Description
This Creamy Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a comforting and hearty slow-cooked meal featuring tender chicken breasts, wholesome wild rice, and a medley of vegetables in a rich, creamy broth. Perfect for cozy family dinners, this easy-to-make soup combines Italian seasonings with fresh vegetables, creating layers of flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb chicken breasts
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 7-9 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
- 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-1½ Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ – 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
Creamy Mixture
- ¼ cup flour (can use gluten free)
- 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 ensure even cooking and balanced flavor distribution in the soup.
- Layer Ingredients in Crockpot: Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, parsley, sea salt, and cracked pepper. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery on top.
- Add Broth, Rice, and Bay Leaf: Pour in 7 to 8 cups of low sodium chicken broth, then add the rinsed uncooked wild rice and bay leaf. Cover the slow cooker to prepare for long cooking.
- Slow Cook the Soup: Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours if using only wild rice, or 4-6 hours for a wild rice blend, until the rice is tender and fully cooked. The chicken will reach a safe shredding temperature of 165°F after about 3 hours, but you can wait until the rice is done to shred the chicken.
- Shred Chicken and Mix Creamy Base: Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it with forks right in the slow cooker or remove, shred, and return it to the pot. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with half and half and whole milk until the flour is fully dissolved, then slowly pour this mixture into the soup while stirring to create a creamy texture.
- Adjust Consistency and Serve: If the soup seems too thick, gradually add more chicken broth to reach your desired consistency. Serve hot with a crusty loaf of bread and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use rinsed uncooked wild rice, not pre-packaged rice mixes to ensure proper texture.
- Adjust broth quantity to tweak soup thickness to personal preference.
- You can substitute gluten-free flour to make the soup gluten-free.
- Shred the chicken anytime after it hits 165°F, but waiting until rice is tender enhances flavor melding.
- Serving with a crusty bread adds a satisfying complement to the creamy soup.
