Description
This Creamy Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a comforting, hearty dish perfect for chilly days. Packed with tender chicken breasts, wild rice, and fresh vegetables, this slow cooker recipe combines flavorful herbs and a creamy base to create a rich and satisfying soup that’s easy to prepare and perfect for a wholesome family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Broth
- 1½ lb chicken breasts
- 8–10 cups low sodium chicken broth
Vegetables
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Grains & Seasoning
- 1 cup wild rice (not a boxed mix like rice-a-roni)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp parsley
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
Dairy & Thickening
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (gluten free flour works as well)
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables: Dice the onion, slice the carrots, chop the celery, and mince the garlic cloves to have all ingredients ready for layering in the slow cooker.
- Layer ingredients in slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, parsley, sea salt, and cracked pepper over the chicken. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery on top.
- Add broth, rice, and bay leaf: Pour 8 cups of low sodium chicken broth into the slow cooker, ensuring the ingredients are well submerged. Add the uncooked wild rice and bay leaf for flavor.
- Cook slowly: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours, or until the wild rice is tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Shred chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker once cooked, shred them with two forks, and then return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Make soup creamy: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, half and half, and whole milk until the flour has completely dissolved. Slowly pour this mixture into the soup while stirring continuously to achieve a creamy consistency. If the soup becomes too thick, add additional broth to reach your desired texture.
- Serve: Spoon the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve with a crusty loaf of bread for a complete, comforting meal.
Notes
- Use low sodium chicken broth to better control salt levels in the soup.
- If using gluten-free flour, ensure it is suitable for thickening soups.
- Cook times may vary slightly depending on slow cooker model; check rice tenderness before shredding chicken.
- For a richer soup, you can substitute whole milk with additional half and half or cream.
- The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (about 360 ml)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: Chicken wild rice soup, slow cooker soup, creamy chicken soup, crockpot recipes, comfort food, hearty soup
