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
Malena 04.23.2019
Hi, i doubled the recipe and put it in a large crock pot. My question is, does that double the time? As in 8hrs needed? Or should i just cook it on high for 4hrs. Help!
Kristin 04.23.2019
Hi Malena! I’ve never doubled this recipe so I can’t say for sure how long it will take. My guess would be an extra hour or two on low.
Loren 04.16.2019
I LOVE THIS! I have made this at least 6 times since finding this recipe 6 months ago while doing a google search for “healthy chicken wild rice soup, crock pot”. I double everything and cook on high in my crock pot for about 7-8 hours. I’ve even added frozen peas and corn during the final hour. I let it cool down then I put into individual 2 cup glass anchor containers and freeze for easy lunch or dinners. Everyone loves this! This is the best Low fat, healthy version of chicken wild rice soup I’ve ever tasted. Thanks for sharing this!
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June 02.21.2019
I made this today in my crockpot, followed the recipe perfectly, even bought the same rice, and after EIGHT hours of cooking on low, it’s still not ready. The rice is hard and the veggies are too. Not sure why. Thoughts? As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with my crockpot.
Kristin 02.21.2019
Hi June, I can’t think of any reason why that would happen, except for it being your crock pot. I have not experienced this, and haven’t received comments about hard rice and vegetables after 8 hours on low.
Lisa Champeau 01.22.2019
This recipe is delicious! I don’t use the same rice, I can’t find it in my store, but so good. I make it a lot.
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Sam 11.30.2018
How many servings does this make and can I be frozen? Thanks
Violet Moore 11.27.2018
Easiest, best-tasting crockpot chicken soup recipe I’ve ever made. I chose to cook brown rice separately, but it was still delicious.
Kristin 11.28.2018
Ahh, so glad you loved it, Violet! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Julie 11.26.2018
LOVE this recipe! It’s my very favorite soup and I love to make it for gatherings at my home.
Elizabeth 11.11.2018
I just made this recipe tonight, it came out delicious! I made homemade crusty bread in my Dutch oven as accompaniment, and you couldn’t find a more wonderful cold weather dinner. Great leftovers too. To anyone who’s wondering – my slow cooker is 4 qt, there was no problem at all on the amounts used, I made the soup as written. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Lynn 10.28.2018
I am making a meal for a friend that is sick, and this looks so yummy. She requires a meal that is gluten free and nut free. I know that this recipe is gluten free, but are there any ingredients in it that may contain nuts? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am out of my realm cooking this way. Thank you,
Kristin 10.30.2018
Hi Lynn! These are all inherently nut-free ingredients but double check packaging on both the chicken broth and rice to make sure there isn’t some weird additions or chances for cross contamination!
jane 10.19.2018
This has become my go-to recipe when friends welcome a new baby to the family. So yummy and perfect for fall/winter!
Claire 10.17.2018
Any recommendations to use this recipe in an instant pot or similar pressure cooker? Thanks!
DRB 10.10.2018
I thought this was a fantastic recipe. I do about 1/2 of the cooking in our household and am always looking for a way to make it easier. Without a doubt, my wife makes the BEST chicken soup in the world, but it takes a long time to do it. This requires about 5 minutes of prep-time and then let ‘er rip. Fabulous.
Kristin 10.11.2018
SUCH a compliment – thank you so much!
Molly 10.02.2018
How long would this take if I did the crock pot on high?
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Judy Fontana 09.30.2018
I’ve made both this one and the white chilli all last winter.My old tablet stopped working, been looking for weeks to find them! I finally found them. THERE BOTH GREAT!!!!!
Ron 09.16.2018
Love this recipe. For a unique twist, I recommend adding horseradish when it’s finished cooking. Adds a great zip for those cold, stuffy nose kind of days.
Lindzie Wyborny 09.12.2018
Can this be used as a freezer meal? Do you recommend, cooking it first, letting cool, and then placing in bags? Or how do I go about that?
Kristin 10.01.2019
Yes it can! Add all the ingredients except for the broth into a freezer bag then freeze. Thaw in the fridge completely then cook per recipe instructions.
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