Recently I scrolled past a TikTok from a husband’s POV showing him arriving home from work to see his wife has dinner ready and waiting in the crock pot.
He promptly dropped to the floor and tried crawling back out the door.
I about fell out of my chair (many of the commenters did not, which I understand!) As a recipe creator though, I got a kick out of it because crock pot recipes CAN be kind of gloopy, boring, and bland with no texture or color.
Luckily Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is none of those things!
This nourishing, brothy, slow cooked soup recipe tastes like something you’d get at a local deli or cafe. It’s filled with colorful, healthy veggies, bold herbs and seasonings, tender chicken, and plump wild rice. This dish is as easy as it is 3-bowl worthy!
Watch How to Make It
Simple Cozy Comfort Food
Not only is this chicken wild rice soup one of my favorite cool-weather recipes, but it’s also one of my favorite recipes to take to someone in need of a comforting meal. Whether they’re sick, just had a new baby, or any other reason in between—it’s true what they say: chicken soup feeds the soul!
That said, I’ll usually ask the recipient how they’d like it delivered:
- Already slow cooked and ready to eat.
- As a refrigerated meal kit so they can toss the ingredients into their own crock pot when they need it.
- As a freezer meal kit they can stash in the freezer to thaw then cook when the time is right.
That said, this recipe is super versatile and a crowd favorite. The flavor and eating experience is just so cozy.
Don’t forget the Gluten Free Focaccia!
Ingredients Needed
I love that I always have the ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts: chicken breasts only need to slow cook for 4 hours on low to become juicy and tender. Any longer and you’ll end up with tough, dry, chicken.
- Vegetables: onion or shallot, carrots, and celery provide a boost of nutrition.
- Garlic: can’t have chicken soup without it!
- Dried herbs and seasonings: salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried ground sage, dried rosemary, and bay leaves give this soup lots of cozy flavor.
- Butter: this soup is low in fat, so a couple pats of butter add flavor and a little richness.
- Chicken stock or broth: you can use chicken stock or chicken broth interchangeably in this recipe. Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Stock would be great.
- Wild rice-brown rice blend: this recipe uses a wild rice brown rice blend vs straight brown rice or straight wild rice. I’ll share the brand I recommend using below.
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 the broth into a Ziplock freezer bag then freeze flat. 24 hours before slow cooking, thaw the bag in the refrigerator then pour into the crock pot, add the broth, and then push “on”. So easy!
- FYI: the USDA advises that you not to cook frozen chicken in slow cookers, which is why I thaw the freezer pack before adding to the crock pot.
- Tip: I’ve had readers freeze the meal kit with chicken bullion, so all they have to do is add water when they pour the ingredients into the slow cooker, which I think is so brilliant!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Add the ingredients to the crock pot. Told you this was easy! ;)Â Add all the ingredients into a 6 quart crock pot then stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
Step 2: Shred the chicken. Remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot with tongs, then shred and stir back into the soup.
I think a common misconception is that chicken breasts need to be slow cooked for many hours but that is totally not the case. It should shred with the tap of a fork after just 4 hours in the slow cooker!
My Favorite Rice to Use
The brown rice-wild rice blend I recommend for the perfect bowl of Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is Lundberg Wild Blend rice. It slow cooks in the same amount of time as the chicken so everything is perfectly cooked and done at the same time.
That said, if you use a different brand of rice it could take longer to cook. If that’s the case, store the shredded chicken in the refrigerator until the rice is ready then stir it in just before serving.
How to Store Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This soup re-heats fabulously. Let it cool until the soup is nearly room temperature then scoop into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. You might need to add an extra splash of chicken stock or broth when reheating.
I find that cooked > frozen > thawed > reheated rice doesn’t hold up well, so I don’t recommend freezing this soup recipe once it’s been cooked.
Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup truly is one of our family’s favorite meals. My kids and husband find it filling and comforting, and I love that it’s so, so easy to put together and (slow) cook.
I usually serve with a side salad and homemade Gluten Free Focaccia and we’re off to the races. I hope you and yours love this easy, crock pot soup recipe as much as we do – enjoy!
More Cozy Chicken Soup Recipes
- CrockPot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Vegetable 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 large shallot, minced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced (~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 slightly as it cools.)
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
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.
Video
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Katelyn S 04.02.2024
Could I use cauliflower rice instead of wild rice? If so when should I add the frozen cauliflower rice to the crockpot?
Kristin 04.03.2024
Hi Katelyn! I wouldn’t recommend swapping the wild rice in this recipe for cauliflower rice!
Teresa 02.04.2024
Yes! I love it!
Kristin 02.05.2024
Awesome!! Thrilled to hear it, Teresa! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating. :)
Kimberly 01.30.2024
Thank you for a delicious and easy recipe! It came together perfectly and was so easy. I added baby bella mushrooms because I had a surplus that needed to be used up. Otherwise, I followed your recipe exactly. This will be in our regular rotation from now on.
Nancy 01.25.2024
Can I use white rice as I do not like wild rice?
Kristin 01.25.2024
Hi Nancy! I don’t recommend cooking white rice in the crock pot – it’s very easy to overcook and become mushy!
Barbara 01.21.2024
This has to be the most delicious chicken rice soup that I have ever made. Although, added 1 tsp each: hot sauce, soy sauce; 2 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled) was all I had on hand. Only added 1 cup of cooked rice, we like more broth than veggies in our soups. We are a family that loves soups and often make soup at a dinner meal with sandwiches or salad. This new recipe will be in our rotation of favorite soups to be made. Thank you for sharing with everyone.
Kristin 01.22.2024
Oh I’m so glad to hear that, Barabara!! Love that you were able to put your own spin on the soup too!
Marysa 01.18.2024
This is the perfect comfort food recipe! I need the convenience of making this in the crockpot. Definitely making a big batch of this and freezing the leftovers.
Kristin 01.20.2024
I’m so glad you loved it, Marysa! I make freezer packs of the uncooked ingredients so I can just pour it in the crock pot with broth – super convenient!
Kerry 01.16.2024
Could I dice the chicken before adding it? Instead of shredding at the end, just I’m making it for grandparents and I don’t want them to have to do anything just eat and enjoy!
Kristin 01.16.2024
Hi Kerry! I think they will overcook and become dry in the time it takes the vegetables and rice to cook, unfortunately! You could instead pre-cook then chop the chicken using whatever method you like then have them stir that in at the end to warm through!
Bill 01.06.2024
Oh dear…I made this recipe exactly as given – even to the Lundberg blend – and after 4 hours, the chicken was done and easy to shred, so my crockpot was working properly – but it took another 2 hours for the vegetables to soften. I will make it again, but I will use white rice; the Lundberg blend overshadows all other flavors in the dish…
Kristin 01.06.2024
Sorry to hear that, Bill! How big were your vegetables cut? A larger dice, or thinly sliced?
Patricia 12.22.2023
I made this but I added more carrots (I love carrots) It was great! Very tasty!
Kristin 12.24.2023
Awesome!! I’m so glad you loved it, Patricia!!
Kim 11.30.2023
I’ve been making this for probably 5 years now and it’s truly a favorite for my family! I just went to open the recipe for a triple batch (making for our community group tonight) and my original link didn’t work. Must be a blog post refresh and after a panicky google search I found it again here! Phew. Just here to say thank you for sharing this recipe – it’s a good one!
Kristin 12.01.2023
Oh no!! So glad you found your way back to this recipe — it’s one of my very favorites too!
Louanne 12.02.2023
I don’t have a blend of rice, but I do have wild rice. Will i need more liquid to account for all wild rice? I love this soup, BTW!
Kristin 12.04.2023
Hi Louanne! I haven’t tried making this soup with straight wild rice, vs a blend, so unfortunately I can’t say for sure!
Carolyn 11.24.2023
Love your recipes!
Kristin 11.28.2023
Thank you so much, Carolyn!
Brittany 11.09.2023
Made this last night. I didn’t have rosemary so I left it out and added a bit more thyme. I also added a parmesan rind I had in the freezer. It was delicious! I think I ate 3 bowls last night alone!