Oh, how I love hearty real food slow cooker recipes, especially when it requires no advanced cooking! My kids especially loved when I packed this chicken and wild rice soup in their school lunch. This Chicken and Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup is packed with vegetables, perfect for the colder months.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
So here’s another one to add to your repertoire. Be sure to freeze the leftovers in individual portions, making it easy for you to pull out for lunches.
Also, this recipe is one of those that is rather flexible, so here are some variations to meet your needs:
- Don’t like celery? Substitute carrots.
- Don’t like mushrooms? Omit them from the recipe.
- On a tight budget? Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- Short on time? Buy pre-sliced mushrooms.
- Like being thrifty? Make and use homemade stock.
- Try this Pressure Cooked Brown Rice.
- Too busy to cook during the week? Make this over the weekend and you can count on leftovers.
Enjoy!
Chicken and Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup
Oh, how I love hearty real food slow cooker recipes, especially when it requires no advanced cooking! My kids especially loved when I packed this chicken and wild rice soup in their school lunch. This Chicken and Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup is packed with vegetables, perfect for the colder months.
Print Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion (medium, diced)
- 3 ribs celery (diced)
- 6 ounces mushrooms (fresh, sliced or diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup whole grain wild rice
- 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth (homemade recommended*)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- almonds (toasted (optional topping))
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, place the onion, celery, mushrooms, garlic, rice, raw chicken, salt, and pepper. Pour the broth over top. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
- Chop or shred chicken. Stir in the heavy cream, ladle into soup bowls and top with toasted almonds (if using). Put the leftovers in the fridge or freezer (in individual portions).
Notes
- *Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crockpot
- Omit optional almonds to make nut-free.
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Chicken and Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 141
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 57mg19%
Sodium 1236mg54%
Potassium 533mg15%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 305IU6%
Vitamin C 19.1mg23%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Want weekly REAL FOOD meal plans made for you?→ Check It Out
Cooked on high for an hour and low for four hours. Not done.
For all those asking for a dairy alternative, I made this with coconut milk and thought it was good. I don’t think it tasted like coconut but it thickened it just enough, my husband thought it was a little bland but I didn’t agree. You could probably add a little more spice if wanted but I thought it was good. Will make again
This was a huge hit with all the ‘men’ in my house who are big eaters and need hearty meals to be satisfied. I one-and-a-halved this recipe to ensure leftovers to freeze. It never got that far as both my older sons that were home requested this the next night leftover. This was very easy to adapt all organic, which is important to me. The only changes I made were a) I sautéed the onion, celery & garlic for a few minutes, and mushrooms ever so slightly, before adding them to the crockpot, simply a personal preference and b) I started this on high for one hour and cooked a total of five hours. The guys made sure this was going to be a ‘regular’ from now on.
I LOVED this soup! I would not change a thing about the recipe. I read some comments that said the soup was bland, but it really turned out full of flavor. I think the homemade chicken stock is the key! I used my stock from your best whole chicken in a crock pot recipe and it was wonderful! Thanks!
I had a recipe just like this from http://www.primalorganicmiami.com except they used cauli-rice. Highly recommend it!
I hope this is good! I just read some comments that says it’s bland. I hope I didn’t waste all that time chopping and slicing for it not to turn out well! We’ll see!!! I’ve been looking for a good chicken and rice recipe.
I made this last night and my family really enjoyed it. After reading a few notes that it was bland, I added thyme, parsley, and sage. I thought it was great. I cooked it longer than I was supposed to (about 6 hours) but the chicken was not dry and the rice was not mushy. For those asking about the dairy, I would just skip the cream. I added cream, but it’s definitely not mandatory. It just turns it into a creamier soup, vs. a brothier soup, if that makes sense.
Hi would this recipe work using a pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker?
Thanks!
Hi Kathy. We’ve not tried but let us know if you do. ~Amy
This looks great. However we have dairy intolerances in this house. Is there any substitute for the cream at the end?
Hi there. You could leave it out or use a non-dairy cream, though we have not tried. ~Amy
If you use raw chicken, and cook it on low, does the chicken get hot enough inside to kill any pathogens?
Hi Heather. Lisa does safely use raw chicken in this recipe. If you are concerned, you can use a food thermometer to be sure you get it heated to a safe temperature. ~Amy
It says cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. That can’t be right. I followed the recipe exactly and the celery was completely raw. So disappointed.
Yeah, I just had the same thing. I am going to turn it on high and hopefully it will be cooked by bed time, and we can eat it tomorrow…. but what to eat tonight?
I agree. Made this tonight and after 4 hours on low tasted a bite and celery was still raw and rice was crunchy too! Upped the heat to high last hour and same thing. So disappointed! Waste of precious ingredients! Had to make a quick meal of quesadillas to feed hungry tummies. Soup went in the trash.
I am sorry to hear that and yes that is correct to cook it on low – if anything another hour would do the trick, but was your rice done (before the celery)?
I made this earlier in the week and the whole family loved it. What is great about it is that I had leftovers which is awesome for busy evenings when your running the kids around to activities. Thanks for such a great recipe, I will definitely be making this again!
Does the rice over cook and become mushy the next day? I use a brown and wild rice blend when I make it on the stovetop, would that work here too?
Hi. I’ve not found rice in soups to be mushy and I think wild rice would work just fine. ~Amy
I used the broth made from your “the best whole chicken in a crock pot” and brown rice instead of wild rice. The seasoning from the chicken broth were perfect in this soup and no way bland. This was delicious!
I am not a fan of rice. Could I substitute with quinoa?
Hi Kate. I think quinoa would work fine, though it would not absorb as much liquid. If you try, let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Loved it! I didn’t have enough chicken broth so had to use water. That made me have to add some salt. This actually brought back memories of a dish my mom use to make. She was from the South. With a little filé powder, it would have been just like hers!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I used mixed mushrooms for more variety and flavor.
This came out very bland. I think if I made again i would sauté veggies first, add carrots and sources like thyme and sage. It’s a shame because I was hoping for left overs.
The same thing happened to mine. It was very bland, and I was very disappointed because it was super easy and the ingredients seemed to be “no fail”, plus it has great reviews. I’m surprised that you are the only one to mention that it’s bland. Did we miss something? Unfortunately, “new” meals at my house typically only get one try….I just can’t spend the time and money on something that the family doesn’t love.
I stopped using rice when I heard about the arsenic found in rice. Is there a type of rice that doesn’t have this issue? I figure if the FDA says to limit rice to kids then maybe I should. I normally don’t trust the FDA. Any thoughts on rice would be great. I miss it. I eat quinoa but the rest of the family doesn’t like it.
If you go to Prevention.com and search for “arsenic in rice” it will give you several ways to avoid it. They suggest you boil brown rice in several cups of water then drain the excess off when the rice is done. One suggestion was 6 cups water to one cup rice. The more water the better – like pasta. I assume wild rice would be similar to brown because they both take about 45 minutes to cook. It doesn’t work as well for white rice. This adds an extra step to the recipe of course. You would add the cooked rice to the soup right before eating it. I suggest you google how to cook wild rice for proper times, etc. Hope this helps!
I was also wondering if you cook the rice first? Thanks!
Loved this! Made it for my family of 4, as well as my parents and my Nana (who is 99!). Every one ate every last drop! Nana was the only one who didn’t want almonds on hers. :) My 5 year old kept saying, “This soup is very wonderful, Mom! Thank you for making it.” Thank you for making me feel very loved and appreciated last night 100 Days!!!
Love the almonds on the top, I have never tried them with a soup. Sounds yummy.
http://www.laramealor.com/woot-woot-wednesday-aint-got-time-guide-de-winterize-skin/
Dumb question– where do you find wild rice? I have not seen this in my grocery store other than the Uncle Ben’s wild rice and I am assuming this is not what you mean?
It has been awhile since I’ve purchased wild rice since I don’t care for it, but there should be bags of it with the regular rice if I remember correctly. Also check the ingredients on Uncle Ben’s it might be ok.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was a hit ! Glad I doubled the recipe !!
Do you need to cook the rice ahead of time?
Nope. :)
Do you cook the rice first? Thnx
Hi Eliza. No, it cooks along with the other ingredients. ~Amy
Having this for dinner tonight! It smells so good!
I am not allowed to have dairy. What can I use instead of heavy creamz/
Yum, this looks so good! I’d love for y’all to check out my blog if you have a chance!
http://healthyandhappywellness.blogspot.com
xo
So funny, just tonight I was thinking about how I want to make more chicken soup and also, I need to use the crock pot more. Perfect timing, I tell ya! Pinned!
I am also wondering about the dairy free alternative?
We’ve not subbed in this recipe. You could leave it out or try a dairy free cream. ~Amy
This looks delicious! Pinned!
Can you sub wild rice for brown without affecting the recipe?
Hi Stacey. I think that will work just fine. ~Amy
Also dairy free and wondering about the cream…
Hello. You could leave it out or try a dairy free cream alternative. ~Amy
There are no instructions for what to do with the chicken. I’m thinking it needs to be cut/diced at some point. Is it best to do before cooking or after?
Hi, sorry about that, you could either chop it in pieces or shred it at the end. – Nicole
I too am wondering if we can leave out or substitute for the cream. Dairy allergy in our house. Maybe a plain coconut yogurt? Or could we just leave out?
Hi. You could leave it out or use a dairy free cream alternative though we’ve not tried. ~Amy
All wild rice is not the same.
If you buy native grown and harvested, you will have authentic manoomin. You will notice a huge difference from the “fake”, commercially grown, and processed wild rice.
Maybe you purchase real manoomin, just thought I’d comment.
Marsha, where does one buy this manoomin you are talking about?
Living in Wisconsin and raised in Minnesota, the best way to get the real wild rice would be through one of the Ojibwe bands. Many of the Nations have websites where you can buy their products. For example, the Red Lake band of Ojibwe sell walleye and perch. I think they may even sell wild rice as well. Purchasing from the Nations definitely helps support their health/wellness/education initiatives on their reservations.
Here’s a link for lake/river grown wild rice and not “paddy” grown. Nor is it a hybrid rice that is what is sold in our grocery stores.
http://www.mooselakewildrice.com/index.html
When I cook with authentic wild rice, I’ve learned that it needs to be soaked first. Did you soak soak it before using this recipe? I’ve never used rice in the crock pot before and I know wild rice is a bit different.
We are GFCF, what could you substitute for the heavy cream?
Hi Sue. Maybe an organic soy or coconut milk cream? You could also just leave it out. ~Amy
This looks great! I love any combination of chicken, rice, and mushrooms…so I will definitely be trying this soon. Thanks!
Ashley V, I have the same question. Cooked or uncooked chicken? Assuming uncooked.
Yes, uncooked chicken. I will modify the recipe to make it more clear.
I know this is dumb, but I have zero experience with a crockpot (cut me some slack, I’m on my own for the first time ;) ), but is the chicken uncooked when put in the crockpot?
No dumb questions here! :) Glad you bought a crock pot – you’ll love it. And yes, the chicken is raw so this is a super easy dish to make.