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Creamy Crockpot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

creamy crockpot chicken wild rice soup - featured image
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A velvety, rich slow cooker soup with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and a silky herb-infused broth. Perfect for busy days when you need dinner to take care of itself.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 cup (180g) wild rice blend, rinsed
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Transfer sautéed vegetables to the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
  3. Place chicken on top of vegetables. Sprinkle rinsed wild rice blend around the chicken. Add dried thyme, crushed rosemary, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  4. Gently pour 6 cups chicken broth over everything. Give it a gentle swirl to combine without disturbing the chicken too much.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until chicken is tender and rice is cooked through but still slightly chewy.
  6. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Let rest for a couple of minutes, then shred with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed right in the slow cooker. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Remove and discard bay leaves.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream with about ½ cup hot broth from the slow cooker to temper the cream. Slowly stir the cream mixture into the crockpot. Let heat through for 5-10 minutes on LOW. Do not boil after adding cream.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread or buttery crackers.

Notes

For dairy-free version, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream and olive oil instead of butter. If using frozen chicken, add an extra hour to cook time. To prevent curdling, always temper cream with warm broth before adding. Wild rice takes longer than white rice; low and slow is essential. Leftovers keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and flavors deepen overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot chicken soup, wild rice soup, creamy chicken soup, slow cooker soup, comfort food, easy dinner, chicken and rice soup

Find it online: https://forkifyfun.com/creamy-crockpot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup-easy-comfort-food/