Easy Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This is the cozy crock pot soup that basically makes itself while you live your life and then hugs you when you walk back in the door. It’s chicken wild rice soup—the creamy, savory, slow-cooked kind—with tender shreds of chicken, chewy wild rice, lots of veggies, and that mellow herby thing going on that makes the whole kitchen smell like you have your life together. It’s special because it tastes like you put in a whole Sunday, but it’s a toss-everything-in situation. Also: it reheats like a dream and the leftovers are borderline better.

My husband calls this “the soup,” like it’s the only one that matters. Our little fam gets comically quiet when bowls hit the table—everyone just… slurps. On the last snow day, I threw this in the crock pot at lunch, forgot about it, then we came inside from a very chaotic sledding fail to a house that smelled like a cabin with a fireplace and a grandma who loves you. We ate it with buttered toast and my toddler asked for “more rice soup please,” which I will be bragging about until the end of time.

How to Make It

Throw diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, uncooked wild rice, and raw chicken right into the crock pot. Pour in chicken broth, add thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Lid on—low and slow is your friend. When it’s tender and your house smells like a potluck at church, pull the chicken out and shred it with two forks like a tiny raccoon. Make a quick little stovetop roux with butter, flour, and milk or half-and-half, whisk it smooth, and stir it into the crock pot to give the soup that silky finish. Add the shredded chicken back in, maybe a squeeze of lemon and a handful of spinach if you’re feeling alive. Taste. Salt. Crack some pepper. Done.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Chicken (breasts or thighs): Thighs are more forgiving and ultra-tender after hours in the crock pot. Breasts work too—just don’t overcook to sawdust.
– Wild rice (or wild rice blend): Real wild rice gives the best chew. A blend cooks slightly faster. Don’t use instant unless you like rice soup pudding.
– Onion, carrots, celery: The holy trinity of soup. Chop small so they soften on time. If they’re huge, they’ll stay loud and crunchy.
– Garlic: Three cloves is cozy. Five cloves is a personality trait. I support both choices.
– Chicken broth: Low-sodium lets you control the salt. If it tastes flat at the end, it probably needs more salt and a tiny splash of acid.
– Dried thyme + bay leaf: Thyme does the heavy lifting. Bay is the background singer you notice when it’s missing.
– Butter + flour + milk/half-and-half: This is the creamy finish. Use cornstarch + milk if you’re gluten-free. Add at the end so it doesn’t curdle.
– Mushrooms (optional): Add umami. If you hate them, skip. If you love them, sauté first for extra oomph.
– Spinach or kale (optional): Toss in at the very end so it stays green and perky.
– Lemon juice: A tiny squeeze at the end wakes everything up. Don’t skip unless you’re allergic to joy.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Chop onion, carrots, and celery; mince the garlic.
2. Load the slow cooker with veggies, 1 to 1 1/4 cups uncooked wild rice, 1.25–1.5 lb chicken, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
3. Cook on Low 6–7 hours (or High 3–4) until rice is tender and chicken shreds easily.
4. Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and set aside; fish out the bay leaf.
5. In a small pot, melt 2 tbsp butter; whisk in 2 tbsp flour 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk or half-and-half until smooth and steamy.
6. Stir the creamy mixture into the slow cooker; return chicken, add a squeeze of lemon and a handful of spinach if using. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.

What to Serve It With

– Crusty sourdough or buttered toast (the dunking is non-negotiable).
– A simple green salad with vinaigrette.
– Garlic bread if you’re extra like me.
– Crackers and a sharp cheddar situation on the side.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t use quick-cooking rice—it’ll blow up and drink your soup.
– If the rice is still a bit firm, give it another 30–45 minutes. Patience > crunchy soup.
– Add dairy at the end. If you dump it in at the start, it can split and make you sad.
– Too thick? Splash in more broth. Too thin? Let it simmer lid off, or whisk 1 tsp cornstarch into cold milk and stir it in.
– Season at the end. Cream dulls salt—taste, then salt bravely.
– If you’re gone all day, set to Low and use chicken thighs; they forgive everything.

✔Storage Tips

Fridge: Pop leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The rice will keep sipping broth, so loosen with a splash of water or stock when reheating.
Freezer: Best move is to freeze before adding the dairy. If it’s already creamy, it’ll still be good but might look a little separated—stir while reheating and it’ll come back together. Freeze up to 2–3 months.
Cold straight from the fridge? I’ve done it with crackers. Zero regrets. Breakfast soup? Also yes.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Dairy-free: Use full-fat coconut milk or a creamy oat milk and skip the butter/flour; thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
– Gluten-free: Use cornstarch (1.5 tbsp mixed with cold milk) instead of flour.
– Rotisserie shortcut: Add shredded rotisserie chicken in the last 30 minutes so it doesn’t overcook.
– Veg boost: Toss in mushrooms, diced parsnips, or a handful of peas at the end.
– Herbs: Poultry seasoning or rosemary works if you’re out of thyme. Fresh parsley to finish is lovely.
– Lemon vs. vinegar: No lemon? A tiny splash of apple cider vinegar wakes it up.
– Protein swap: Turkey totally works, especially the week after Thanksgiving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Cozy, creamy Crock Pot chicken wild rice soup packed with tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and hearty vegetables. Minimal prep, big flavor.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours hours

Total Time: 7 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
• ▢ 1.5 cup yellow onion, diced about 1 large
• ▢ 1.5 cup carrots, diced
• ▢ 1 cup celery, diced
• ▢ 2 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced optional but recommended
• ▢ 3 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 cup wild rice, uncooked rinsed
• ▢ 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 8 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 2 leaf bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 0.25 cup all-purpose flour for thickening
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream half-and-half works too
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then transfer everything to the slow cooker.
• Add wild rice, chicken breasts, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours (or on High for 3 to 4 hours), until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove chicken and bay leaves. Shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the slow cooker.
• Make the cream thickener: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
• Stir the cream mixture into the slow cooker. Add lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.

Notes

For a dairy-free version, replace the butter and cream with olive oil and unsweetened coconut milk, and thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Using a wild rice blend will shorten cook time slightly. If using rotisserie chicken, stir it in during the last 20 minutes. Wild rice can vary in cook time—if the rice is still firm, continue cooking and add a splash of broth as needed.