🍲 Heart-Healthy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

I recently came across a Chicken & Wild Rice Soup recipe from Taste of Home that looked like classic comfort food.

It uses butter and cream, which makes it rich—but also higher in saturated fat.

I wanted something similar that fits a more heart-healthy, lower cholesterol approach, so I made a few simple changes.

🔄 What I Changed

• Replaced butter with olive oil
• Swapped half-and-half for unsweetened almond milk and Greek yogurt
• Used low-sodium chicken broth
• Added extra vegetables for more fiber and balance

Same cozy soup, just adjusted for everyday eating.

Heart-Healthy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Make a double batch and portion into containers for quick lunches or easy dinners during the week.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Calories: 240

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Protein & Grains

• 1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast shredded or diced
• 1 cup cooked wild rice

Vegetables

• 1 small onion diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Base

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Healthy Fats

• 1 –2 tbsp olive oil

Creamy Finish

• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Seasonings

• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste add at the end

Method

 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Pour in chicken broth and add cooked wild rice.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Stir in cooked chicken, thyme, and pepper.
7. Simmer for 10–15 minutes.
8. Add almond milk and heat through (do not boil).
9. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in Greek yogurt until smooth.
10. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Notes

Heart-Healthy Notes

• Uses olive oil instead of butter
• Replaces heavy cream with almond milk and Greek yogurt
• Uses low-sodium broth
• Includes fiber-rich vegetables and whole grain wild rice

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 Variations

• Add spinach or kale for extra greens
• Substitute turkey for chicken
• Use brown rice if wild rice isn’t available

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 Storage

• Refrigerate up to 4 days
• Freeze up to 2 months
• For best texture, add Greek yogurt after reheating if freezing

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 Meal Planning Tip

Make a double batch and portion into containers for quick lunches or easy dinners during the week.