Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup: Full of veggies, tender chicken, and seasoned wild rice. Just add to slow cooker and enjoy the delicious aromas until dinner.

Pair this soup with a tasty roasted veggie salad, quinoa apple salad, or this chicken spinach salad.

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This soup has been one of my favorite soups ever since I can remember. I make it at least every other week all winter long. I’m so excited to finally be sharing my version with you all:  a simplified (thank you, slow cooker) soup with a unique veggie addition — sweet potatoes!

Roasted sweet potatoes are easily my family’s favorite side dish (hi Sweet Potato Salad), so a few winters back, I randomly decided to add some leftover sweet potatoes to this soup. Since then, I have never made it any other way! The sweet potatoes add a mild sweetness, subtle heartiness and become amazingly tender in the slow cooker. 

Ingredients In Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1. Chicken: Main protein; adds flavor. Use rotisserie chicken for stovetop.
2. Wild Rice Blend: Provides a hearty base.
3. Onion, Carrot, Celery, Garlic: Flavor base; adds depth.
4. Sweet Potato: Adds sweetness and texture.
5. Chicken Stock/Broth: Forms the savory liquid base.
6. Butter and Flour: Make a roux to thicken the soup.
7. Milk: Adds creaminess to the crockpot chicken wild rice soup.
8. Seasonings: Enhance flavor and complexity.

How To Make Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1. Add Ingredients: Trimmed chicken, wild rice, diced onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sweet potato, seasonings, and chicken broth to slow cooker.
2. Cook: On low for 5-8 hours or high for 3.5-5 hours.
3. Make Cream Mixture: Near end, combine butter, flour, and milk; simmer until thickened.
4. Shred Chicken: Shred cooked chicken and return to slow cooker.
5. Stir in Cream Mixture: Adjust thickness if necessary.
6. Serve: Remove bay leaves from crockpot chicken wild rice soup and garnish with optional fresh herbs.

What To Serve Alongside This Soup

• A good crusty baguette, homemade honey whole wheat bread, or soup crackers/saltines.
• For additional veggies, try roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus on the side.
• A big garden salad always complements soup nicely; we love this Olive Garden Salad.
• Dip Grilled Cheese in your crockpot chicken wild rice soupfor an extra comforting meal.

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5 from 12 votes

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

By Chelsea Lords

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is loaded with lots of veggies, tender, succulent chicken, and a deliciously seasoned wild rice blend. Throw everything into a slow cooker and enjoy the delicious aromas until dinnertime!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4ths pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (4-5 thighs) (or chicken breasts) If making this on the stovetop, use 2 cups rotisserie chicken
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend (See Note 1)
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion (1 small onion) (See Note 2)
• ▢ 3/4 cup finely diced carrot (1 large carrot)
• ▢ 3/4 cup finely diced celery (2 stalks celery)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 cup diced sweet potato (1 small)
• ▢ 6 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white flour
• ▢ 2 cups whole milk
• ▢ Optional: fresh thyme, fresh parsley

Seasonings

• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: dried parsley, dried thyme
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, dried sage
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, poultry/chicken seasoning
• ▢ Salt and Pepper

Instructions 

• SLOW COOKER NOTE: I use a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe. If you have a size smaller than 5 quarts, halve this recipe so it will not spill over.
• CHICKEN PREP: Trim the fat off the chicken. If using thighs, add to slow cooker whole. If adding breasts, cut each breast into 3-4 pieces then add to slow cooker.
• SLOW COOKER: Place the uncooked wild rice blend, finely diced onion, finely diced carrot, finely diced celery, minced garlic, and diced sweet potato in the slow cooker with the chicken. Add all of the seasonings. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper here). Pour chicken broth/stock over everything.
• COOK: Stir, cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours or high for 3-1/2 to 5 hours-- until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
• CREAM MIXTURE: About 30 minutes before the soup is done, heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Heat until melted and then slowly whisk in the flour. Allow to bubble and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the milk, whisking constantly as it is added. Allow mixture to simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally.
• SHRED CHICKEN: Once the soup is finished, remove the chicken to a small bowl and shred with two forks. Add back to the slow cooker. Stir in the cream mixture. Add up to add an additional cup of milk if the soup is too thick for your preference.
• ENJOY: Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings ( I typically add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper). If desired, top soup with freshly chopped parsley or fresh thyme. Serve with crusty bread.
• STORAGE: This soup stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat over low heat, slowly to keep the soup from breaking. This soup does not freeze and thaw well because the dairy in it tends to separate and break.
• STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a very large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the chicken stock, wild rice, sweet potato, and all the seasonings (we add1 teaspoon salt and pepper). Stir to combine; bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. During those final 10 minutes, prepare the cream mixture (see instruction #5 above). Add the cream mixture to the soup and gently stir to combine. Stir in 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasoning (we usually add another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each here, but add to preference). Serve warm garnished with fresh herbs as desired!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Watch what wild rice you buy. Black or forbidden rice will dye the entire dish black. Wild rice is very sturdy and chewy, which is why so many packages of wild rice are actually a blend of wild rice and other grains. The combinations help make the final product much more pleasant to eat. We use the wild rice blend made by Lundberg. This wild rice blend yields soft and tender rice (sometimes can get a bit mushy if cooked too long). We don't mind this; it gives the soup a very thick and hearty texture. If you are concerned though, check on the rice at the earliest cook times.

Note 2: The smaller and more evenly these veggies are diced, the better the soup turns out. I dice the onion, celery and carrot very small and the sweet potato into 1/2-inch chunks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 1019mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 11302IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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