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
Katie 01.19.2017
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!! Thank you for the great recipe! The consistency is thick and creamy without needing to add cream. The flavor from the herbs were well-balanced. My husband and I both loved it!
Megan 01.18.2017
I am making this right now and I bought a basmati and wild rice mixture. Do you think the basmati will be over cooked by the time to the wild rice would be cooked? Also I am cooking it on high to see if that will make it cook quicker.
Dinner On Your Doorstep - SAS Life 01.11.2017
[…] Clean Eating Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Makes 6 Servings Recipe From: Iowa Girl Eats […]
Kaylee 01.07.2017
We made this last night- I’m trying to get into soups (I never have been a soup person) but I find i need it to have a little something more filling. We LOVED this soup, I’m pretty sure it’s one of my new favorites! I will say that the rice took a little longer, and we did use the Lundberg blend you recommend, but once it was done, MAN it’s a tasty soup!! Thanks!
Callie 01.06.2017
Curious if I could do this in the Instant Pot….
Ashley 01.05.2017
This is one of my absolute favorite soup recipes. I make it at least twice a month in the winter! I just got an instant pot and was wondering if anyone had tried cooking this soup in a pressure cooker?
Valerie 01.03.2017
Your soup is awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing! I have made it 3 times already!
Katie Strodtman 01.02.2017
Made this tonight, winner! Also, used the hyvee brand of rice and it was done in the 4 hours. Thanks!
Lorraine Gomez 01.01.2017
E
Lorraine Gomez 01.01.2017
Make it
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Teena 12.25.2016
This is fab, thanks so much! How do I “shred” chicken? Brand new to cooking.
Kristin 12.27.2016
Use two forks to pull the chicken apart and create shredded bits – you could also just chop it up if that’s easier!
Eileen 12.20.2016
I made this tonight – delicious! I’m thinking for the leftovers that I’ll try to turn it into sort of a tortilla soup. What Mexican spices would you recommend?
Lauren 12.20.2016
Could you substitute cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles?
Samantha 12.11.2016
This soup is one of the best I have ever tried! I was sick of the same old chicken soup recipe, so when I found this I decided to make a giant batch of it to bring to a work potluck this week.
Changes I made: I quadrupled the recipe and out in one large (triple recipe) and one small crock pot (single batch recipe.) I cooked both pots on low for 7 hours and they were both done perfectly! About 30 minutes before we ate it, I added some already cooked quinoa that was in the fridge. The soup thickened up just right and was so good!
My question is, how do you think this soup will hold up until the potluck in 2 days? Will the grains get gummy? Should I plan to add more broth when reheating?
Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Jessica 12.11.2016
This soup is an absolute favorite, I keep making it again and again. Husband and kids love it! Thanks for a great, easy recipe
Linda 12.08.2016
What’s the reason as to not using frozen chicken?
Kristin 12.08.2016
It’s the USDA’s recommendation – frozen pieces don’t reach 140 degrees quick enough and could possibly result in a foodborne illness.