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
Kristina 01.31.2016
If I use frozen chicken, do I cook for 8 hours on low?
Michelle 01.25.2016
Made it today. My sister and I eat Cambell’s Chunky Soup every single night (with toast) for dinner. NOT TODAY!! I forgot the rosemary and I’m not a fan of garlic (we’re very picky) – it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe and teaching me how to cook REAL food.
Kristin 01.29.2016
SO glad to hear, Michelle! Hope it’s the start of something great!
Stacey Frye 01.24.2016
I made this today. It filled the house with a wonderful aroma. I used brown rice, and it turned out perfectly. My son who isn’t crazy about vegetables loved it so much, he’s taking it for lunch tomorrow! It’s a winner and a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Kristin 01.25.2016
Love converting a veggie hater! Thanks so much for the feedback!
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Susan 01.16.2016
I’d like to make this for more than 4 people. I’ll double up on most of the items but are there any ingredients I should not double up on like salt or butter?
Kristin 01.19.2016
I would double everything!
Connie 01.14.2016
Looks great! Could I make this with thighs instead of breasts? What do you think about adding some escarole or spinach near the end of cooking? Thanks!
Kristin 01.14.2016
Sure! The thighs just might take a little extra time to cook. Also I just made the stovetop version of this soup this week and added chopped kale in and it was AWESOME. I’d add it to the crock pot around hour two? Honestly I think it’d be fine all four hours but I don’t want to tell you that then have it end up as mush!
Mari 01.13.2016
Hi just wondering did you use chicken breast fillets or bone in? Also if I can’t find the rice blend is it possible to use pure wild rice or white long grain rice? Should I change cook time then?
Kristin 01.13.2016
Hi Mari! These are boneless chicken breasts. Pure wild rice would take longer to cook while white rice should take less time. I’d check around hour 3 or so for white!
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Kacie Keenan 01.05.2016
LOVE this recipe! It’s so easy and super tasty! Thanks for another great one, Kristin! We are experiencing “El Nino” here in Southern California (we are such wimps) and this is the perfect rainy day dinner!
Kristin 01.06.2016
Hehe, no worries, yes it is perfect for a blustery rainy day!
Amy 01.03.2016
Can this recipe be doubled? 4 servings isn’t enough when my husband eats more than a serving at a time!
Kristin 01.04.2016
Sure! I might tack an extra 2-3 hours of cooking time.
Tammy 12.31.2015
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!
Shannon 04.24.2016
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. :(
Kristin 04.25.2016
Hi Shannon! White rice takes much less time to cook vs wild which is why it turned out soft.
Megan @ MegGoesNomNom 12.30.2015
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.
Teena 12.28.2015
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…)
Chris 12.26.2015
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!
Kristin 01.06.2016
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!
Caroline 12.16.2015
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!!
Francine Danieri 12.22.2015
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
Kristin 12.22.2015
Not stupid at all! Yep, you mix everything together before cooking. I hope she likes it!
Natalie 12.10.2015
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. :)
Sierra Kat 12.08.2015
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.
Kristin 12.09.2015
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!
Christina 12.07.2015
Just wondering if anyone has tried to alter this recipe and cook the soup in a dutch oven instead of a crockpot?
Kristin 12.07.2015
Here are Dutch Oven instructions, Christina! https://iowagirleats.com/2013/01/28/chicken-wild-rice-soup/
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Michelle 12.02.2015
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!