Are you in search of that one quintessential recipe that provides pure comfort in a bowl? A meal that fills your kitchen with the most inviting aromas as you go about your day? We’ve all had those moments, yearning for a hearty, flavourful dinner but short on the time or energy for complex cooking. Your search ends here, because this Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the very recipe you’ve been dreaming of. It’s a creamy, nourishing, and deeply satisfying soup where your slow cooker handles all the heavy lifting. Let’s get started and make this your new favourite for a wonderfully cozy dinner.

This recipe magically transforms everyday ingredients into a rich and delectable meal that feels special enough for a family gathering, yet is simple enough for any weeknight. The delightful combination of succulent shredded chicken, nutty wild rice, and a colourful medley of vegetables, all brought together in a silky, creamy broth, is nothing short of sublime. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out, making it a beloved staple in our home, and we have no doubt it will become one in yours too.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Wonderfully Effortless: This is the ultimate “set it and forget it” meal, making it one of our favourite easy crockpot meals. Simply combine the core ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning, and you’ll return home to an incredible aroma and a dinner that’s almost complete.
• Luxuriously Creamy & Comforting: We’ve refined our technique to create a beautifully rich and velvety broth with no danger of splitting. It’s savoury and smooth, with the ideal consistency to lovingly coat every morsel of chicken, rice, and veg.
• Nourishing and Substantial: Loaded with protein from the chicken, fibre-rich wild rice, and essential vitamins from the vegetables, this soup is a truly balanced meal in a single bowl. It’s guaranteed to leave you feeling wonderfully full and satisfied.
• Easily Adaptable: This recipe is incredibly versatile. Feel free to toss in extra vegetables like mushrooms or sweetcorn, experiment with different herbs, or alter the creaminess to perfectly match your family’s tastes. It serves as a fantastic canvas for your own kitchen creativity.
• Ideal for Meal Prep: This soup is one of those dishes that tastes even more delicious the following day! It keeps perfectly in the fridge, which makes it a superb option for convenient lunches all week long. A small amount of effort yields tasty results for days.

Ingredients

• 900g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 litres chicken broth or stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 200g wild rice blend, uncooked
• 120ml double cream (or full-fat milk)
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g plain flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

The Ultimate Guide to Making Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Creating this soup is a delightfully straightforward affair. We’ve laid out the process in simple steps to ensure you get a flawless result every single time. The magic is in a couple of key details, such as cooking the rice on the side and incorporating the creamy element right at the end. This method guarantees the rice retains a perfect texture and the soup is wonderfully smooth.

Step 1: Prepare the Soup Base

First, let’s build our foundation of flavour. Arrange the chicken pieces in the bottom of your slow cooker. If you’re using whole chicken breasts, there’s no need to cut them. Next, scatter the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic over the top. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the bay leaves, dried thyme, and rosemary. Give it all a gentle mix and season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Let the Slow Cooker Work Its Magic

Place the lid on your crockpot and select the cooking time. We find that cooking on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours yields the best results. The gentle, slow cooking process allows the flavours to deepen and meld together, resulting in exceptionally tender chicken. Now you can relax and get on with your day, confident that a delicious dinner is on its way.

Step 3: Cook the Wild Rice

Around 30–40 minutes before your soup is ready, it’s time to prepare the wild rice. We wholeheartedly recommend cooking it separately on the hob, following the directions on the packet. But why? Adding rice directly to the slow cooker can result in a stodgy texture, as it absorbs too much liquid and becomes overcooked. By cooking it apart, you ensure each grain has the perfect amount of chew, which vastly improves the soup’s overall texture.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken and Create the Creamy Finish

Once the chicken is tender and cooked through, carefully lift it out of the slow cooker and onto a board. With two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. If you’re a fan of other slow cooker dishes, you might also enjoy our Slow Cooker Beef Stew, which follows a similar hands-off approach.

Now, for the glorious creamy element. In a small pan over a medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for a minute, stirring continuously, to form a roux. This step is crucial for preventing lumps. Gently pour in the double cream, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth and has started to thicken. Take it off the heat.

Step 5: Combine and Serve

Pour the creamy roux into the slow cooker and stir thoroughly to combine it with the broth. Return the shredded chicken and the cooked wild rice to the pot. Allow everything to heat through for another 10–15 minutes. At this point, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Remember to remove the bay leaves before serving. Ladle your beautiful chicken rice soup into bowls, garnish with a scattering of fresh parsley, and serve immediately with some warm, crusty bread for dunking.

Top Tips for the Perfect Slow Cooker Soup

To transform your soup from simply good to truly exceptional, bear these straightforward tips in mind. These are the small details that contribute significantly to the final taste and texture of any slow cooker soup.

• Use Chicken Thighs for More Flavour: While chicken breast is perfectly fine, using boneless, skinless chicken thighs will give you an even richer, more succulent result. They contain a little more fat, which helps keep them moist and flavourful during the long cooking process.
• Sauté the Veggies First (Optional): For a deeper, more complex flavour profile, you can gently fry the onion, carrots, and celery in a touch of butter or oil for 5–7 minutes before adding them to your crockpot. This step is not essential, but it really enhances the savoury base of the soup.
• Don’t Rush the Roux: When you’re making the creamy base, make sure you cook the flour and butter mixture for at least a full minute. This cooks off any raw flour taste and is the secret to achieving that smooth, velvety finish we all love.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

One of the fantastic qualities of this soup is that it’s just as delicious, if not more so, the next day. The flavours have extra time to mingle and mature overnight.

To Store: Let the soup cool down completely before you transfer it into an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The rice will continue to absorb a little liquid, so you might find the soup has thickened slightly.

To Reheat: You can gently reheat the soup in a saucepan over a medium-low heat on the hob. Stir it occasionally until it’s warmed all the way through. You may wish to add a splash of milk or broth to loosen it to your preferred consistency. Alternatively, reheat single servings in the microwave.

To Freeze: For best results, we suggest freezing the soup base *without* the cream and rice. Dairy can sometimes separate when thawed, and rice can become mushy. Allow the soup base to cool, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat, and then proceed with adding the freshly prepared roux and cooked rice.

FAQ

A Bowl of Comfort You’ll Make Again and Again

And there you have it—a straightforward yet wonderfully sophisticated Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup that we’re certain will become a fixture in your meal rotation. It’s the ideal dish for warding off the chill on a cold day, for nourishing your loved ones with something wholesome, or for simply savouring the convenience of a slow-cooked delight. It strikes a perfect balance between creamy, savoury, and hearty flavours in a way that feels both comforting and special.

We are firm believers that the most memorable meals are those that bring a sense of joy and comfort without adding any extra stress to your day. This recipe is the perfect embodiment of that belief. So, it’s time to get out your slow cooker, gather your ingredients, and prepare to enjoy one of the most delicious and effortless soups you’ll ever create.

Have you given this recipe a go? Perhaps you have a unique twist you’d like to share? We always enjoy hearing from you! Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. And don’t forget to save or pin this recipe for the next time you’re in need of a guaranteed dinner success!

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 3-8 hours
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 900g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 litres chicken broth or stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 200g wild rice blend, uncooked
• 120ml double cream (or full-fat milk)
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g plain flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Place chicken, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender.
3. About 40 minutes before serving, cook the wild rice blend separately on the hob according to package directions.
4. Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. In a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the double cream until the mixture is smooth and has thickened.
5. Pour the creamy roux mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Return the shredded chicken and the cooked wild rice to the pot. Let it heat through for 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaves before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.