Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 

This. Soup. Is. Bomb!  It's so rich and creamy and hearty.  Absolutely perfect for a chilly Fall or Winter night.  The recipe calls for raw chicken which is what I usually have.  BUT sometimes I have leftover shredded chicken from a rotisserie or other leftover meal that's already cooked.  I totally use that if I have it.  I really like the texture that shredded chicken gives it and it doesn't affect the cooking time at all.  So if you have pre-cooked shredded chicken, feel free to use it.  Don't worry that it's not raw.

4 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

5 carrots, peeled and cut into circles

5 stalks of celery, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (or 4 cups of leftover shredded chicken)

1 cup Wild Rice (I love the Lundberg Wild Rice blend!)

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

2 Tablespoons cornstarch (can sub flour)

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 block of cream cheese, softened and cubed

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper, more to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes, more to taste

Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté feature.  Add the butter and let it melt.  Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Sauté the veggies until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken, rice, and parsley to the pot.  Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to "Sealing" and Manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.  After the 5 minutes is up, let the pot naturally release some pressure for 5 minutes, and then do a full quick release.  

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch (or flour) and cold water until no lumps remain.  After the pin drops on the Instant Pot, carefully remove the lid, turn on the Sauté setting, and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.

Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until all of the cream cheese has melted.  Add the milk and cream and heat through being careful to stir constantly so it doesn't scorch.  If it starts to get too hot, turn the pot off.  There's plenty of heat in there to get it warmed through.

Add salt and pepper (and a little Creole is fantastic!) to taste.  Serve with your favorite crusty bread.