Recently I scrolled past a TikTok sharing a man’s POV of arriving home from work to see his wife had 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 not one of those recipes!
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 if they want the soup already slow cooked and delivered warm, OR as a meal kit so they can toss it into their own crock pot, OR as a freezer pack so they can make the soup when it suits them best. 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: trust me when I tell you that 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 broth and push “on”—easy!
FYI: the USDA advises you don’t cook frozen chicken in slow cookers, which is why I thaw the freezer pack before adding to the crock pot.
Another 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.
Like I mentioned, 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, or garlic butter bread 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
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken and Rice 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
Have you ever doubled the recipe?? We’re a family of 5 (3 hungry boys); not sure if 1lb of chicken is enough!!
[…] crock pot chicken and rice soup was easy and as delicious as any other chicken and rice soup I’ve ever had, so I don’t […]
[…] Get the recipe HERE […]
[…] Get the recipe HERE […]
I have a smaller slow cooker ( 1-3 people) Has anyone tested this recipe out on a smaller scale ?
[…] http://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/ […]
I used a cast iron pot because I didn’t have a crock pot and I left out the butter (because I forgot). It doesn’t look as good as yours, but I’m sure it will taste good. I’ve made your apple crisp and eaten it all by myself several times! ♡ ♡ ♡
I also signed up to get your recipes in my email.
You are an excellent cook. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Jeannette, I really appreciate the feedback! And I’ve eaten that apple crisp all by myself a few times too! ;)
Seriously the best soup recipe we have ever found. I have made this at least 5 times now, and my husband requests it all the time. Thank you!
Ahh, oh my gosh, I am so thrilled to hear that, Nicole! Thanks so much for the feedback! :)
Do you have the calorie content? Thank you.
Great recipe, but the rice wasn’t cooked at the end of 4 hours (my carrots were a little crisper than I like too). I ended up cooking for another half hour on high and the rice was almost just right at that point. That said, my husband loved it.
LOOKS DELICIOUS. THESE RECIPES ARE JUST WHAT I WAS LOVING FOR. ONCE A MONTH WE HAVE A FAMILY GET TOGETHER FOR DINNER. AND TO CATCH UP ON NEWS. THESE ARE EASY AND I NEED ONES THAT ARE NOT HIGH SEASOND AND DON’T HAVE TOMATOES IN THEM. SOME OF US CAN’T EAT THEM. WHAT COULD I USE INSTEAD OF TOMATOES N SOME OF THE RESIPES?
I made this and it was SO good….plus being easy and with ingredients on hand. Quick question. I just made a 2nd batch….am I able to freeze it?
I’m so glad you liked the soup, Debbie! So what I usually do with this recipe is make “freezer packs” with them. I add all the ingredients except the chicken broth into a Ziplock bag and freeze, and then thaw, add chicken broth, and cook. I just don’t know how the rice would do cooked then frozen, so this has been a good compromise!
This is really good soup. My rice wasn’t even close to being done, so I had to move it to a rice cooker to finish off. Next time I think I might cook the rice first, at least a little so it will be done by the time I am expecting to eat dinner. I also added a little cornstarch at the end to thicken it up. It was very tasty! Thank you for the recipe.
My husband is not eating rice, would this recipe work with small red potatoes instead?
Thanks for the tips, i like chicken rice
I followed the recipe exactly, with the same brand of rice. The rice was not even close to being done at 4 hours.
This soup is fantastic!!! Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it did not disappoint! This is a keeper!
I have to say…this was amazing! And so easy! I cut the salt down to 1 teaspoon and I think it will cut it down a bit further the next time as well. I also left the butter out completely. I cooked it on low for 3 hours and then turned it up to high for the last hour to ensure the rice was cooked. Turned out great! Will definitely be putting this into my permanent recipe collection!
Just made this soup tonight, best soup we have ever made. We will definitely be making this again!
Well I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and it’s exactly what I was looking for! I see this post was from quite a while ago, but thanks for posting! It’s a perfect winter soup to make and we are expecting some dreary weather tomorrow, so into the Crock Pot it goes!