Creamy Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
A slow-cooked meal of pure wild rice, carrots, celery, and shredded breast meat, finished with a cooked dairy-and-flour thickener.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts thawed
- 4 carrots sliced
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 8–10 cups low-sodium chicken broth 8 cups initially, more as needed
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice rinsed, not a quick-cooking blend
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Slow Cook
- Add carrots, celery, onion, thawed chicken, rice, garlic, bay leaf, seasonings, salt, pepper, and 8 cups broth to a suitably sized slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW.
- Start checking breasts after about 3 hours; remove each at 165°F. Shred and refrigerate promptly in a shallow container if the rice still needs more cooking.
- Continue cooking covered on LOW until wild rice is tender and split, about 6–8 hours total. Remove the bay leaf.
Thicken and Serve
- Whisk flour, half-and-half, and milk until smooth; stir into the soup. Cover on HIGH for about 20–30 minutes until gently simmering and thickened, including at least 5 minutes at a simmer.
- Return shredded chicken and heat just until the soup and chicken reach 165°F. Turn off heat, add reserved broth as needed, and divide into 6 portions.
Notes
- Chill finished soup promptly and use within 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave to 165°F.
- Frozen soup keeps for up to 2 months; the creamy broth may separate.