and half/half. Its snowing here so had to sub cashew milk and threw in some mushrooms that were getting soft. DELISH! We all loved it and will definitely make again. Thank you for a fantastic recipe
Thanks for sharing Jen! It’s nice to know it works well with cashew milk too. Glad it was a big hit.
Hello! I plan on making this soup today, however I am a bit confused regarding the rice (I tried to find an answer in the comments, but didn’t). Do I need to cook the rice on the stove top before adding it to the instant pot?
Thank you!
Tiffani
Hi Tiffani – no, the rice will cook in the pressure cooker at the same time as you are cooking the chicken and other ingredients for the soup. Just add the uncooked rice along with the broth, chicken, and spices. Enjoy!
I made this twice. It’s the best soup I’ve ever tasted. The second time I used heavy cream and cream cheese. I also put a can of mushrooms in the second time. Fantastic and easy.
Sounds like a tasty way to change it up – thanks Chuck!
My husband LOVES this soup and requests it frequently. I have whipping cream. Can that be used in place of half and half?
Thanks Lynn – it makes a frequent appearance at my house too. I occasionally substitute half whipping cream and half milk for the half and half but haven’t tried it with all whipping cream, but you could certainly give it a try. Let me know what you think.
Love this recipe! I made it several times last year.
I am making it again today and am confused on the chicken broth. I don’t remember being unsure before, did the instructions change? How much total broth is required? Two 14 ounce cans for a total of 28 ounces? Thanks
Thanks! Glad to hear it’s a hit. Yes, a total of 28 ounces.
Is it the quick cook Uncle Ben’s or not?
No it’s the original version https://www.unclebens.com/rice-products/flavored-grains/original-long-grain-wild-rice
Would this be ok with not using wild rice? Making for my mom and she’s not a fan of wild rice or cream cheese 🙄🤣
Hi Dawn – yes, you could use long-grain white rice instead.
I agree with Barbara, white rice would be fine but I bet your mom wouldn’t even know there was cream cheese in the soup so I’d go ahead and use it.
Can I make a single recipe of your Chicken and Wild Rice Soup as written, with all the broth, FIT in my 3 Qt. IP?
Hi Mary – yes, it should fit, but you could add 1 can of chicken broth initially and 1 can after pressure cooker if you need to.
I’ve always been taught to never use raw chicken in either my slow cooker or Instant Pot; at least in the Instant Pot do a short sauté prior to adding. There is no problem using raw chicken? Thanks.
Hi Nancy – there is no problem using raw chicken, I do it all the time when making chicken dishes in the pressure cooker. One of the reasons I may choose to saute the chicken first is if it’s a clear sauce because you get a clearer sauce if you saute first, but it doesn’t matter in this soup.
M mix wild and long grain brown rice which takes 22 minutes to cook in my 3-quart IP. What would you suggest for a time to cook this great-sounding soup in my 6-quar IP using my rice mixture?
Hi Sunny – I would probably cook the brown rice mix first and then stir it in after pressure cooking the chicken and thickening the broth before step 6. Enjoy!
Sounds like a good soup and would like to try but if a person has a problem with dairy what can you use to replace the cream cheese and the half and half?
Hi Pernell – I would try substituting full-fat coconut cream https://amzn.to/31Y2SDf and then if necessary add additional cornstarch slurry until it’s the consistency you like.
I doubled the recipe and added one of the seasoning packets, plus used a bouillon in place of some of the broth. I also added some frozen corn and a little cheddar cheese. Tasty.
Sounds like a tasty way to change it up – thanks Catherine!
This is one of my husbands FAVORITE soups. Thank you so much for sharing.
That’s great to hear – thanks Kat!
This sounds delicious. Do you think there’s enough room in a six-quart IP to double this? Thanks.
You can double the recipe in the 6 quart Instant Pot with no change in time, but only add 3 cans of chicken broth initially and add the remaining can after releasing the pressure. Enjoy!
Can I use double the milk in place of half and half?
Hi Beth – you can use milk in place of the half and half, but just add the milk a little at a time until it’s as creamy as you’d like.
I have a little trick for checking whether or not all the ingredients and liquid for a recipe will fit in my Instant Pot Before anything else, I look at the amount of liquid a recipe calls for and put that amount of water plus a little more to account for the non-liquid ingredients in my IP. If it fits, I’m gold; if not I make alterations before finding that all the ingredients will not fit.
When you make this soup use the flavor packet that comes with Uncle Bens. A variation is instead of cream cheese use coffee creamer as your creamer for the soup. The flavor packet makes the soup taste great. Try it the soup tastes even better. And you can freeze this soup in small containers and pull one out when you want some good soup.
Hi Debra – glad you enjoy the soup. Thanks for sharing your tips. People should just be aware that the flavor packet does contain salt, so they may want to reduce the salt in the recipe. We love freezing it for quick meals later too.
Are you able to use this recipe without the pressure cooker? Could I just cook this on the stove?
Hi Meghan – yes, you can make it on the stovetop. After sauteing the vegetables, simmer the soup covered for 25 minutes or until the rice is tender.
if I double the recipe do i double the cook time?
No, you don’t increase the time. Generally, the cook time is the same when you double a pressure cooker recipe unless you’re cooking meat that is twice as thick. Sometimes you’ll even decrease the cook time when you double a recipe – when cooking pasta, for example, it will take longer to come to pressure so you’ll need to reduce the cook time. Never fill your pot more than 2/3’s full; half full with things that foam like pasta.
Hi!
I used regular wild rice. Will it be cooked in 5min?? Or is this strictly with your boxed rice? Another recipe is telling me 45 min but I have the chicken in there and think it would be ruined after 45 min.
Hi Tina – others have used regular wild rice successfully in this recipe with no time change. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I love it and everyone ive made it for has loved it! I’ve moved overseas and had to leave my Instant Pot behind. Any suggestions for a stove top version?
Hi Patty – so nice to hear everyone loves it. Stovetop pressure cookers cook at a higher psi but they come to pressure faster, so the cook time is the same except for things with a long cook time like a pot roast, then you’ll decrease the cook time.
Thank you for the quick reply. I’ll be cooking in a stockpot on the stovetop as I don’t have any type of pressure cooker 🙂
I haven’t tried making it on the stove, but generally the time in the pressure cooker is 1/3 of the time on the stove or oven. So I would try 15 minutes once it’s come to a boil.
I’ve made this recipe several times. It’s always a hit! I double the recipe and add an 8 oz package of mushrooms, chopped. I’ve made this both in the IP and on the stove. The leftovers are great for lunches.
Thanks Leah! We love eating the leftover soup for lunches too!
I’m not a cream cheese lover in soups & entrees. Would there be a different option to replace that?
Hi Lynne – I would just increase the cornstarch slurry and perhaps use more half and half. Enjoy!
Lynne you’ve probably already tried Barbara’s suggested change but when eating the soup you don’t taste it and say, “Oh yes this soup has cream cheese in it.” I’d just use the cream cheese and I’d bet you’d like the soup just fine.
I made this last week and it was delicious! My only change was to want a slightly thicker soup, so I left out the cup of milk. My husband and I loved it, and leftovers were just as good!
My husband and I love this soup too. Thanks Amber!
Made this for supper tonight…really easy and very tasty
That’s great – thanks Janet!
Can’t you just use the seasoning packet to make it more flavorful?
Hi Teresa – I read that often the seasonings in the seasoning packet aren’t very fresh, so I opted to do my own seasoning. If you want to use it though, you certainly can.
How on Earth do you cook this in 30 min total? It took me almost an hour to chop the veggies and dice the 2 lg chicken breasts and then another near hour for the cooking!
Hi Krista – the prep time is the time needed to saute the vegetables before you start pressure cooking, it does not include the time it takes to get your ingredients ready for cooking. If you’re having difficulty cutting vegetables, frozen onion and vegetables are a good option. The soup should not take an hour to cook. This is a fast soup that I make often and the timing is correct.
Made this for dinner and it turned out great! My family loved it and it was done so quickly. I chopped all my vegetables the night before and that cut down in prep time a lot. Will yummy but most important were the easy instructions. Until Friday I was intimidated by my instant lot. Thanks!!!
Thanks Tammy – definitely a time saver to prep the night before.
How much is each serving?
About 1 1/2 cups.
Do you use “fast cook” or regular uncle bens wild rice?
Hi Willie – regular Uncle Bens.
Absolutely loved this recipe! I added a few more carrots and celery than the recipe called for but it was still fantastic. It also warmed up great in the microwave (without losing any flavor) for leftovers!
Great – thanks Katelyn!
I made the soup! It’s so good!!! So I cut the salt way down, only adding a few shakes while I sautéed the veg, ( you’ll see why as you keep reading) I also added a little cayenne pepper with the red pepper and black pepper cause we all love it. I started with half the Uncle Bens Seasoning packet because I didn’t have dried parsley and that’s the main thing in the seasoning packet. By the end of the recipe, after tasting it, I added the rest of the seasoning packet then a garnish of fresh parsley. I also used chicken thighs because that’s what I had. I added xtra veg as well, (2 of the Trader Joe’s Mire Piox which are a heaping 2 cups each) We all loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds like delicious changes – thanks for sharing!
I have got to try this, I have been wanting to try a wild rice inspired dish for so long.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! My family loved it!
This soup was just what I was craving on this chilly night!
Love that you served it in a bread bowl!
This looks very nice and delicious. And thanks for the different serving(in the bread)
I had some cooked chicken that I added at the end. Turned out great!
Great – thanks for sharing Nancy!
I had some leftover Costco chicken and so I made the recipe without it and then added the chicken at the end. Turned out great!
Do you think this freezes well? I have made this several times and it’s a keeper but I haven’t yet frozen it.
Hi Alice – the rice tends to break down if you freeze it and thaw it / heat it in the microwave. If you thaw it overnight in the fridge it heats up better. Glad to hear you enjoy it!
Love this recipe! Since too much fat is an issue for me (sans gallbladder), I use 1/3 fat cream cheese, fat free half and half, and 2% milk and it still tastes awesome. Even people who are not used to eating a low fat diet love it.
I love that you changed it up to suit your needs. Thanks for sharing Marie!
I do not have a IP. Can I do this just on the stove? If yes how would I do that?
Hi Misty – the pressure cooker cook time is generally 1/3 of the time it takes to cook it on the stove. So my guess is it would take about 15 minutes on the stove.
My phone didn’t show me older comments so didn’t see there were any. Now I see there are some so will go search to see if I need to increase cook time if doubling.
Making a double batch, do I increase liquid and if so, how much? Love this recipe. I make it 2-3 times a month.
Double all the ingredients but use the same cook time. So glad it’s a hit. Thanks Rhonda!
This was really good! thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks Beth!
If using real wild rice should I increase broth ratio.
Hi Annie – I wouldn’t – if you need to, you can add some extra liquid at the end.
Thank you for this!
I made this tonight, but I made some substitutions I wanted to share:
I didn’t have celery, so it was omitted. We didn’t miss it that much, but if we made this meatless, it would really need it.
I don’t like cream cheese and we didn’t have half & half so I substituted 1 cup of heavy cream for both along with the 1 cup of 2% milk, and the cornstarch was also kept.
It was the perfect consistency, though it did simmer for a few minutes (5 maybe?), and did get thicker as it cooled.
Even the 3.5 year old ate this up, it was that good!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing you changes Alaina. Glad it was a hit.
Can I make this recipe without the cream cheese and half & half? Are there any substitutes? Thanks!
Sure – just use more cornstarch slurry to thicken it and add milk until your desired consistency is achieved.
I used 1 cup heavy cream in place of both cream cheese and half and half (still used 1 cup milk and the cornstarch slurry) it was amazing!
This was great. I made it with frozen chicken and just increase the time. I did not have a box of rice and used some plain white rice I had on hand.
Great! Thanks for sharing Jennifer.
Has anybody made this with rice-a-roni long grain and wild rice? It is a 4.3 oz box.
I was wondering the same thing?
Not that I’m aware of, but you should be able to without any problem. What’s the original cook time on the Rice A Roni?
Rice a Roni comes with seasonings. I don’t know if they’re in a separate package or not. Hopefully yes so you could omit them and just follow Barbara’s recipe.
Can I use frozen chicken?? I would imagine I need to increase the cooking time???
Hi Amy – yes, if the chicken is frozen diced chicken you can add it without any changes. If its a frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast then I’d recommend pressure cooking it for 1 minute on a rack with 1 cup of water below. Then use a quick release, dice the chicken and use as directed in the recipe. Enjoy!
I made a half batch using the same method and times and the soup was terrific! I didn’t make any radical changes, but I did sprinkle the raw chicken with some of the seasoning mix packet before adding it to the Instant Pot. I used whole milk and no half & half (didn’t have any) and I used tub style vegetable flavored cream cheese. Thanks for the recipes!
Thanks Anna for sharing your changes. Glad it was a hit 🙂
Would doubling work and/or change the cook time?
Hi Stephanie – if you have an 8 quart pressure cooker, you could double it without changes but there’s probably too much soup to double it in a 6 quart pressure cooker.
Made this last night and all I can say is, “YUM!” We did have to conduct a search for the rice mix. The first one my husband brought home (he was my intrepid scout) was a pouch which we determined was for the microwave and had the seasonings mixed in. Bless his heart, he went out again and found what we needed at a store we seldom go to. Worth the effort! Thank you, once again, for a stellar recipe, Barbara! And Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much Chris!
Mine turned out quite thick, what is best way to thin it?
Just stir in a little chicken broth or milk.
Thinking of making this for dinner sometime this week. Thoughts on using Trader Joe’s Wild rice and not a mixed rice blend?
Hi Carly – others have made it with regular wild rice successfully, so I assume Trader Joe’s wild rice would work as well. Enjoy!
My instant pot doesn’t have high and low pressure setting. Can I just use the regular (manual) setting. It is Instant pot brand.
Hi Stacey – The Instant Pot Lux doesn’t have low pressure. It always cooks on high pressure. So using the manual setting will work great. Enjoy!
I made this with bagged wild rice instead of the boxed stuff, and it turned out great! I also added mushrooms and a bit of fresh grated garlic. Amazing. I often change recipes and thus one is easily amendable to your preference.
Thanks for sharing Katie!
Has anyone tried using just brown rice? I don’t have any wild rice on hand… wondering how that would change cooking time, texture, etc??
Hi Abigail – you could use brown rice, but you’ll need to cook the rice first, (I’d try 18 minutes), then release the pressure and add the chicken and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
This looks amazing! I plan to make it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Do you think this soup will freeze well?
Thanks Eliza – yes, I freeze it often.
Someone mentioned the rice they purchased already had the seasoning mixed in. I have purchased that one before as well and I put my rice into a small colander and shook the dry seasoning out of the rice before adding the rice to the pot. Of course there are still remnants but for the most part it is eliminated and it didn’t seem to have any negative flavor difference.
Thanks for sharing that tip Melissa!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Served it in “made from scratch” bread bowls. What a treat. I did use the seasoning packet and added a little garlic. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Deb! Homemade bread bowls is definitely a treat 🙂
Hello, I am new to IP, only used a couple of times, I have a 3 quart will this recipe work or do I need to cut in half?
Hi Bonnie – this should work well in the 3 quart Instant Pot without any changes.
Do you think this would freeze well?
It freezes okay, especially if you thaw if gently. The rice breaks down a bit but the flavor and texture of the soup otherwise is good.
Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice no longer comes with a separate seasoning packet. The seasoning is mixed in with the rice. Have you made the soup with this new packaging? I am hesitant to try it because once I opened the package the smell is not enticing. Please advise. Thank you
This is by far my most favorite soup. I hope it continues to be.
Hi Marje – interesting! I recently bought two packages and they still had the seasoning packets. I wonder if it’s just something in your area. Have you tried another store? Others have used the seasoning packet and enjoyed it. It’s my understanding that the seasoning if mostly bouillon. So glad you enjoy the recipe!
I will definitely look some place else for the rice with the separate seasoning pkg. I’m so glad to hear it is still available.
Marje, if you can’t find rice with a separate seasoning packet you could just rinse the seasoning off the rice with water before cooking it. It might not get 100% of the seasoning off, but close enough that it would affect the taste of your soup.
I meant to write “…close enough that it would NOT affect the taste of your soup.”
I made this tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing a great, quick recipe for one of my favorite soups!! You are a Rock Star in my books!
How sweet! Thanks Dawn <3
Very easy and very good! Thank you!!!
My family loved it. I used smaller rolls and cut out the centers, so we had mini bread bowls!
Thanks April! Sounds like a fun way to serve it.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts with this? Does anyone have suggestions for cook time?
Hi Brooke – see my response to Lacie’s comment below.
This sounds delicious! Any suggestions for frozen chicken? Or should I just get some not frozen? Thanks!
Hi Lacie – I just made this soup the other day and only had frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts. So I put one can of chicken broth in the pressure cooker put a rack in the pressure cooker and put 2 chicken breasts on the rack. I pressure cooked the frozen chicken breasts 1 minute while I was cutting my veggies. Then I quick released the chicken and diced it, removed the chicken broth to a bowl and sauted my veggies and continued with the recipe as written. Enjoy!
I just made this tonight, it’s an excellent soup and the directions are fool-proof! I love mushrooms and think i’ll Add them next time. Would I do that with the sauté when I do the carrots, onion and celery? Thanks for a great site!
Thanks so much Paul! You could saute the mushrooms with the carrots. If you’re really fussy about your mushrooms, saute them in some butter before you start the recipe and then stir them in at the end. I often hear Julia Childs say “don’t crowd the mushrooms”. 🙂
If I double the ingredients and have an 8 quart how much would you recommend increasing the cook time? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Kelly – in the pressure cooker there is generally no need to increase the time when you double a recipe, unless the meat is twice as thick. Enjoy!
I made this and it was incredible! My daughter, the biggest critic of them all, has been asking me to make it again ever since (I made it just over a week ago!) This time I’m cooking whole chickens in my instapot ahead of time, so would you just leave the already cooked chicken out of the recipe and proceed as follows and then just add it in at the end?
Glad you loved it Kelly! I probably would just add the chicken at the end.
This looks amazing! I’m a fan of Uncle Ben’s Rice as well. Thanks for the shout-out for my Loaded Cauliflower Soup!
Please help my husband bought me the super large one and their are only 2 of us, the receipe is never cooked enough following directions . Is it because it is to big or is something wrong? I have the original cookbook and even bought another one. I do not want to use it bebause I never know when’s it’s going to be done? I even tried different meats and they never come out? It does not seem to release the steam as my non electric one did. Thank you in advance if you can please answer my questions.
Hi Sue – if it’s not releasing the steam like your non electric one did, then it sounds like it is not coming to pressure properly. Put two cups of water in the pressure cooker, make sure your gasket and lid are on properly and select a program with a shot cook time. As the water heats, you should see steam build up, the float valve will rise and then the steam should stop almost completely when the float valve rises. Then when you release the pressure, you should see a big burst of steam. If those things don’t occur, your pressure cooker is not working properly.
This was SO GOOD! I added 8 oz. fresh mushrooms (sliced) because my daughter wanted a meal with mushrooms. I didn’t see the note about discarding the seasoning packet so in it went too. We were fighting over the leftovers for lunch today.
Thanks for the rave review Michelle! You can’t go wrong with adding fresh mushrooms.
This is lovely, both myself and my hubby enjoyed it. Yes, i did make a few changes, i used pulled pork, canned at that, for the meat, instead of cream cheese and milks, i used Creamy pumpkin soup, used celery seed as i had no celery. All the rest of the ingredients were kept as is. The creamy pumpkin soup really made this dish awesome, but i would really like to do it with the ingredients in the recipe! Thank you for a lovely warm soup recipe.
Thanks for sharing your changes Lauranne. Glad you enjoyed it!
Does it matter on the brand of pressure cooker? And will the instructions let us know difference in slow and quick pressure release?
Hi Jamie – it does not matter the brand of pressure cooker. Each recipe will always tell you how to release the pressure. Enjoy!
I’ve had this recipe saved for several months now. I hadn’t made it though, because my husband doesn’t care for chicken. Today my stomach was feeling a little upset, and soup sounded like a good idea. So I made it for myself and my 4.5yo son. This is seriously one of the best soups I’ve ever made! I didn’t even have to nag at my son to eat, so he obviously enjoyed it too. I did use about 2tsp of the seasoning packet, but that was the only change I made. Looking forward to eating it tomorrow for lunch!
Hi Danielle – so nice to hear you finally got a chance to make it and loved it. Aren’t leftovers great. Hope you’re feeling better now.
We received a pressure cooker as a wedding gift over a year and a half ago and have been too intimidated to use it… Until now. This was the 2nd recipe I made and it is was delicious. My picky wife and BIL both ate it and loved it. I also made your potato soup recipe and it was divine. I can’t wait to work my way through all your recipes. Thanks for the amazing recipes and confidence to use my pressure cooker.
Thanks so much Lonna! I’m so glad I could help you begin to enjoy your wedding gift. Those are two of my favorite soups too. Have fun 🙂
If I am making this for a family of 6, and have regular dry wild rice vs the uncle Bens parboiled, how would I make this? I’m not sure how much of the dry rice to use and if I should partially cook it first, or not? Any tips?
Hi Nancy – others have substituted regular wild rice without making any changes. Since you don’t thicken it until after pressure cooking, if it isn’t as tender as you’d like, just simmer it with the saute button until it’s to your liking. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Hi,
Could I chicken drumsticks for this recipe- and what would time difference?
Thanks Pip
I would probably cook the drumsticks in 1 cup of broth for 3 minutes, then release the pressure, cut off the meat from the bone and proceed with the recipe as directed using the 1 cup of broth as part of the cooking liquid.
Do you think I could use a rotisserie chicken in this? And if yes, would I just add it in after the rice is finished cooking? Would that alter the cooking time – making it without the chicken?
This was my first IP recipe, and it came out sooo yummy. I doubled the recipe, kept the seasoning, and added more quantity of the spices as a Southeast Asian born, spices have always been integral part of our cuisine. I searched up and found that Walmart had these bread bowls (Bread Boule as it said), and the family loved it!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe.
I have made this twice now. Both times I added the seasoning packet. Since I only had whipping cream in the house, I used 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup regular milk in addition to the 1 cup of milk. We took some to our friend who is terminal. He called the next day and requested more so we took the entire pot to him. His Mom said I make the best soup. When I asked our friend if there was anything else he would like me to make for him he said no just that soup….I like that soup. Thanks for such a flavorful recipe.
Hi Janice – What a sweet, tender story. That’s so kind of you. Thanks so much for sharing it. God bless you and you friend who is struggling.
Dear Barb,
I recently acquired a new pressure cooker and found your recipes and so far I am really enjoying it. I started with the pulled pork and it was amazing. Next was the creamy chicken and wild rice soup which I followed the recipe to the “T” but it just seemed as if it lacked something. Can you swap heavy cream for the 1/2 and 1/2? How about getting more flavor out of the chicken? I would appreciate your reply. Thank you again for the wonderful recipes.
Hi Russell – definitely change it up to suit your tastes. Have fun with your new pressure cooker!
Made this last night – U-MAZ-ING. So delicious! I can’t wait to make it again…and soon. There were NOOOO leftovers!!
Thanks Miranda! Always nice to hear 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe. I have all the ingredients and my brand-new Instant Pot. Question; should I add more time to this recipe for the Instant Pot, since many folks online state that the pressure is different (lower) than other pressure cookers? Thanks!
Hi Juli – all my recipes are written for the electric pressure cooker and usually tested using the Instant Pot. No need to change the cook time. Have fun!
I made this tonight; it was so nice to have dinner on the table in no time flat! What a delicious recipe; next time I’m thinking of adding some thyme to add a bit of extra seasoned flavor without adding sodium. My family loved this, even our 10-month old granddaughter! Thanks again.
Great, thanks for the update – glad they loved it. Definitely change it up to suit your tastes.
I’m curious if you have ever included the seasoning packet (I know the original recipe doesn’t call for it)? I love the flavor of it, but it may be super overwhelming in the soup.
Hi Angel – if you like the flavor, sure go ahead and use the seasoning packet, but I would omit the salt.
Will low fat half and half work in this recipe?
Hi Cheryl – yes, that should work fine.
If i don’t want to use cream cheese could i just leave it out or add more half and half?
Hi Janelle – the cream cheese helps thicken up the soup so you may want to use more corn starch. Enjoy!
I love this soup and want to know if it is okay to freeze? Thanks!
Thanks Donna 🙂 I like to freeze the soup in individual portions for quick lunches. It reheats pretty well.
Just an FYI, for any of your readers who have celiac disease, or gluten intolerance. The rice mix mentioned in this recipe is not gluten-free. Your readers might want to come up with their own white rice and wild rice combination that would work for this recipe. Not sure about the seasonings in the mix, or how big a part they play in flavoring this soup. However, among the listed ingredients are hydolyzed yeast protein and autolyzed yeast extract, neither of which provide the source, and “Hydrolyzed SOY/CORN/WHEAT protein”.
The recipe says not to use the season pack so that shouldn’t be a factor as just the rice is used, correct?
That’s what I would assume as well.
Wondering if this can be made ahead and then reheated? Have you tried that?
Hi Heidi – yes, it will reheat very well. I often freeze it in individual portions and reheat it for lunches later.
This turned out great! It was easy and 4 out of 5 of my kids loved it, so I call that a success! Thanks!
Thanks Aubri! If you can please 4 out of 5, that’s definitely a win 🙂
I just got all the ingredients to make this very excited; however, my pressure cooker doesn’t have a sauté setting. Should I hit brown/sear instead??
Hi Madison – yes, brown and sear will work. Enjoy!
Thanks so much! Also mine does not have a high pressure setting I just have
Slow cook, soup/stew, rice, fish steam, steak/meat, chicken, vegetable steam, beans, and brown/sear
Which would you recommend for step #3
All your pressure cooking settings probably work the same and just have different pre-set times, so it doesn’t matter which pressure cooking setting you use. Just use the one that has the closest cooking time and adjust the time to match the time in the recipe. 🙂
Thank you for a wonderful, easy to follow recipe. I just bought my first pressure cooker. I made this soup as my first recipe. It was delicious! I look forward to trying more of your recipes. So happy to have discovered this website.
Thanks Georges! Definitely a great choice for a first recipe. Have fun with your new pressure cooker.
Love this soup. Would the cook time be the same if I used boneless skinless thighs?
Thanks Jean! Yes, as long as the thighs are cut into bite size pieces, I would use the same cook time.
Thank you 🙂
Any thoughts on how to use this recipe for the crock pot??
Hi Steph – I haven’t tried it, but this recipe looks similar http://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/
Oh, this was so good! Thanks so much for the recipe! Looking forward to making some of your other recipes this week!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much your liked it Lindsay! Hope you love the others as well. 🙂
I just now unboxed my IPLux. I pretty much know nothing about it. This recipe looks great. I have frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer. Can I use them frozen, or at least maybe thawed but uncut (cut them up after they’ve cooked)?? Also, I have a bag of cracked wild rice (it’s all brown) and a bag of some jasmine rice. Can I kind of mix the two and use this instead of a box of Uncle Bens? If so, how much rice? Or is this a recipe for disaster? LOL. And sorry if these are repeat questions, I haven’t had time to read all the replies.
Hi Tracy – looks like I missed your question earlier – sorry. Using frozen whole chicken breast will change the timing of this recipe. What I would recommend instead is pressure cooking the frozen chicken breasts for 1 minute on a rack over 1 cup of water. Then you can dice the chicken and proceed with the recipe as written. People have substitute regular wild rice and white rice, but you may not be able to do it with the brown wild rice. I’d use about 3/4 cup of rice.
Hi! Just found your site & love the recipes and info on using my new IP. For the above recipe, I need a substitute for Uncle Ben’s or the orzo mentioned in this thread. I’m gluten free. What would you recommend? I’d prefer a more “plain” rice over packaged mix with additives. Thanks in advance!
Hi Terri – welcome! If you prefer to use a cup of regular long grain white rice, that should work fine. I’d just reduce the cook time 1 minute.
Any advice on how to do this on the stove top? I don’t have my pressure cooker with me ?
Hi Sarah – I haven’t tried it, but I think you could cook it as described, just for 20 minutes instead. You might have to stir it to avoid sticking.
What happens if you eliminate the cream cheese? I didn’t realize the cream cheese I bought had flavoring to it!
Hi Diane – the cream cheese adds a nice flavor and creaminess to the soup, but you could substitute some cream or half and half and add more thickener.
We made this recipe with one replacement : Having no “uncle Ben’s”, we used ORZO instead, which came out very well. Great recipe, excellent instructions. Who’d have thought you could make an awesome creamy chicken soup in 35 minutes (from cutting vegetables to table)??? It was also a really easy “reheat” the next day. Thanks.
Thanks Dave! Great idea to use Orzo. I’ll have to give that a try soon.
I’m so glad I found your website! I just got my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and I’m a little overwhelmed, but excited. Your recipes really help keep it simple and practical. I can’t wait to get started now! Thank you for devoting your time to this wonderful page & recipes!
Thanks so much Sara! I’m glad you found me too. This recipe is a great choice for a beginner. Everyone seems to love it. Enjoy!
Barbara, I just made this soup today and it is wonderful! I am so amazed how easy it was. Your recipes are the perfect step by step instructions! You have really opened a whole new world to easy, healthy cooking for my family and I. I wish they would put your recipes with the Instant Pot when they box them up. I can’t wait to try more recipes of yours. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much Sara! Glad you’re loving my recipes. Actually I do have a couple of recipes in the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes cookbook that should have come with your IP 🙂 The Kalua Pork and the Colorado Burritos are from my site.
Just curious. Have you tried your recipe “with” the seasoning packet from the Uncle Ben’s? Why did you chose to discard the packet?
Thanks.
Hi Betsy – I didn’t use it because a lot of the packet is chicken bouillon.
Thanks!
This was my first recipe in the IP. I was nervous, but my 17 y.o. took over and said, “Mom, I got this – Happy Birthday”. It turned out fabulous!! Since then I have made some other things and my fears are conquered. Thanks so much for a great first recipe. We all love it! We’re making it again tonight – it’s a teen-friendly recipe.
That’s so nice Kathie – thanks for sharing your story. So glad you’re enjoying pressure cooking now and that I could be a part of that. Have fun!
Omg! Third time using my instant pot and first time cooking soup. My husband said it was the best soup he had in his life. Thanks a lot for this recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks Beata! So glad you both loved it. Have fun with your new Instant Pot 🙂
For the Uncle Dan’s rice mix, we don’t use the seasoning packet?
That’s correct. I didn’t use it in this recipe.
We tried this today and it was absolutely delicious. We didn’t have any celery on hand so we substituted with fresh chopped spinach and it was fantastic. Everyone in my family loved it. We will be making this often.
Thanks Kelly! Good to know spinach works well in this soup too.
We LOVED this!! I’m fairly new to the pressure cooker, and I know you need to be careful about doubling / adding more ingredients. I want to add more rice next time. Can that easily be done with this recipe?
Hi Karen – sure you could add more rice, I’d probably add more liquid as well, depending on how much more rice you added.
I would like to double this next time and add a little white wine and more wild rice. Will I need to increase cook time?
Hi Tammy – you actually might want to decrease the cook time a minute because it will take longer for it to come to pressure.
This is my favorite soup! I’m so glad I came across your recipe. I know this is a silly question, but chicken goes in raw or cooked? Most recipes call for cooked chicken. Thank you!
I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas and am looking forward to trying this recipe tonight.
Hi Melissa – sounds like a perfect first recipe. Have fun!
Can’t wait to try this soup recipe, especially when the winds are blowing and snowy outside! Thanks ☺️
Perfect for a cold winter’s day. Enjoy!
Wonderful meal! My husband cooked it tonight after I gave him the recipe and the chopped veggies and he did a fantastic job! Thank you so much for this recipe you made our night easy and my husband’s chest became bigger from being able to do this by himself!
I’m definitely going to make this! Although I have a question. I’ve read in other blogs that you shouldn’t do a quick release with soup because it will spew out the release hole. How do you make sure this doesn’t happen? Don’t want to burn myself. Great recipe though!
Hi Lauren – this recipe calls for a 5 minute natural pressure release, which should be plenty of time for the soup to stop boiling and you shouldn’t have any liquid coming out of the vale. Any time you have liquid coming through the valve, just close it and let the pressure release naturally for a few minutes and that should stop the problem. Enjoy!
Have this in the pot now, but will be using leftover smoked turkey! I plan on adding the turkey after the rice cook phase since it just needs heated!!
Sounds like a good plan Kelly. Enjoy!
Making it again tomorrow! Super good!! ❤️
Thanks Kelly – enjoy!
I just made this tonight and WOW, very good and super easy! I will definitely be making this again.
AMAZING soup and very easy in the pressure cooker! I honestly think this is my new favorite soup. Thank you so much!
Just made this for dinner tonight and it turned out just perfect. It was just the right consistency and so very good, I followed the recipe as written.
Barbara…this was my first attempt at using our Instant Pot (except for the water test)…and we loved this soup! So yummy and comforting…and we didn’t even use the bread bowls:) Our bellies are very happy this evening? Thanks so much for this site and sharing all of these recipes! I want to try my hand at a cheesecake next? Wish me luck!
Thanks Donna – a great choice for a first recipe. I’m so glad it was a hit and that I could help you. Before you make your cheesecake, read this post https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/making-perfect-pressure-cooker-cheesecake/. Enjoy!
Thank you!!!
I made your Creamy Wide Rice Soup but for us it didn’t have enough Wild Rice. So I made more and added it
and also added 1/4 cup dry sherry to give it a little more flavor. Also, next time I will add some sliced
mushrooms.
But the Uncle Bens was a good start.
This was good and forgiving. I doubled the chicken and was not home to release the pressure on my instant pot so it sat on “keep warm” for 2 hours. Added the cheese and switched it to Saute (instant pot does not have “simmer”) and stirred in the milk and half and half. It was plenty thick without the corn starch so I did not bother. The rice got a little lost in the shuffle but was still a nice touch. Will definitely make it again. I also used baby carrots to save on chopping! And I added 3 cloves of garlic. Kids and adults all enjoyed. Thanks for posting this easy and tasty recipe.
Thanks Amanda – glad you and your family enjoyed it. If you have the IP Duo, the simmer setting is Saute adjusted to less, but Saute works just fine too.
I bought my pressure cooker about a month ago. I bought a recipe book with it as well. Made a few things, and they were very good. I made this soup for dinner last night and my husband said “This is the best thing you have ever made”. My family absolutely loved it. And that little bit of red pepper flakes gave just a hint of kick. It was truly perfect. Thank you so much for your recipes. I am definitely going to be making more!! Melissa
Thanks so much for letting me know how much you and your husband liked the soup. Comments like this really are the best part of my job.
Oh my goodness. I made this recipe last night and it was sooooo delicious! Thank you for posting electric pressure cooker recipes for us newbies to this way of cooking. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks so much Debra! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes.
This is super easy and amazing. Thank you for a great recipe. Just got done making this for the family. Looking forward to the left overs for lunch tomorrow. Got a feeling it will be even better the second time around.
HO My! Kept to the basic recipe, with minor variations to make it vegan and to use a fun variety of wild rice and found this fantasmic!!! This is a keeper for sure!! Thanks!!
Thanks Mindy! That’s my first fantasmic comment 🙂 So glad you loved it and good to know that it’s easy to make it vegan. Did you just eliminate the meat and use vegetable stock?
This is so easy and delicious, I’ve made it several times and even the kids love it! It’s like a chicken pot pie in a bowl. I made a little change since I never have half & half or cream cheese on hand. I make a roux with 2T butter, 2T flour, 1c milk and add it to the soup after the quick pressure release. It’s delicious and seems to thicken the soup nicely.
Thanks Judy – glad you and your kids love the soup. The roux is a great idea for a substitution.
I made this soup again and enjoyed it as much as the first time!
I just wanted to stop and drop a quick note about this receipe
I just finished cooking and I must admit I had my concerns about this one. I guess then I was scared because after I sautéed the vegetables and put it all in my insta-pot I ran down to the mail box thumbed through the mail and by the time I arrived back it was done!! Ok so first thing crossed my mind getting old forgot to set the timer? But No No No I released the pressure waited 5 more minutes opened the pot and it was perfect for the next steps…. The Finshed Product Was Wonderful & I can’t wait to have more on tomorrow sure it will be even More Yummy For The Tummy!!!! Thank You!!!
Thanks Doran – your comment made me smile. It really is a quick, delicious soup.
I made this for dinner last evening, and it was delicious. I have to say this is one of the best cream soups I’ve ever had. My wife even commented how good it was, and there are very few cream soups or chowders that she likes.
Even though my wife loved the soup; I added too many red pepper flakes for my taste. For more than 40 years she’s done almost all the cooking around the house. To me cooking meant a microwave and something frozen. But now that I’m retired, I decided to help out by preparing dinner for her when she gets home from work. However, being relatively new to home cooking, I have yet to master some of the terms used in recipes. I have no clue what quantifiable measurement a “Dash” or a “Pinch” represents. For last nights soup, my guess is I added about a teaspoon of pepper flakes; and Wow was it hot.
Hi Gary – so glad you and your wife loved the soup. If you ever have a question about a cooking terms, just Google the term and definition. A pinch literally is just a tiny bit of spice that you could pinch between two fingers and a dash is just a quick shake of the spice bottle. Both are about 1/8 of a teaspoon or less. But hang in there. You’ll be a pro before you know it.
When I read your post I had to laugh, Gary – not at you, but with you as we’ve all been there with respect to learning how to cook and what cooking terms mean. Barbara has explained well what a pinch and a dash are and her suggestion to use the Internet when you’re not sure about something is a good one.
I might also suggest using a light hand with herbs and spices if/when you’re not sure how much of something to use. Add a little and taste. You can always add more but you can’t take it out once added.
Your story reminded me of a grad assistant I once had. She’d mentioned that she’d cooked some chicken dish for her family that ended up being pretty bland. She had a lot of leftovers and asked how she might bump up the flavor. I mentioned that rosemary was a good herb to use with chicken but failed to suggest an amount. The next night she brought me a sample of her “enhanced chicken” to taste. ALL you could taste was rosemary. It was awful. I asked how much rosemary she’d used and she said “a couple of tablespoons.” Next time, I said, it would be good to use a lot less – maybe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at most and also remember that dried spices and herbs are much stronger and more potent than fresh herbs and spices. This is a hint for you to remember as well Gary as you continue to cook for you and your wife. If a fresh herb is called for – say thyme, you’d use only a third the amount called for if using the dried version of that herb. For example, 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme would mean using only 1/2 t. of dried thyme. In general, fresh herbs are preferable to dried versions, but not a requirement and one doesn’t always have fresh herbs on hand.
And by the way, kudos to you for deciding to have supper ready for your wife when she gets home from work.
Thanks Razzy – I always appreciate your input.
Gary, this post of yours asking about measurements of a dash and a pinch reminded me of a set of measuring spoons you might find useful.
This set by Norpro includes 8 measuring spoons:
1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon
dash
pinch
smidgen
These spoons also include metric equivalents. You’ll notice that the shape of the spoons is rectangular rather than round. I find this rectangular shape handier to use as this shape slips into spice jars more easily than some round shaped measureing spoons. I also like that they’re sturdy as they’re made from stainless steel rather than plastic. The price is reasonable and this set will last forever.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Piece-Measuring/dp/B000P0W4MC/ref=sr_1_13?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1422804378&sr=1-13&keywords=measuring+spoons
Haha. I tend to overdo the spices too because I underestimate their potency. As for “dash” and “pinch,” I wish I had your wife’s email … because I’d suggest that she buy you this set of spoons for Valentine’s Day. They’re somewhat of a gag gift, but can be useful if want to be precise about a “Tad” (1/4th tsp), “Dash” (1/8th tsp), “Pinch” (1/16th tsp), “Smidgen” (1/32nd tsp) and “Drop” (1/64th tsp). I use mine daily to measure Sucralose, a sugar substitute where 1/10 tsp is equal to 1 cup of sugar in sweetness.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/
Keep in mind that while the cooking time is only 5 mins, the chicken is exposed to heat during pressurization and the 10 mins of depressurization before the steam is released. And much of that time, the temperature is around 250F (the secret to pressure cooking is that high pressures, i.e. 15psi, creates higher steam temperatures than the maximum 212F at standard pressure).
In fact, if I had to guess, I’d say that the interior is hotter than 212F for more than 20 mins. En route to reaching 15psi, it will be 220F by 3psi, 235F at 10psi and finally, 250F by 13psi. That’s at least 5 mins above 212F during pressurization. Add the 5 mins of cooking at 250F/15psi, and the 10 mins of natural depressurization (where it’s still probably around 10psi), and you’d see why the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Thanks for pointing that out Bryan. I completely disregarded the 10 minute cool-down time as part of the cooking process, and the gradual rise in temperature as the pressure builds is completely logical to be considered “cooking time”. I feel better now knowing that I’ll not be sending my wife and I to the hospital for undercooked chicken.
And keep in mind, Gary that after the specified cooking time you can always bring the PC back to pressure and cook the food a bit longer if it’s not done to your liking. Doing so with a stovetop is a little less cumbersome, but can be done with a digital PC as well.
Hello, I love your site. I have not yet come out of the closet. I bought an electric pressure
cooker two years ago, but I have yet to use it. I do the cooking, my wife is about to retire,
and she is pestering me to start using it. When I was a child I can remember the pressure
cooker whistling on the stove and the little red valve bouncing away. We all lived, no explosions
in the kitchen, but I have not tried it yet. So, after reading many of your recipes, I think I shall
take it out of the box and try some chicken soup, right, what could be easier? I will try to get
back to you if our house is still standing.
So glad you’re finally taking the plunge. Sounds like the perfect first recipe. Enjoy!
This recipe calls for cooking raw chicken breasts for only 5 minutes. Is this right? Are you sure you didn’t mean 15 minutes?
Hi Gary – diced chicken breasts cook very quickly in the pressure cooker. 5 minutes is plenty of time.
Not only is 5 minutes, as Barbara notes, plenty of time Gary, cooking them longer will result in dry, flavorless chicken.
Keep in mind that while the cooking time is only 5 mins, the chicken is exposed to heat during pressurization and the 10 mins of depressurization before the steam is released. And much of that time, the temperature is around 250F (the secret to pressure cooking is that high pressures, i.e. 15psi, creates higher steam temperatures than the maximum 212F at standard pressure).
In fact, if I had to guess, I’d say that the interior is hotter than 212F for more than 20 mins. En route to reaching 15psi, it will be 220F by 3psi, 235F at 10psi and finally, 250F by 13psi. That’s at least 5 mins above 212F during pressurization. Add the 5 mins of cooking at 250F/15psi, and the 10 mins of natural depressurization (where it’s still probably around 10psi), and you’d see why the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
If I have rice that takes 40 min on stovetop then will I need to cook the rice and chicken separately? New to pressure cooking…
thanks!
Made this for dinner last night , Absolutely delicious. We decided it would be good enough dinner the next night also. Followed recipe exactly, and wife definetly loved the thickness of the soup. Had garlic bread sticks on the side for a complete meal. Thank you for posting….
Hi Howard – we love leftovers too. So glad you and your wife enjoyed the soup. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
This Recipe is Delicious! So Creamy! 5 stars.
Thanks Tina! So glad you enjoyed it.
I recently bought an electric pressure cooker and this was my first meal. It was terrific! I am an avid fan of the slow cooker, so I am excited to learn about pressure cooking. Again, this soup is just so full of flavor and the use of the parboiled Uncle Ben’s wild rice is such a great idea. The cream cheese, too is a novel addition that totally works! I am looking forward to my next meal attemp from your recipes…the smothered burrito.
Thanks Robin! A perfect first recipe. So glad you’re enjoying pressure cooking. Have fun!
Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS!! Only thing I changed was I added some fresh broccoli. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Thanks Tabitha! I like the idea of bulking it up with added veggies.
Made this for family dinner, was a great big hit!! Everyone loved it. Didn’t add the cream, was great!
Thanks for the recipe!!
I made this soup tonight. It was easy, quick and delicious.
Thanks Eric!
This is rememinesent of a casserole dish my mom used to make that I finally laid my hands on after 30 years! I plan to do this for dinner with just a smidgen of curry powder and sherry! Can’t wait!!! Thank you for sharing!
Sounds like delicious additions. I hope it brings back fond memories.
Add cream cheese? Now that’s pure genius, Barbara. This must be such a heart and rich soup. I’ll have to adapt this to use regular wild rice since that’s what I just bought. But, I think I can make this work. I’m looking forward to making this soup– and I just might be tempted to add some fresh tarragon to this, since I have tons of it in my backyard.
Thank you! I am new to pressure cooking and visited my daughter to make some meals to freeze for her. This one of our choices and was fabulous!!
Thanks Janet! That’s so nice of you to help your daughter. We love having soup in the freezer.
Can you use brown rice and wild rice instead of Uncle Ben’s? I have them in my cupboard. What would the cooking times be?
Hi Cheryl – you could use brown rice and wild rice, but you’ll need to cook the rice first, (I’d try 18 minutes), then release the pressure and add the chicken and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
Looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it next week. I do have a question. We’re trying to drastically cut down on our fat intake. Of the dairy ingredients, which ones can be eliminated, or substituted with alternatives or low fat versions? For example, I always save the starchy liquid from pressure cooking beans to use as a thickener. I often use it as a base for sauces instead of using flour or corn starch (we also do low carb for diabetic relatives).
Thanks Bryan – you could probably substitute the bean liquid for the milk and cornstarch in the recipe. I like low fat cream cheese, but not the fat free cream cheese. However, the fat free half and half is pretty good and I’ve used in soups before. Enjoy!
Hi Bryan,
May I also suggest using almond milk as a substitute. It’s total fat content per 8 oz. is 2.5 grams vs. 8 grams for whole milk. We prefer the Blue Diamond brand of Almond Milk. Be sure to get the Original Unsweetened as you don’t want to add any sweetness to the soup. It’s very mild in flavor and will not overpower your soup. It comes in refrigerated and shelf stable versions. I buy the shelf stable version so I always have some on hand when needed. It’s refrigerated of course after it’s opened.
I agree with Barbara about fat free cream cheese – it’s pretty awful at least on something like a bagel. It’s perhaps decent in a soup, but since I don’t care for it, I’ve not tried it in a soup.
Thanks for the suggestion. By coincidence, we were going to try soymilk in this recipe since we’re big soymilk drinkers. But the recent Harvard study about soy being linked to brain damage has us concerned so switching over to almond milk is worth a try. We generally avoid dairy milk because we’re lactose intolerant. This recipe seems pretty flexible so it’ll be fun to subsititute a few ingredients, i.e. peas instead of celery. Thanks again.
Soy milk should work fine, Bryan. I only recommended almond milk because we prefer its taste and we prefer the Blue Diamond brand. I agree the recipe seems pretty flexible and lends itself to experimentation. You might also want to consider using Lactaid brand milk which is lactose-free.
In case you end up not liking the soup you make with soy milk or whatever you choose, you might try half a recipe first. If it doesn’t turn out you won’t have wasted so many ingredients.
Thanks for your suggestions Razzy 🙂
UGH-jury duty…..that is one notice I always HATE to see in the mailbox.
Your soup looks delicious-perfect for a cold winter day…..and I’m thinking a great way to maybe use up some turkey next week……..we do love our soups here.
Thanks Barbara!
P.S…..My electric pressure cooker is going to Robin’s house with me on Thanksgiving. I plan on showing her just how quick and easy-AND NOT SCARY-it is to make turkey stock in the pressure cooker. Maybe then she’ll change her mind, realize there’s nothing to be afraid of and be willing to have a pressure cooker in the house.
Kids…… 🙂
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that she learns to like pressure cooking as much as we do. Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara, do you use an electric pressure cooker? I bought one and sent it back because it was HUGE. Just got one to use on induction unit or gas. It is really nice but it is from India…. All replacement parts must be ordered there or unit needs to be replaced there. 🙁
I live alone so think a 4-5 quart is just perfect for me. Any suggestions? Thnx
Hi Cindy – yes, all my recipes are written for a 6 qt. pressure cooker. You do need room in your kitchen for an electric, but I love the ease of an electric. Hip pressure cooking has a great buying guide on her site http://www.hippressurecooking.com/go-shopping/. She’ll have better advice for you on stove-top models. Tell Laura I sent you 🙂
Cindy,
I’m not Barbara, but I have a recommendation for you on a superb pressure cooker – B/R/K – in fact I own several B/R/K pressure cookers. I also own a Kuhn Rikon and a Fissler but the B/R/Ks are by far my favorite and the ones I use 90% of the time. I also recommend purchasing your pressure cooker from Pleasant Hill Grain. This is a reputable company with excellent customer service. This B/R/K pressure cooker is available in 3 sizes, 4.25 Qt, 6.3, Qt. and 9.5 Qt. I think you’d find the B/R/K pressure cookers much superior and easier to use than the one from India. Replacement parts and replacement gaskets, should you need them are readily available from Pleasant Hill Grain. By the way, I use all my pressure cookers on a Nuwave Portable Induction Cooker which I also like very much.
If you have any questions about the B/R/K or other stovetop pressure cookers that I can answer I’ll be happy to try to do so. Laura at Hip Pressure Cooking as Barbara notes is also an excellent resource.
Thnx so much. I ordered one earlier from T-fal. Not sure how much I’ll use it but if so I’ll pawn it off on one of my friends and get a better one. I have bookmarked the site for future reference. I’ve never had food from a PC… At least since my mother blew hers up in the kitchen when I was about 7-8. I’m hoping that the food tastes as good as everyone says…. Not like slow cooker. Sometimes I like the slow cooker. But sometimes the food tastes like it is boiled, bland and boring.
cindy b, I think you’re going to love pressure cooking and the food that you can cook in a pressure cooker. You’re right about slow cookers. They have their place but food cooked in them can certainly taste boiled, bland and boring – the primary reason I gave mine away.
I don’t know how your mother blew her PC up in the kitchen, but she likely was using old pressure cooker technology. Pressure cookers our mothers and grandmothers had did not have the multiple safety mechanisms that modern pressure cookers have. It’s also possible that she wasn’t paying close enough attention to what she was doing. Even those old pressure cookers functioned well for most users.
The key to good tasting food in the pressure cooker is following recipes from those who know what they’re doing and cooking it the proper amount of time. Some recipes call for adding ingredients at different times — a beef pot roast with potatoes would be a good example. If you cook the potatoes the same amount of time as as the pot roast, the potatoes are likely to be overdone. If you cook both just long enough for the potatoes to be properly cooked, the pot roast will not be done. Hence you’d start out cooking the pot roast by itself (with whatever you’re using for flavor – onions, garlic, herbs, spices etc.) and after the indicated time in your recipes, release the pressure, remove the lid, add the potatoes and bring both roast and potatoes back to pressure and cook the specified time for the potatoes. Personally I find this kind of staged cooking easier in a stovetop PC though it can be done in an digital PC and I know there are many fans of digitals.
Since you seem to be new to pressure cooking, I want to direct you again to the Hip Pressure Cooking site and this section in particular: http://www.hippressurecooking.com/learn-to-pressure-cook/. Laura has created an excellent series of lessons called Learn to Pressure Cook. Working through those 8 lessons will result in some wonderful, tasty food and more importantly teach you a variety of pressure cooking techniques so that you’ll be able to sucessrully do just about anything you want in a pressure cooker. The Hip site also has some forums where you can ask any pressure cooking-related question and get helpful advice from fellow pressure cooker users and Laura. And while I’m at it, I strongly recommend that you purchase Laura Pazzaglia’s new book, Hip Pressure Cooking. Besides excellent recipes, there’s an enormous amount of helpful information about pressure cooking. You will learn a lot from that book. May I add that I’m really not Laura’s press agent, I just believe that her site and book are very helpful to both new and experienced pressure cooker users :-).
And of course keep returning to Barbara’s Pressure Cooking Today site for some delicious recipes.
Carol,
The pressure cooker will make fabulous stock from the turkey carcass. My suggestion is to make it, in the pressure cooker of course, using nothing but the carcass and water so you get the full flavor of the turkey. Then use the stock to make Barbara’s recipe. I bet your daughter (?) and everyone else will love the soup and be hooked. Carol will have observed the PC being used twice without incident to make something delicious and will want a PC of her very own.
Oh, and I’m one of those apparently odd people who think serving on a jury is fascinating – but even when called for jury duty don’t manage to get seated on an actual jury :-(.
P.S. Whoops, you’re Carol. You’re going to Robin’s house. Sorry I wasn’t paying close enough attention. ROBIN will see that pressure cooking is a great time saver and results in great food.