Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup made with ease. Lean chicken breasts simmer in a savory stock with carrots, celery, onion, thyme, and garlic. Long grain wild rice cooks along with the soup into tender grains. A piping hot bowl is just the right solution as an appetizer or dinner on chilly nights. 

Comforting soups are essential during colder weather, and so I’ve been busy testing out tasty recipes for when the time comes. This chicken and wild rice soup features lean protein paired with tender carrots, celery, and onion for additional nutrients.

The slow cooker is the perfect kitchen companion for an easy meal that requires little prep and hands-off cooking. Aromatic vegetables are sauteed first before adding into the Crockpot to ensure maximum flavor. All of the ingredients then gently simmer together with herbs and spices that infuse into each bowl. The gentle cooking process keeps the chicken juicy while allowing the grains of rice to absorb the stock and naturally thicken the soup.

How to make chicken and wild rice soup

• Saute garlic, onions, carrots, and celery to lightly brown and boost the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
• Add all vegetables, chicken breast, wild rice, herbs, and seasonings to the slow cooker.
• Cook for at least 3 hours on “High” or 6 hours on “Low” setting to ensure chicken and rice are cooked through.
• Using whole bone-in chicken breasts ensures the meat does not become dry.
• The soup can be held on the “Warm” slow cooker setting to serve later in the day.
• Option to freeze into individual portions once cooled down to ensure it’s safe to eat.

The slow cooker and Instant Pot works by gradually simmering food over extended periods of time. The simmer point never reaches above boiling point, around 209ºF (98ºC) no matter if you’re on the low or high setting. This temperature allows the ingredients to gently cook and yield succulent chicken and a flavorful soup base. Chicken thighs can also be used if you prefer dark meat.

What is wild rice?

The dark-colored rice is a semi-aquatic grass grown in lakes, bays or tidal rivers, commonly grown as Zizania aquatica or Zinzania palustris varieties. The native North American plant is fickle to grow and harvest, with a low yield, making it more expensive than other grains. You’ll often find a blend of long-grain white and wild rice at the markets to help cut down cost and provide different tastes and textures in a dish.

Wild rice adds a nutty and slightly smokey flavor to the soup, adding depth to the dish. The intriguing rice also packs in an impressive nutritional profile, being a good source of magnesium, folate, phosphorus, fiber, zinc, niacin, Vitamin B, and some protein. If you’d like to use all wild rice instead of the blend as called for in the recipe, go for it!

Cooking wild rice

After some evaluation on how long it takes the wild rice to cook in the soup, I found that it needs at least 2 ½ to 3 hours of cooking on the high setting. Otherwise, the tough grains never fully soften, they should burst open, giving a light and dark striped appearance.

I recommend checking for doneness of the poultry and grains around 2 hours, and then every thirty minutes. If the chicken is ready first, remove from the cooker and cover to prevent moisture loss while the rice continues to cook. Another option is to prepare the wild rice on the stovetop, then add it to the slow cooker before serving. It requires between 40 to 50 minutes of simmering time.

Ready to serve

To keep the chicken succulent, shred the meat right before serving and add back to the soup. Each hot bowl of soup has just the right balance of meat, vegetables, and grains. My family often eats it as the main entree served with a simple salad tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. This soup provides the warmth and nourishment you need after a long day!

More soup recipes

• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Red Lentil Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup made with ease. Lean chicken breasts simmer in a savory stock with carrots, celery, onion, thyme, and garlic.

Pin Print SaveSaved! Review

4.95 from 34 votes

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1 cup minced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 cup diced carrots, ¼-inch dice
• ▢ 1 cup diced celery, ¼-inch dice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 cups sliced brown mushrooms, ¼-inch thick slices
• ▢ ½ cup wild rice blend
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
• ▢ 1 pound bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Heat a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat.
• Add olive oil, once the oil is hot add the garlic and onions, saute for 30 seconds.
• Add the carrots and celery, saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and saute for 30 seconds, then add vegetable mixture to the slow cooker.
• Add mushrooms, wild rice, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chicken stock, stir to combine.
• Add chicken and submerge in the stock.
• Cover and cook soup on "HIGH" setting for 3 hours, or "LOW" setting for 6 hours.
• Add more time if needed to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 160ºF (71ºC) and the rice is fully cooked.
• Shred the chicken into smaller pieces, and then add back to the pot.
• Taste soup and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve garnished with parsley.

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• Saute Pan
• Instant-Read Thermometer

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 6 servings

Calories 242kcal (12%)Carbohydrates 20g (7%)Protein 20g (40%)Fat 9g (14%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Cholesterol 38mg (13%)Sodium 570mg (24%)Potassium 705mg (20%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 3770IU (75%)Vitamin C 5mg (6%)Calcium 45mg (5%)Iron 1.6mg (9%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.