I was meal planning last week when I came upon one of my favorite recipes here on IGE – Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Rich, hearty, and soul-satisfying, it’s a cold-weather favorite for sure. Hmm, I wondered, what would I have to change to make this recipe crock pot friendly?
Turns out, NOTHING! I tossed 99% of the ingredients, which I already had on hand, into my crock pot, turned it on low, then 4 hours later, poof! The soup was slow cooked to perfection. If you’ve got a crock pot, cutting board, knife, and one working finger, then you can make Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. It’s as easy as it is 3-bowl worthy.
Can You Freeze Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one of my favorite recipes to freeze before cooking. Add all the ingredients except for the broth into a Ziplock freezer bag then freeze. 24 hours before you want to cook, thaw the pack the refrigerator then pour into the crock pot, add broth, and push “on”. (That’s where you’ll need the 1 working finger!)
How to Make This Recipe
All you need to do is add chicken breasts (cut in half if they’re large,) brown rice-wild rice blend, carrots, celery, onion, butter (for a little bit of richness since there is so little fat in here!) garlic, and spice-cupboard staples including bay leaves, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage, salt, and pepper to a 6-quart crock pot. Add chicken broth then cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
What Rice to Use
Here’s the brown rice-wild rice blend I used and recommend for the perfect cooking timing which I’ll mention in a second. Should be able to find it right in the regular grocery store.
I think there’s a common misconception that chicken breasts take forever to cook in the crock pot. Totally not true. Four hours on low is usually all you need to get tender, juicy chicken. After the four hours were up I shredded the chicken then made sure the rice was cooked. It was, so I stirred the shredded chicken back into the pot, and dinner was done!
Note: if you aren’t using the brand of rice I used, your rice could take longer to cook. If it’s not cooked after four hours, store the shredded chicken in the refrigerator until the rice is ready then stir it in just before serving.
The soup will thicken a bit as it sits, so whenever you’re ready, scoop into bowls then serve. I hope you love this EASY and healthy crock pot soup recipe! Enjoy!
Similar Recipes
- CrockPot White Chicken Chili
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Gluten Free Homestyle Chicken and Noodles
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Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Description
Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a quick and healthy crock pot recipe that's perfect for busy nights. Add all the ingredients in the crock pot then push on!
Ingredients
- 1lb chicken breasts
- 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 carrots, minced (~1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage
- small pinch dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
- 1 large or 2 small bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup wild rice-brown rice blend (I recommend Lundberg Farms)
Directions
- Add all ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot then cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken breasts are cooked through. Rice should be done around the same time. Shred chicken then stir back into soup and serve (soup will thicken as it cools.)
Notes
- Depending on the type of rice you use, it may not be cooked through at 4 hours. If that's the case, shred chicken then keep in the refrigerator until rice is tender, then stir into soup and let warm for 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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Can I ask, what crockpot brand and size do you use? I have had the worst luck with mine…cooks too quickly, too slowly, etc.
You bet! I use a 6-quart crock pot that’s very similar to this: I love it because you can program it, then it will turn to auto warm once the set cooking time is over!
Life has been so crazy busy with work, school, and a new workout split (I’ve jumped on the “body building” bandwagon-but still want to eat real people food) that I have THREE crockpot recipes on the meal plan this week. And I am seriously considering adding in this one. CWR is one of my top 5 favorite soups (and soup is in my top 5 favorite foods ever), and this looks like just what I need to eat this weekend.
Awesome!! Hope you love this easy version!
I urgently need to go to Old Navy. Just pulled out a V-tee of yore and there is a hole in the armpit. Not cute. Time to freshen up for fall! Also, this soup is my lunch survival mode. On this weekend’s must-make list!
I feel ya’!! Their tops especially are so comfortable yet cute right now!
Could you use a 4 quart crockpot??
I have a bigger one but my hands are weak and I can’t use it but I have picked up a 4 quart one with a pot that comes out for washing and I could handle that.
But will it make this recipe.
The recipe looks delicious and I hope to make it.
Hi Nancy! I *think* it’d be ok, but I’d start with adding the chicken broth first then determining if adding the other ingredients would cause the broth to spill over. Let me know how it turns out!
Right before I read this post I was thinking, “What can I make for dinner tonight without having to go to the store for any extra ingredients?” And the I saw this blog post! This will be going in the crockpot at 3pm today so it’s ready for dinner at 7! I have a Bobs Red Mill wild and brown rice blend that I think will work perfectly in this soup. Can’t wait!
Yesss – love when that happens! Hope you love it!
This looks like the perfect meal to make ahead and take to work for lunch all week – one of those recipes that gets better each time you reheat it! I just pinned it to make this weekend.
Yes, exactly, Kealey! Hope you love it!
This looks wonderful. Do you think I could add some cream at the end, or half-and-half?
I think adding sour cream at the end would be a great idea if you want the soup on the creamy vs brothy side!
Hi Kristin
This looks so yummy. I absolutely love rice but am not much a fan of Wild rice… I know different rice holds up differently in the crock pot but is there a specific kind of rice..ie jasmine etc. that you think would work best as a substitute.
Hi Sondra! I only tested this recipe with the brown/wild rice blend, but if you want to stick with either white or brown, I’d go with brown. I’m just not 100% sure how long it would take to cook. I’d check at 3 hours to see how it’s doing!
I have a wild rice/quinoa blend. I wonder what quinoa would do in a slow cooker for 4 hours? This sounds really good and I really appreciate slow cooker recipes that are truly the one-step cooking process vs browning, etc.
Hi Sarah! I have a recipe for quinoa in the crock pot, but it only takes 3 hours (and just barely that) to cook before getting mushy. Maybe if you cut the chicken into 2-3 pieces per breast it would cook quicker than 4 hours!
Yum! It looks super easy to make on a busy day. Plus it would be great on a chilly fall night for dinner.
Yum this looks delicious! I am always in need of super easy recipes like this! Especially soup, because eating lots of soup is the only way I can survive cold Iowa weather ha! :)
Exactly – brrrr!
Why not frozen chicken?
Just curious….liquid ratio gets thrown or what?
The USDA doesn’t recommend it, and someone usually asks, so I just usually throw the disclaimer in! :)
Ahhh! I see. Thanks!
This looks so good. Can’t wait to try it! If I was to freeze this meal to have later, would you cook the meal first then freeze? Or freeze uncooked?
Ooo that’s a great idea! I’d freeze uncooked without the rice. I’ll have to make a few batches to have on hand in the freezer myself!
I was wondering about freezing too. I’d like to give this to a friend recovering from surgery so she can just dump and turn on crock pot. veggies and chicken and spices can be frozen together? Rice in separate bag and box of stock? All she would need to add was butter? Does that sound like it would work? Or should spices be mixed with the rice and not frozen?
I actually did this for freezer meals before we had our second son. Add everything, including rice and butter, to a ziplock bag then thaw before adding to the crock pot with the broth.
Hi – I know this is an old post, but did you find the veggies were okay after being frozen? I’m recovering from surgery on my hand and chopping is difficult. I’m thinking of making this with a frozen carrot, celery & onion veggie mix. I was thinking of adding it near the end so they wouldn’t get mushy. But now I wonder if I should thaw them and add them at the beginning?
Can’t wait to try this!
Great note about cooking the chicken, too. I seriously overcooked chicken in the crockpot forever, because I thought it would be fine if it was in liquid. Whomp whomp…
I love chicken and rice soup! This looks amazing and I love any time I get to use my crock pot. It is so nice to come home after a long day at work and have dinner ready to be served! I’ll definitely be making this as the weather gets colder.
Just stop! This looks like a must try b/c it’s so darn easy!
This was dinner last night – I stopped by the grocery store over lunch so I could throw it in the crock pot before I went back to work. I couldn’t find the wild rice blend you showed, but found one that looked similar by Rice Select, and it cooked up just fine. It was delicious! Your recipes have been on the menu nearly every night this week! Next on the list is the loaded potato, possibly tonight!
Awesome!! So glad to hear it was so easy and you loved it! :)
I think my boyfriend would love this, I’ve pinned it. Thank you x
Wonky Lauren
I often have cooked chicken or turkey pieces in the freezer to make other dishes. How would the time change if I used that along with long-grain white rice and wild rice ( not mixed)? I would think it would just be the time of the rice to cook. My husband doesn’t care fore just breast meat
Hi Kathy! I think mixing white and wild might not turn out so well. White cooks much faster than brown and wild, which is why the blend of brown and wild works so well. What you could do is cook them separately then stir into the soup at the end. I’d cut the broth down by about a cup or cup and a half if you go that route!
The “before” picture of all the ingredients is so pretty! You lined up all the goodies just so :) Looks delicious for those wintery times ahead!
Made as written, I found the same rice blend at Target.
Delicious, I am repeating today.
Thanks!
Honestly, both on the stovetop and in a crockpot sound delicious. Might just have to compare the two!
[…] | I was planning to make Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from Iowa Girl Eats today, but it’s supposed to be like 90 degrees this afternoon… not […]
I made this yesterday morning (I made 3 different meals to have on hand as leftovers for the week as I don’t have time after work and picking up kids, so reheatable food on hand makes my life so much easier). It is tasty and I can’t wait for soup night! I bet it will be great with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving too! My 12 month old came toddling over with an open mouth for bites and loved it too!
Yesss…love it when a dish is a hit with the toddlers, too!
[…] Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I love Iowa Girl Eats blog. Every recipe I have tried has been delicious and successful! (I love […]
Made this yesterday and my son at 3 bowls and screamed until the next one came. Everyone loved it! And so easy!
Hahaha! I love it!!
I made this soup today as written and it turned out delicious! I found the rice blend at my favorite HyVee. I love that it’s filling without all the fat of cream and milk. Great recipe. Thanks!
This was delicious!!! I made it the day after I saw this recipe, and I love it. Very easy, too!
I made this last weekend and it was so good. I didn’t have wild rice, so used brown rice and it was just as good. I froze it in individual portions and by the time I reheated it, it was like stew, which I loved.
Made this tonight! It turned out perfectly!
Any suggestions for brand of chicken broth? I don’t want it to end up too salty. Thanks!!
I just used HyVee chicken broth. You could use low-sodium if you’d like!
[…] Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Can’t wait to make this! […]
I really enjoy making these soups during the autumn, i am here in london and really enjoy finding these great american influenced recipe ideas. : )
Christopher
I made this tonight. Holy smokes! ? I haven’t had a soup this good in quite some time. My somewhat picky young boys loved it and my bf complimented it several times. I have been following your blog for a long time, made many of your delicious recipes, but this one topped it all. Thank you for all you do!
Love to hear it, thanks for the feedback, Melinda!
I made this recently and didn’t care for the texture of the dried herbs. They were hard, crunchy and got stuck in my teeth. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution? Thanks!
Hi Tara! Next time you might try crushing the herbs between your finger tips to break them up a bit, or you can use a bit less of each of the herbs in their fresh state!
Have been looking for a good wild rice soup recipe. This looks wonderful. Am anxious to make it. Thanks
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I have a question about the rice. I followed the recipe to the tee and also used the exact rice blend that you suggested, but after four hours everything was cooked except the rice. When that happens, how much longer will the rice need to cook before it is done? Also, would parboiling the rice for five minutes or so in the broth help it to cook faster? Thank you.
Hi Lei! It may just be that your crock pot cooks a big different than mine. I’d keep cooking in 30 minute intervals until the rice is done (the chicken and vegetables should be able to take it, but if you’re worried about the chicken drying out just remove, shred, then store in the refrigerator until the rice is cooked!)
Thanks for the help. I loved the first batch I made. I left the rice in the slow cooker for 30 additional minutes but I then had to transfer everything but the chicken to a pot, bring it to a boil, and slow cook it for 30 minutes before it was done. I will try it again and see what happens. This recipe is definitely one that I will be making a lot. Thanks for posting it.
Love this recipe! Great that you have the seving size for the recipe. Can you tell us what the
Calorie, Protien, Sodium, Sat. Fat. and Sugar content is for this recipe?
This recipe looks great. Do you think if I put it on 10 hour low that it would be okay if I started it before I went to work and ate when I got home? I only work an 8 hour day but would put it on the lowest setting.
Thanks!
Hey Hal! Unfortunately I think 8-10 hours would cause the chicken and rice to overcook. I recommend making it on the weekend then having leftovers during the week. It reheats perfectly!
Do you know if you can cook it on high and if so how long? Was going to make it for a friend having surgery tomorrow and don’t want to be up until 11 making it. Thank you!!
I think cooking on high might not allow the rice to cook all the way through, but if I were to try, I’d start with 2.5 hours then check!
Made this recipe last week, yummy! Next time I will add more rice, maybe 1 or 1 1/4 cups. I will definitely be making it again! Thanks for th great recipe!
[…] New Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice from Iowa Girl […]
Just wondering if anyone has tried to alter this recipe and cook the soup in a dutch oven instead of a crockpot?
Here are Dutch Oven instructions, Christina! http://iowagirleats.com/2013/01/28/chicken-wild-rice-soup/
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong (or potentially my crock pot is on the fritz) but I cooked it for 4 hours on high and my rice is still crunchy! I’m even using the same brand of rice as you coincidentally. The soup is fantastic and everything else is cooked through including the chicken. Any suggestions? I already took the chicken out and cooked an extra 2 hours and the rice is still not cooked.
Hi Sierra! I cooked this recipe on low for four hours, though I’m not sure why cooking on high for four hours would still leave the rice crunch – you’d think it’d have the opposite effect. As you mentioned, crock pot cooking temperatures can vary so I’d recommend that you just keep cooking until the rice is tender!
I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I love your blog. This soup recipe is delicious, as is your gluten free chicken & noodle soup. Thank you for all of your awesome recipes. :)
I love this recipe! It is SO yummy! I’ve made it in the crock pot and in my heavy duty cast iron. I’ve made double batches and shared it with friends and my parents. My husband the constant burger eater loves it too. Thank you!!
Hope this isn’t a stupid ? but was wondering if you mix all ingredients together before you start the crock pot, your picture is lovely, but do you cook it as pictured ? ? This looks fab and wanted to cook for my very sweet but picky boss. Thxs for sharing. Francine
Not stupid at all! Yep, you mix everything together before cooking. I hope she likes it!
I made this soup for Christmas Eve and it was wonderful. The only problem was I couldn’t find this wild rice blend. Where do you purchase it? Looked at Hy-Vee and Fareway. The stuff I used I don’t want to use again. Thanks!
Hi Chris! I purchase my Lundberg Farms rice at HyVee – it’s in the health food section vs the general Asian foods aisle. I hope that helps!
I’m thinking about using the Tyson Grilled and Ready Pulled Chicken Breast. Seeing as it’s fully cooked, I could throw it in when I get home, and cook for a extra 30 minutes. What cha’ think? (fyi, I keep a bag of this handy for flat bread pizzas, salads, etc…)
I made this soup today except I made two changes. 1) I prepared it in a slow cooker (4.5 hrs on low); 2) I omitted the rice and instead added 16 oz of frozen egg noodles to the slow cooker for the last 45 minutes of cooking, and changed the heat seating to High during this time. It turned out amazingly! This will be our new go-to chicken soup recipe.
Made this today it was fantastic! So happy to find a wild rice soup recipe I can eat and that is yummy! Definitely adding to my rotation since all my picky eaters devoured it! So thankful to stumble upon you site! Love how you use pantry staples!
Sadly, no wild rice so I used white rice and when I came home cooking it on low for more than 4 hours about 7 my rice was creamy. It smelled wonderful. Hubby said it tasted good. I have company coming from traveling all day and wanted a great meal. Kind of a failure. I will still eat it, just sad that the rice did that. :(
Hi Shannon! White rice takes much less time to cook vs wild which is why it turned out soft.