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
Viki 12.03.2016
can you make a big batch of this and freeze it for later meals and still taste as good?
Kristin 12.03.2016
Hi Viki! I haven’t tried freezing this soup cooked, but do freeze all the ingredients in a Ziplock bag together, thaw overnight in the fridge, then dump into the crock pot and cook like regular. Works great!
Meredith 11.29.2016
I made this tonight–it’s soooo good and perfect for a rainy, cool day. Thank you!!
Megan 11.29.2016
This soup was SO delicious and so easy! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
*I made a couple of changes – I used my own brand of items and I was in a time crunch so I did 3 hours on HIGH and it worked out great!
* Also- the next day we had some leftovers but it was a little thick, so we added 2 cups of chicken broth, heated it up again and it was great! :)
Megan 11.29.2016
This soup was SO delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I was under a time crunch to I did 3 1/2 hours on HIGH and it worked out great! Also, the next day we had some leftover but it needed some more broth. I simply added two cups of chicken broth, let it heat for a bit and it was good!
Lori 11.28.2016
So super excited about this recipe! Sounds easy and it’s gluten free. I bought the same rice as you used and I have the same crock pot you mentioned earlier in comments… chicken is done and delicious but the rice is still crunchy and carrots are still pretty hard. I’ve taken the chicken out and am continuing to cook veggies and rice. It’s been 30 min on low and both are still not cook. I saw another comment where someone put it on the stove to finish cooking these. Do you suggest this?
Lori 11.29.2016
UPDATE… I ended up leaving the rice and veggies in for an additional 2 hours on low and the soup is delicious! I will probably pre-cook the rice next time… using less broth. Or use a different kind of rice. Thank for you for the recipe!
Kristin 11.29.2016
It’s so odd – I’d say for 90% of the people who comment, the recipe comes out as written, but the other 10% has the same issue you do and I can’t figure it out! The ONLY thing I can think of is that maybe your vegetables were chopped larger than mine? Either way I’m so glad it finally came together for you!
Sabina Keco 11.22.2016
Just wondering if you have ever doubled the recipe and how long you cooked it?
Thank you!
Kristin 11.23.2016
Hi Sabina! I’ve never tried doubling the recipe but would probably cook for 6-7 hours vs 4.
Carol 11.19.2016
We loved this crockpot chicken and wild rice soup. Will be making it again, just printed it off. ?
Mufffie 11.14.2016
I threw this in the crock pot yesterday and I have to tell you…one of the best dishes I’ve had in a long time. It was filling and flavorful… thanks so much !
Kristin 11.16.2016
So glad to hear it! Thanks for your feedback!
Stacey 11.13.2016
This has no flavor! Had my crockpot on high for 4 hours and vegetables r not done yet. Won’t make again!
Lili 11.10.2016
I followed your recipe to a T, in spite of the fact that I had my doubts on the rice, chicken, and vegetables all being cooked but not overcooked at generally the same time. (Should have listened to my gut feeling.) I even went out and bought the specific brand name items. I also have a programmable crockpot and I had it set for 4 hours on low. At 4 hours, the rice was COMPLETELY disintegrated, the chicken was cooked perfectly, and the vegetables were completely raw. The only way I was able to “fix” it to the point of making it edible was to make a roux on the stovetop (re: lots of added carbs and calories), mix it into the crockpot, and then cook on high for another 2 hours. Was not happy with this recipe at all. =(
Kristin 11.10.2016
I’m so sorry to hear that, Lili! I haven’t received similar feedback so thinking it might just be a difference in how our crock pots cook? Regardless I am truly sorry for the waste of time and ingredients!
Heidi 11.08.2016
Hello so i doubled the recipe first time out of the gate so please take my comment worth grain of salt (lol), but I’m missing flavor…and wasn’t skimpy with the seasonings and my veggies took forever to cook! I will adjust and make it again…super easy!!
shirley 11.06.2016
wondering why you can’t use frozen (if it’s thawed)
Kristin 11.11.2016
Hi Shirley! You can use thawed, previously frozen chicken breasts. I just meant don’t add frozen breasts into the crock pot – thaw them first.
Tracy 11.05.2016
This looks fantastic! Question for you: Do you think I could make the crock pot version, and add the milk/flour at the end, similar to your stovetop version? If so, how long do you think I should let it cook after adding the milk & flour? I want a creamier soup but want something I can just leave in the crockpot all day.
Kristin 11.11.2016
Hi Tracy! You could add 2 Tablespoons flour whisked into 1/2 cup milk at the end then cook on high for 30 more minutes to achieve a more creamy soup. (I haven’t tested this flour/milk ratio for this particular recipe but have done something similar for another crock pot soup recipe!)
Katie 10.31.2016
This recipe is very tasty, but I used the same brand of rice you recommended and after 5 hours it was still pretty crunchy. When you say “low” is that an 8 hour setting? 10 hour? I used the 8 hour setting but am wondering if I should try the 6 hour setting instead next time…
Kristin 11.01.2016
I’m sorry to hear that, Katie! I’m not familiar with crock pots with low + different timing settings – my crock pots have only ever had low, high, or warm settings, but it sounds like the 6 hour setting on your crock pot might be the way to go!
Casey 10.28.2016
I just made this soup yesterday and it exceeded my expectations! For some reason I have a difficult time making non-tomato based soups (weird, right?!), so I was ecstatic when this one smelt like comfort and tasted amazing. I just warmed up leftovers for lunch while having a stressful day at work….and it transported me away from all of it, if only for a few minutes. This is my new go-to!
Kristin 10.28.2016
I’m so glad to hear it, Casey! We eat a ton of tomato-based soups too so I know what you mean! :)
Alison 10.27.2016
This looks delicious!! I really want to make it, but I’m concerned that the chicken won’t be up to safely standards if I only cook it for 4 hours on low. Whenever I make chicken soup in the slow cooker, I cook it on HIGH for 3.5 hours. How is it possible that the chicken is fully cooked in only 4 hours on low? Is there any way I can increase the cooking time without ruining the rice?! Thanks!
Kristin 10.27.2016
Hi Alison! I have made this recipe at least two dozen times and the chicken is always cooked through after 4 hours on low. That said, crock pots can differ so if you know yours takes a little bit longer to cook foods then you might want to increase the cooking time!
Karen 11.06.2016
Hi Alison! I have made this before and my chicken has always been done at the four hour mark. if your chicken breasts are large, you could cut them in half before cooking. This is a really good soup!
Karen 10.26.2016
I have lots of wild rice in my cabinet! Could I use all wild rice for this recipe?
Kristin 10.26.2016
Hi Karen! I haven’t tested the recipe with wild rice, but I’m sure it could be done. Just make sure to remove your chicken at the 4 hour mark then keep cooking until the wild rice is done.
Joan 10.23.2016
Could this be cooked in a pressure cooker? If so, how.
Christina 10.16.2020
35 minutes in my pressure cooker, and it was perfect!
Sara 10.18.2016
This is amazing! I made this yesterday and am eating again for lunch today. So much flavor and great texture!
Kristin 10.19.2016
I’m so glad you love it, Sara, thanks so much for leaving feedback! :)
Jackie 10.18.2016
I couldn’t find wild rice at my market so I bought Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice. Can I just use that in the soup? On the cooking directions it says to cook it but it has a seasoning packet with it. Should I use the seasoning or just add the rice?
Kristin 10.19.2016
Hi Jackie! I’m not familiar with that box mix so just to be safe I’d probably cook it separate then add at the end. To compensate for not adding the rice to the slow cooker, I’d reduce the broth to 4-1/2 cups.