Home > Soups & Stews > Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup September 1, 2020 | 33 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. 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! Pair this delicious, creamy soup with a tasty salad; this roasted veggie salad, this quinoa apple salad, or this chicken spinach salad. Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice Soup Creamy Chicken-Wild Rice Soup has been one of my favorite soups ever since I can remember. I make it at least every other week all winter long and frequently in fall, as well. 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, 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. This Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice Soup comes together easily and quickly. There is a bit of upfront time required to prep the veggies, but below I’ll share some short-cut ideas! Shortcut Suggestions Purchase pre-diced sweet potatoes. Many stores sell peeled and diced sweet potatoes in the produce section of the grocery store. This is a real timesaver! Purchase pre-diced mirepoix (also called soup starter). You can find pre-chopped mirepoix (a French term for diced onion, carrot and celery) in the produce section of the store. If you’re in a super hurry, you can even use frozen mirepoix in Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice Soup. Use jarred garlic. Instead of mincing your own garlic, you can use jarred to save time. Alternatively, a garlic press yields fresh minced garlic in a fraction of the time that hand mincing takes. Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice Soup tips Chicken: Chicken thighs or chicken breasts both work in this soup, but we definitely prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The meat is extremely tender, easier to shred and more forgiving (meat doesn’t dry out) if the soup cooks all day. Small pieces: In order for the sweet potatoes to be cooked through in time, they need to be diced to 1/2-inch size. The smaller size means these dense vegetables will be as tender as everything else. The same goes for the onion, celery, and carrot — the smaller and more even the pieces the more evenly everything will cook. Seasoning: As with all recipes, salt and pepper can make or break the dish. If you feel the soup is missing anything, add a pinch or two of salt and pepper, taste, and continue to add until the flavors sing. (More tips for seasoning soup here.) Fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley or fresh thyme can also add a lot to this Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice Soup. Wild rice I’ve dyed an entire crockpot of soup purple a few times by using black rice; it can easily be mistaken for wild rice (read about differences here). The rice that I’ve had the best results with is this wild rice blend by Lundberg. I highly recommend that blend if you are able to find it, it’s typically near other varieties of rice, quinoa and couscous. QUICK TIP What is poultry seasoning (also known as chicken seasoning)? It is a seasoning blend of dried herbs such as sage, rosemary, ground black pepper, and marjoram, among others. It’s a perfect complement to this Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice soup. It can be found among other seasonings/spices at the grocery store or you can make your own. What to Serve Alongside This Crockpot Chicken-Wild Rice 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. More soup recipes Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with spaghetti Potato Soup with bacon and chives Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with veggies Ham and Potato Soup with potatoes Stuffed Pepper Soup with lean ground beef FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup 5 from 12 votes - Review this recipe 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! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup 5 from 12 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe 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! Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup Cuisine American Keyword Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 5 hours hours Total Time 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes Servings 6 -8 servings Calories 633kcal Author Chelsea Lords Equipment6 quart slow cooker Ingredients▢ 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 parsleySeasonings▢ 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 PepperUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsSLOW 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 NotesNote 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 FactsServing: 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 We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
That is the prettiest bowl of soup I’ve ever seen! I love all the flavors in this, and I’m a total soup person. I *always* crave soup. I am putting this on my list of recipes to try soon! Reply
This sounds terrific, I plan to make this right away. Question – are you using a “sweet potatoe” or a “yam”. Many folks call Yams sweet potatoes, but they are actually different from each other. I would guess that both would be tasty in this recipe… but I’m looking for your opinion on that. Thanks so much for the great blog! Reply
Yes either will work Sheena 🙂 But I do use a sweet potato in this soup. I hope you love it! And thank you for your compliment! Reply
Unfortunately not. If you frozen it before adding the cream base I think it would do okay. (Then add the cream base to the thawed soup) Reply
HI! Is it possible to make it without slow cooker, because I don’t have one, unfortunately. Thank you! Recipe looks delicious! Reply
This soup is absolutely delicious! I love the fact that you have incorporated sweet potatoes and wild rice in it! Thank you so much for sharing ! Reply
I’m from the town of Lundberg farms! I can totally vouch for their rice 🙂 I’m definitely making this soon, looks delicious! Reply
Just made this and it was delicious! Both my picky eaters, 2 1/2 and 4, ate it up ?. My husband didn’t initially like the idea of sweet potatoes but loved the soup too. Reply
thank you for this recipe, I have loved wild rice and cream of chicken soup ever since Marie Callendars had the frozen soups decades ago but theirs had raw almonds and sherry in it so it was different; I was looking for a new recipe for wild rice (I was born in a state where wild rice is common) and chicken soup and yours sounds just right, as soon as it gets cooler. Our weather is still in the 90s in mid November but it should cool soon. I happen to already have about 4 of the Lundburg mixes and Trader Joes wild rice so I won’t even need to shop. We love sweet potatoes and I was struck by the question one of the posters had about using yams; yams here in California are over 10 dollars a pound as they are exported from tropical lands so we all eat sweet potatoes which are far prettier anyway with the orange flesh. Reply
You are welcome! 🙂 I hope you love this soup as soon as the weather cools down! Wow, are they really?! Here in Utah, yams are actually cheaper than sweet potatoes! Funny huh! Reply
Hi! I love your blog, I’m obsessed with soups and crockpot meals, so your stuff is the BEST! This is probably a funny question, but I don’t like wild rice, but this soup sounds amazing. Think it’ll taste good with quinoa or brown rice instead? Reply
Thank you so much, that is such a great compliment 🙂 I actually think this soup would be delicious with brown rice! I would cook it separately though since it would probably get mushy in the crockpot (and so also reduce the broth in the soup since a lot of it is meant for the wild rice) I hope you enjoy it Jamie 🙂 Reply
My husband also doesn’t like wild rice so I’m planning to make this with brown rice instead! How much liquid would you leave out if you are cooking the rice separately? I also wondered if I could just add the rice into the crockpot part of the way through the cook time instead of cooking separately! Reply
I love the fall flavored of this soup! Plus it’s a crockpot recipe-can’t go wrong!! But I have made this twice and while it tastes delicious, the rice has been mushy. The second time I cooked the very minimum time which helped but it still doesn’t look anything like the consistency in your pics! What am I missing?! My next attempt might be making the rice separate and adding it in at the end! Reply
Thanks so much Megan! Glad you’re enjoying the flavor, but I’d love to problem solve the rice with you. Are you using a wild rice blend or something different? Have you tried the Lundberg variety? (That’s what I use and have never had mushy rice!) Also, how long are you cooking the soup for? It might help to check the soup an hour or two earlier 🙂 Reply
Made this last night and my husband and I loved it! Delicious, nutritious, and pretty much fail-proof. Thanks for a great recipe! Reply
This is my first recipe of your I don’t really like. All others are 5 stars! This just tasted bland to me. Maybe it’s the sweet potatoes. I don’t know. But I kept adding salt at the end and it wasn’t helping. Reply
