Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a set-it-and-forget-it meal that delivers creamy, savory comfort food with minimal effort. Load the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a hearty soup with nutty wild rice, tender shredded chicken, and a silky cream base.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker - essential for this batch size, oval shape preferred
- Large skillet or saucepan - for making the cream roux at the end
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk - for making the roux lump-free
- Two Forks - for shredding the chicken
- Ladle - for serving
- Fine-mesh strainer - for rinsing wild rice
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts - 900g, or use thighs for richer flavor
- 1 cup wild rice - 185g, rinsed, pure wild rice not a blend
- 1 large yellow onion - diced
- 3 medium carrots - about 1.5 cups or 200g, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks - about 1 cup or 120g, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms - 225g, sliced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 1.4L
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and black pepper - to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - 55g
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour - 42g
- 1.5 cups whole milk - 360ml
- 1 cup heavy cream - 240ml
Instructions
- Place the wild rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds, then set aside.
- Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into small even pieces. Mince the garlic and slice the mushrooms.
- Add the chicken breasts in a single layer to the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the vegetables, rinsed wild rice, and pour in the chicken broth. Add thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, then stir gently.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and the wild rice is bloomed.
- Lift the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks, then set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until pale golden. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the heavy cream, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.
- Remove the bay leaf, then pour the cream mixture into the slow cooker and stir until evenly incorporated. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Use pure wild rice: A wild rice blend with white or brown rice will cook at different speeds and can become mushy during the long slow cook.
- Don't skip the roux: The butter-flour-milk mixture is what transforms this soup from thin broth to luxuriously creamy in under 10 minutes.
- Whisk constantly: When adding milk to the roux, pour slowly and whisk continuously to prevent lumps for a silky, velvety base.
- Cook on LOW when possible: The slower, gentler heat keeps the chicken moist and allows the wild rice to cook evenly without breaking apart.
- Check the rice at 6 hours: Slow cookers vary; start checking the rice texture around hour 5.5 to 6 to avoid overcooking.
- Soup will thicken in the fridge: Wild rice continues absorbing liquid as it sits. Add a splash of broth or milk when reheating to thin it back to your preferred consistency.
- Freezer-friendly: Store cooled soup in individual portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Make it dairy-free: Use full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream and plant-based butter for the roux.
- Add extra vegetables: Stir in frozen peas, baby spinach, or diced red bell pepper during the final 10 minutes for added nutrition.
- Lighten it up: Skip the roux entirely for a brothier, lower-calorie version, or blend a portion of the soup with an immersion blender for body without added dairy.