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! ;) 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
Lana 08.12.2018
Terrific healthy and tasty soup! Me and my husband loved it! So easy to cook too. Many thanks!!
Mary Norman 07.04.2018
Thanks for making it possible for me to print the recipe! I’m looking forward to cooking it! (Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup). I’m modifying it for a camping trip!
Kelly 06.20.2018
I love this recipe!! Make it all the time. Savory and wholesome.
Do you think I can cook it on high for 2 hours?
Kristin 07.05.2018
Hi Kelly! I have never cooked this soup on high before so I can’t say for sure. Come back and let us know if you give it a try!
Jennifer 05.09.2018
This recipe looks great are you able to use chicken stock instead of broth?
Kristin 05.09.2018
Yep!
Robin Snyder 03.16.2018
I followed your direction’s
The chicken and rice are not done. I put them back in.the crock pot and am going to cook them for another 45 minutes. Is this ok
Lynn 03.14.2018
I made this exact recipe today and when I removed the chicken to shred, the chicken had purple spots on it. Could this be from the rice? I used the same brand of rice that you used.
Kristin 03.14.2018
Hi Lynn! Yes, this is just from the wild rice – the chicken is fine to eat (assuming it’s cooked through!)
Day 3 – Sarah does the Elimination Diet 03.08.2018
[…] https://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/ […]
Judy 03.05.2018
sounds wonderful –love soup especially when its so easy!!!! Will make it this week while its snowing, raining and icing!!!!!
Deanna 02.28.2018
Hey! So I an making this recipe tonight but need it done a bit faster. If I put it on high should I leave it on for 2 hours?
Kristin 03.06.2018
Hi Deanna! I haven’t tried this recipe on high before because I don’t think the rice will be cooked all the way through and evenly when cooked on high. Best to go with low for this particular recipe!
Nancy 02.14.2018
Made it for our Ash Wednesday Lenten soup Supper…it was delicious. Not a bit left!!
Keshena 02.09.2018
I’ll be making this tonight! But we like a variety soup, so all that plus tomatoes, bell peppers, and maybe some green beans as well ?
Teresa Tilley 02.08.2018
I’ve made this soup several times my family loves it and I love it. Plus with out the ‘cream’ in it it makes it a healthy version. Thank you for the great recipe!! Love from SW MN
put your apron on | the concierge mom 02.07.2018
[…] Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup– IGE – another favorite of mine- now, for those of you who know me well, I don’t crock pot in this house! My mom was a WONDERFUL cook but the only nights my sisters and braced ourselves for dinner — was when we smelled dinner in the crockpot. NOT good. Tom happens to share my view on this so we don’t go there- so I made this version in my dutch oven. I liked it A LOT. Tom thought it was too salty so I would use no salt broth next time. I sent this to some friends and the amount of positive reviews via text was HIGH. […]
libby 01.25.2018
I’ve made this recipe several times in the crock pot, it’s a family favorite! I’m wondering if you’ve ever made it in an instant pot and what the time conversion would be if so. Thanks!
Kristin 01.25.2018
Oh I’m so glad to hear it, Libby! I don’t have an IP so I can’t say for sure!
Corinna 01.15.2018
So yummy! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Sunday meal prep - Greens and Goals 01.10.2018
[…] Monday – Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (leftover crock-pot soup in our freezer) from Iowa Girl Eats […]
Danielle Beebe 01.09.2018
This recipe sounds amazing. I am counting calories, do you have the nutritional vlaue?
Alexis M. 01.04.2018
So funny, I started following you on Pinterest a couple of years ago simply because I was homesick (I’m an Iowa girl stuck in Arizona), but last year it was recommended that I go GF after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s… and I rediscovered you trying to find a couple GF meals! SO GLAD I did!!! For this soup I forgot I was out of sage and thyme, so I subbed in oregano and rosemary. I also put in extra salt because I only had low-sodium broth. I followed all of the other measurements with the exception of throwing in two extra carrots, an extra celery stalk, and a couple extra cloves of garlic just to sneak extra nutrients since I knew it would all blend right in (I have VERY picky eaters in the house and veggies are a battle). Made this soup with the recommended rice blend, and to my surprise it really was cooked through at the same time as the chicken, which fell right apart. Only four hours on low, just like you said! Even my pickiest eater loved it, it was everything a soup should be. And the soup looked just like the picture lol!
Brianna 01.04.2018
I really love this soup. It’s so comforting and easy!! Since my crockpot is a little, well, different (or difficult!), I cook on low for 5 hours and have to sauté the onions a bit beforehand since I’ve found they don’t always soften. But I always use brown rice and only 4 cups of chicken broth (we like thick soup!). Thanks!!
Harriet 12.28.2017
LOVE this recipe! But the carrots and celery shown in your pic are most definitely not minced!! “Minced” implies extremely small bits, what you show is “sliced into 1/2” pieces”. You don’t want minced for this recipe, very small pieces would cook too fast and be mushy. You might consider changing either the recipe or the accompanying pic. Can’t wait to make it!!