Description
A comforting, healthy, and easy-to-make soup that bridges the gap between quick weeknight dinners and hearty homemade meals. This slow cooker recipe yields a rich, creamy broth with tender wild rice and shredded chicken.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup wild rice
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
- 3 stalks celery, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2–3 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and sweet.
- Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
- Transfer the sautéed onion and garlic mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add wild rice, chicken broth, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Place raw chicken breasts or thighs on top of the vegetables. Do not stir the chicken in.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours, until chicken reaches 165°F and rice is tender.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Discard the bay leaf.
- Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Stir in heavy cream or half-and-half. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions and fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Notes
[‘Do not skip sautéing the onions and garlic; it builds a necessary flavor foundation.’, ‘Add dairy (cream/half-and-half) at the end of cooking to prevent curdling.’, ‘Wild rice does not thicken soup as much as white rice; the cream provides the richness.’, ‘This soup does not freeze well due to the dairy and rice texture; store in fridge for up to 4 days.’, ‘If soup is too thin, cook uncovered for the last hour or use a cornstarch slurry.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (Low) or 3-4 hours (High)
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
Keywords: slow cooker, chicken soup, wild rice soup, healthy dinner, comfort food, easy recipe, weeknight dinner, creamy soup