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
Brittney 12.02.2015
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!!
Kristin 12.06.2015
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!
Hal 11.22.2015
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!
Kristin 11.23.2015
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!
Diane G. 11.17.2015
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?
Lei B. 11.07.2015
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.
Kristin 11.09.2015
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!)
Lei B. 11.14.2015
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.
Kathy 11.06.2015
Have been looking for a good wild rice soup recipe. This looks wonderful. Am anxious to make it. Thanks
Tara 11.05.2015
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!
Kristin 11.05.2015
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!
Melinda 11.04.2015
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!
Kristin 11.05.2015
Love to hear it, thanks for the feedback, Melinda!
Chris 10.30.2015
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
Link Love - Week 41The Surly Housewife 10.28.2015
[…] Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Can’t wait to make this! […]
Mel 10.27.2015
Any suggestions for brand of chicken broth? I don’t want it to end up too salty. Thanks!!
Kristin 10.27.2015
I just used HyVee chicken broth. You could use low-sodium if you’d like!
Liz 10.19.2015
Made this tonight! It turned out perfectly!
Terri A 10.17.2015
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.
Angela 10.15.2015
This was delicious!!! I made it the day after I saw this recipe, and I love it. Very easy, too!
Kathy 10.14.2015
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!
Stephanie 10.12.2015
Made this yesterday and my son at 3 bowls and screamed until the next one came. Everyone loved it! And so easy!
Kristin 10.13.2015
Hahaha! I love it!!
Meal Planning Monday | 10.12.2015
[…] 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 […]
Gail 10.12.2015
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!
Kristin 10.12.2015
Yesss…love it when a dish is a hit with the toddlers, too!
Currently | YA Fiction and TV Binges 10.11.2015
[…] | 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 […]
Ryan @ Feed by Round Pond 10.10.2015
Honestly, both on the stovetop and in a crockpot sound delicious. Might just have to compare the two!
John 10.10.2015
Made as written, I found the same rice blend at Target.
Delicious, I am repeating today.
Thanks!