Get ready to elevate your fall and winter comfort game with the epitome of coziness – our Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup! Think of it as chicken noodle soup’s more sophisticated sibling. Packed with flavorful wild rice, a bounty of veggies, and a creamy base that’s basically a warm hug for your taste buds, this dish is a comfort food sensation.
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Why We Love Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Growing up, chicken wild rice soup was one of our favorite meals. Now that we’re grown, we continue to make our mom’s version for our own families. However, with this recipe, we’ve bid adieu to stove-side sweat sessions!
With this recipe, just toss all the goodness into the slow cooker, walk away, and return to a masterpiece in the making. Full of veggies and chicken, we love that this soup is nutrient-dense and high in protein. While the little ones can’t resist the allure of the hearty wild rice and creamy broth on those bone-chilling wintry days. Meanwhile, you’ll be nodding in approval at the budget-friendly brilliance of this dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This soup isn’t just thick and creamy; it’s a rich tapestry of chicken, veggies, and rice that transforms every spoonful into a well-rounded meal experience.
- Veggies – Celery, carrots, and yellow onion add a bit of crunch and enhance the nutrient profile of this dish.
- Garlic – For the best taste, use fresh garlic instead of the pre-minced kind.
- Chicken – We prefer to use breasts, but thighs would work, too!
- Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, oregano, and bay leaves are all you’ll need.
- Broth – This helps cook the rice and adds an extra savory taste to the chicken and wild rice soup.
- Milk and Heavy Cream – Once combined, these create the extra creamy broth we’re looking to achieve. For the absolute best soup use whole milk and full-fat cream.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour to form a roux to thicken the soup. If needed, a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour alternative should work just fine.
- Butter – Everything tastes better with butter!
- Rice – We used a combination of long-grain and wild rice and included the extra seasoning packet that came with it.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
One of our favorite things about slow cooker recipes is how convenient they are to make! With minimal prep work, you can start them in the morning and come home to a complete meal just waiting for you!
- Chop all of your veggies.
- Add everything except for the butter, flour, milk, and heavy cream to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 2 hours. Then, remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and add it back to the slow cooker.
- Then, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly to create a roux.
- Add the mixture to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Continue to cook on high until the soup has thickened, and serve warm!
What Goes with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
You can definitely serve this chicken and wild rice soup on its own for a super satisfying meal. This chicken wild rice soup plays well with all your favorite sides. Imagine the most epic comfort food combo, turning even the coldest days into a cozy affair. Pair it with some of our favorite satisfying sides.
- No Knead Cheesy Focaccia Bread
- Green Goddess Salad
- Lemon Greek Potatoes
- Whipped Feta with Roasted Olives
Storage
We don’t recommend freezing this recipe, because the dairy is likely to split and curdle. However, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Common Questions
Should I cook wild rice before adding it to the soup?
We don’t! Thanks to the slow cooking time and use of broth, the rice cooks on its own. If you want to make it ahead of time or use up leftovers, reduce the amount of broth used, and add the rice near the end of cooking just so it warms.
Does wild rice need to be rinsed?
Of course, follow the package instructions on your rice. However, in general, wild rice should be rinsed to prevent it from sticking together and becoming gummy.
Can I use leftover chicken or turkey for this recipe?
Sure! Just skip adding it to the slow cooker at the beginning of cooking, and stir it in at the end to allow it to warm.
Can I make chicken wild rice soup in the instant pot?
Yes! To do so, add the veggies, chicken, seasonings, and broth to the Instant Pot. Then, cook on high pressure for 30-40 minutes. Remove the chicken, and shred it with two forks. Create a roux on the stovetop, and add it back to the pot along with the chicken, milk, and cream. Stir to combine, and dig in!
More Warming Soup Recipes
If you’re on the same soup-loving wavelength as us, where every day could be a soup day, then these recipes are about to become your new obsession! Get ready to fall head over ladle for these delightful concoctions that will make your soup dreams come true.
- A classic comfort food, this Roasted Tomato Soup is a vegetarian option that tastes even better than the canned version you grew up loving.
- Healthy and tasty, too, this Minestrone Soup is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out!
- Our favorite childhood soup, this Egyptian Lentil Soup is an easy twist on our mom’s infamous recipe.
- Low-carb and plant-based, this Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower soup is loaded with vegetables and tastes absolutely divine!
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 4 ribs chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 medium chopped yellow onion
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 6 ounces long grain & wild rice with seasoning packet (quick cooking is best)
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Chop all the veggies. Dump all the ingredients except for the butter, flour, milk, and heavy cream into the slow cooker.4 ribs chopped celery, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 medium chopped yellow onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 pound chicken breast, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 6 ounces long grain & wild rice with seasoning packet
- Cover, and cook on high for 2 hours. Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and place it back in the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- In a pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, to form a roux.6 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Add the roux to the slow cooker along with the milk and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Continue to cook on high for an additional 30 minutes or until the soup has thickened.1 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Spoon into bowls, and serve warm.
Video
Equipment
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I followed the recipe pretty much as written. I did cook the chicken for 3 hrs and it was perfect! This recipe is so delicious and I had to share it with my sister as she loved it too 🙂
Thank you so much, Kerry! We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
For me, the veggies were not soft at 2 hours and soup was also lacking quite a bit a flavor unfortunately.
Sorry about that, Megan! Every slow cooker is different. Chopping the veggies smaller might help! Feel free to add additional seasonings if you try it again, too. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Phenomenal soup! I make this at least once every 2 weeks. My only deviation is that I use chicken thighs for enhanced flavor and I add 30-45 minutes on initial cook time. I also find that powdered oregano is actually more flavorful than dried.
Amazing, so glad that this is part of your rotation! We love that you modified with chicken thighs and powdered oregano! xo, Alia & Radwa
So delicious!!! But please correct the time on top of the recipe. Two hours in the slow cooker, plus prep and adding roux is a lot more than your total of 50 minutes! 😉
Even so, love this dish and very good left over !!!
Ohh, good catch! Just adjusted the time! xo, Alia & Radwa
definitely need to include that you need fast cook rice In recipe. Mines been cooking for 7 hours on high and still not done. I used ricaroni
Oh no! So sorry about that, Kayla. We update the recipe. Thank you for the feedback!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
That’s a great soup, for me the recipe worked perfectly.
Thanks for shearing it and please keep doing it
Love it!
I cooked on high for two hours and the veggies weren’t softened, and the chicken wouldn’t shred properly. Idk how much longer I should cook it now… and my husband is hungry! 😩😢
Oh no! Every slow cooker varies, how long did it end up taking you?
I had the exact same problem. Delicious, but timing is off. They are still crunchy after 4 hours and following the recipe to a t. Otherwise I would give it 5 stars!
What brand of long grain wild rice do you use? Not sure where to look for one that comes with the seasoning packet. Thanks!
We use Uncle Ben’s!
I’d like to try out this recipe today, but it doesn’t seem like you guys poured 4 stalks of celery into the pot in the video, so did you guys maybe mean to write 4 ribs of celery under the ingredient list?
Hi, yes, it should be ribs. SO sorry for the confusion, we have updated the ingredients!
My foodie ninja won’t let me cook it for 2 hours only 4! Is there any way I could use the pressure cooker setting to make this meal?? And if so do you know the time? Thank you in advance!
You can set it for 4 hours, every slow cooker is different, some require less some require more!
Can you use only heavy cream or do you need to use both milk and heavy cream?
Yes, you can use only heavy cream or a mix of heavy cream and broth if it thickens up too much!