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Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy, cozy slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup with tender shredded chicken, chewy wild rice, and vegetables in a silky broth. The cream goes in at the end for a perfectly smooth finish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 340
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (680g)
  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice or wild rice blend (185g) rinsed
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1.9L)
  • 1.5 cups diced carrots (190g)
  • 1.5 cups diced celery (150g)
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion (150g)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter (45g)
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour (31g) for the slurry
  • 1 cup half-and-half (240ml) added at the end
  • 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley (15g)

Method
 

  1. Rinse the wild rice under cold water. Add the rice, chicken broth, chicken breasts, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine and push the rice below the surface of the broth.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or HIGH for 3.5 to 4.5 hours), until the wild rice is tender and the chicken shreds easily. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking.
  3. Remove the chicken breasts to a bowl and shred with two forks (or a hand mixer on low). Discard the bay leaves.
  4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Ladle in 1 cup of hot broth from the cooker, whisking until smooth, then stir this slurry back into the slow cooker along with the shredded chicken.
  5. Stir in the half-and-half. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes

Tips: Add the half-and-half only at the end to prevent curdling. A wild rice blend costs less than 100 percent wild rice and works beautifully. If the rice is still firm after 7 hours, your cooker may run cool; give it another hour with the rice submerged.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days; the rice absorbs broth, so loosen with a splash of broth when reheating. To freeze (up to 3 months), freeze before adding the half-and-half, then stir in the cream after reheating.
Estimated nutrition: about 340 calories per serving (estimated).