Copycat Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

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Copycat Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe


Creamy copycat Au Bon Pain chicken wild rice soup in a rustic bowl with shredded chicken, carrots, celery, parsley, and bread.
Bring home that cozy café flavor with a creamy copycat soup packed with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and savory herbs in every spoonful.

If you love a warm, creamy bowl of Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup, you’re in the right place. This cozy copycat recipe brings that same rich, comforting flavor to your own kitchen with simple ingredients and easy steps.

It’s the kind of soup that feels like a soft blanket on a cold day. Tender chicken, earthy wild rice, hearty vegetables, and a creamy broth all come together in one pot. Best of all, you don’t need to be a restaurant chef to make it.

This copycat chicken wild rice soup is made for home cooks in the USA who want a satisfying meal that tastes like their café favorite. Whether you’re making lunch for the week or serving dinner to the family, this recipe is a great one to keep on repeat.

About Au Bon Pain and Why This Soup Is So Popular

Au Bon Pain is known for café-style meals that feel a little special but still easy to enjoy on a busy day. Their menu has long been loved for soups, sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. For many people, stopping by Au Bon Pain means grabbing a comforting meal that feels fresh, warm, and familiar.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup is one of those classic café soups that keeps people coming back. It’s creamy without being too heavy, savory without being overpowering, and packed with texture. The chicken is tender, the wild rice has that slightly nutty bite, and the vegetables add both sweetness and body.

When you take a spoonful, you get a little bit of everything. The broth is silky. The rice is pleasantly chewy. The chicken is mild and filling. It’s simple food, but in the best way.

This recipe is inspired by that style of soup and is meant to help you recreate a similar homemade version. It is not the original recipe and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Au Bon Pain.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Chicken Wild Rice Soup

  • Comforting and hearty enough for lunch or dinner
  • Easy to make with basic pantry and fridge staples
  • Great for meal prep because the flavors get even better later
  • Family-friendly and easy to adjust for different diets
  • Perfect for cold weather, rainy days, or whenever you need comfort food

I love soups like this because they do a lot with very little fuss. It’s not fancy. It’s just good. And honestly, some of the best recipes are the ones that make everyone go back for a second bowl.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: About 1 hour 5 minutes

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
  • 1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Optional for extra flavor:

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • Extra parsley for garnish

Helpful Ingredient Notes

Wild rice blend: This is often easier to find than pure wild rice and cooks faster too. If you use all wild rice, it may need more cooking time and a little more broth.

Cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Leftover baked chicken also works really well.

Milk and cream: The combo gives the soup that rich, café-style texture. If you want it a little lighter, you can use half-and-half instead of the heavy cream.

Flour: This helps thicken the soup. Think of it like building the foundation for that creamy broth.

How to Make Copycat Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Don’t worry if creamy soups seem tricky. This one is very manageable if you take it one step at a time.

  1. Cook the vegetables. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

  2. Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir well so the flour coats everything evenly. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often. This helps remove the raw flour taste and sets up a creamy soup base.

  3. Add the broth slowly. Pour in the chicken broth a little at a time while stirring. This helps prevent lumps. Once all the broth is in, stir until smooth.

  4. Add the rice and seasonings. Stir in the uncooked wild rice blend, thyme, parsley, black pepper, salt, and bay leaf if using. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

  5. Simmer until the rice is tender. Reduce the heat to low, cover loosely, and simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes. Stir every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom. The rice should be tender but not mushy.

  6. Add the chicken. Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and let it warm through for about 5 minutes.

  7. Finish with milk and cream. Lower the heat so the soup is no longer boiling. Stir in the milk and heavy cream. Heat gently for another 3 to 5 minutes until the soup is hot and creamy. Do not let it boil hard after adding the dairy, or the texture can change.

  8. Taste and adjust. Remove the bay leaf if used. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if needed. If it seems too thick, add a splash of broth or milk. If it seems too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.

  9. Serve and enjoy. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley if you like. Serve with crusty bread, crackers, or a simple side salad.

Food Safety Tips

Good soup starts with safe cooking habits. A few simple checks make a big difference.

  • If you are cooking chicken from raw instead of using pre-cooked chicken, make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
  • Keep dairy chilled until you’re ready to use it.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
  • Reheat leftovers until the soup reaches 165°F before serving.

Approximate Nutrition Per Serving

These numbers are estimates and can vary based on the exact ingredients you use.

  • Calories: 370
  • Protein: 22g
  • Carbohydrates: 24g
  • Fat: 21g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Sodium: 780mg

Easy Shortcuts and Time-Saving Ideas

Need to make this easy chicken wild rice soup recipe even simpler? Here are a few smart shortcuts.

  • Use rotisserie chicken: This saves time and adds flavor.
  • Buy pre-chopped mirepoix: Many grocery stores sell a mix of onion, carrot, and celery.
  • Cook rice ahead: Make the wild rice the day before and add it in near the end. That can cut your soup time down quite a bit.
  • Use a rice cooker: If your wild rice takes a while, cook it separately in a rice cooker and stir it into the soup later.

Slow cooker option: Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, seasonings, uncooked rice, and chicken to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the rice is tender. In a separate saucepan, make a quick roux with butter and flour, then whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Stir that mixture into the slow cooker for the last 20 to 30 minutes.

Allergy-Friendly and Diet Modification Ideas

This is where a homemade copycat recipe really shines. You can adjust it to fit your table. If someone in your home has a food sensitivity or a different eating style, here are some helpful swaps.

For gluten-free:

  • Use a gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour, or thicken with a cornstarch slurry near the end.
  • Double-check your chicken broth label, since some brands may contain gluten.
  • Use a plain wild rice blend that does not include added seasoning packets unless labeled gluten-free.

For dairy-free:

  • Use dairy-free butter or olive oil in place of butter.
  • Swap the milk and cream for unsweetened plain oat milk, cashew milk, or a dairy-free cooking cream.
  • For a richer dairy-free version, try canned unsweetened coconut milk. It will slightly change the flavor, but it makes the soup creamy.

For lower-fat:

  • Use 2% milk or evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.
  • Reduce the butter slightly and rely more on olive oil.
  • Use extra chicken and vegetables to keep the soup filling.

For vegetarian:

  • Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth.
  • Swap the chicken for white beans, chickpeas, or chopped mushrooms.
  • Mushrooms add a savory, meaty feel that works nicely with wild rice.

For vegan:

  • Use vegetable broth.
  • Replace chicken with mushrooms, white beans, or plant-based chicken pieces.
  • Use olive oil or vegan butter.
  • Choose unsweetened non-dairy milk and non-dairy cream.

For paleo-inspired:

  • Skip the flour and thicken the soup with a slurry made from arrowroot starch.
  • Use full-fat coconut milk instead of dairy.
  • Keep in mind that wild rice may not fit every paleo approach, so cauliflower rice could be used for a different spin.

For lower-sodium:

  • Use low-sodium broth.
  • Season lightly at first, then adjust at the end.
  • Add herbs like parsley and thyme for flavor without extra salt.

What to Serve With Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This soup is filling on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with simple sides.

  • Crusty French bread
  • Buttery crackers
  • A green salad with vinaigrette
  • Half a turkey sandwich
  • Roasted vegetables

If you want the full café-at-home feeling, serve it with bread and a crisp apple. It’s simple, cozy, and really satisfying.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Like many soups, this one thickens as it sits because the rice keeps soaking up liquid. That’s normal.

  • Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months, though the dairy texture may change a little after thawing.
  • To reheat: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often. Add a splash of broth or milk if needed to loosen it up.

Common Questions

Can I use white rice instead of wild rice?
Yes, but the flavor and texture will be different. Wild rice gives the soup its signature nutty bite.

Can I make it ahead?
Absolutely. In fact, the flavor gets even better the next day.

Why is my soup so thick?
The rice keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. Just stir in a little more broth or milk when reheating.

Can I use leftover turkey instead of chicken?
Yes. This is a great way to use up leftover turkey, especially after the holidays.

Final Thoughts

This copycat Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe is warm, creamy, and full of comfort. It has that café-style feel, but it’s made with simple ingredients right at home. That’s the beauty of a good copycat recipe. You get the familiar flavor you’re craving, but with the flexibility to make it your own.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Did you keep it classic, or did you make a dairy-free or gluten-free version? Maybe you tossed in leftover turkey? Leave a comment and share your twist.

And if this recipe made your dinner table a little cozier, please share it with friends and family too.

Disclaimer

This recipe is a copycat recipe inspired by the style and flavor of Au Bon Pain Chicken Wild Rice Soup. It is not the original recipe, and no knowledge of the actual proprietary recipe is implied. This post is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Au Bon Pain.

Simply Copycat Recipes is also an Amazon affiliate. That means we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links, at no extra cost to you.

Location: Georgetown, IN, USA

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