Here is a deliciously healthy and creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe made with tender chunks of chicken, wild rice, lots of veggies and a little sour cream. It can also be conveniently made ahead in freezer packs, and then directly transferred to (and cooked in) a crockpot! It is the ultimate healthy comfort food, and freezer meal all in one!

overhead of a bowl of wild rice soup on a black tin with a broken roll

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Table of contents

Why We Love This Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Who is ready for more soup recipes? I am needing all the soup and comfort food I can get to make it through this winter, folks.

This creamy cozy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a great slow cooker meal that will satisfy for a meal of soup and bread, or you can also meal prep it by making a freezer pack. Then it just goes from freezer to crockpot!

I thought that would be helpful this month because I know how hectic this time of year can be, and I thought you would find it useful to have a freezer to crockpot recipe at the ready for when you won’t have time to prep dinner.

This Chicken Wild Rice Soup is also great if you have company! We’re having friends over a couple of times this month, and I know I am not going to have a ton of time to cook before they arrive. Having a freezer pack ready to pop into the crockpot in the morning, means I can stay relaxed and enjoy the holiday season and my friends!! 

Key Ingredients For This Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice

Wild rice is the star of this recipe! It is a natural native ingredient and healthy and wholes. Wild rice is a great special occasion ingredient is great in wild rice salad, wild rice pilaf and more. We also think, that while it is expensive, in moderation can be enjoyed for a weeknight meal. Here we used only 2/3 cup for the entire large batch of soup. A little goes a long way!

Chicken Thighs

I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe because it simmers for a long time. Unlike chicken breast, the thigh meat doesn’t become tough and will actually shred apart a little as it simmers over a long period of time. 

Vegetables

Traditionally chicken and wild rice soup is made with mushrooms, and you can certainly add them to this recipe, but today we chose a blend of classic mire poix (celery, diced onion and carrot) mixed with green beans and red peppers.

Seasoning

To season the soup, you’ll need salt (of course) and spices. I used ground sage, which is a classic complement to chicken, you’ll love it! And dry thyme. If you don’t have dried sage, that’s okay, you can use fresh chopped rosemary (1 1/2 teaspoon) or you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons Poultry seasoning blend if you happen to have that. If you buy sage and are wondering what else to make with it, try my Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo or my Shrimp and Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner. 

Flour, Butter and Cream

To thicken the soup we used what’s known as a beurre manie, which is a little softened butter blended with flour. As it is whisked into the simmering soup, the butter melts and the flour dissolves so that it doesn’t clump. I use this tried and true technique in my Beef Burgundy Recipe as well as for my Roasted Turkey & Gravy.

To the finished soup add in just enough heavy cream (or sour cream) to make it creamy and delicious, but without breaking the calorie bank!

overhead of two bowls of soup on a blue table with a gray cloth

How To Make Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Step 1: Brown Chicken and Garlic

Start off by browning the chicken in olive oil on the stovetop. This step will cook the chicken through so that it can safely be frozen and then cooked again. This step also has the added benefit of adding flavor to the soup because the chicken and garlic will brown and develop rich flavor in the process.

Step 2: Combine The Ingredients In The Slow Cooker

Scrape the chicken mixture into the insert of a large slow cooker. Add onion, carrot, celery, wild rice, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in broth and wine. Cover and set to low for 6 hours.

Note: Set a second kitchen timer for 5 hours.

Step 3: Thicken The Soup

When the kitchen timer goes off (and one hour before the slow cooker timer goes off) combine the softened butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth to make the beurre manie. Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and stir in the butter mixture until there are no lumps of flour.

Step 4: Add Quick Cooking Veggies

Add the green beans and red peppers to the slow cooker, stir, cover and allow to continue cooking for the remaining hour.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

Stir in heavy cream just before serving.

Video: Watch How To Meal Prep This Recipe

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can This Soup Be Frozen?

This soup freezes well. If it has been made as a freezer meal, it too can be frozen after it is cooked. The rule of thumb when it comes to re-freezing food is that the ingredients must go through a state change before you freeze it again. The only caveat is that the texture of the green beans and red peppers will be more soft and the green beans will not be a bright green. The taste and texture will be fine.

How Do You Reheat Creamy Soups?

Creamy soups can burn or scald when reheated, so it is best to reheat them over medium-low heat and stir often. Use a heavy-bottomed soup pot. You can also reheat this in the microwave on high power for three to four minutes per portion, depending on the microwave.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Freezer Packets

Meal Prep Instructions {From Freezer To Crockpot}

  1. Cook the chicken mixture as directed. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. Transfer the chicken mixture to a gallon freezer bag. Add onion, carrot, celery and wild rice. Combine red bell pepper and green beans in a second bag. Seal bags, label and freeze for up to 1 month.
  3. Remove bags from freezer. Combine the chicken mixture, broth and wine in slow cooker and set to low for 8 hours (or 4 hours on high.) Set the bag with the green beans and peppers in the refrigerator to partially thaw.
  4. One hour before the timer goes off, combine the softened butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and stir in the butter mixture. Add the green beans and red peppers to the slow cooker, stir, cover and allow to continue cooking for the remaining hour. Stir in sour cream just before serving.
two bowls of soup with rolls

More Chicken Soup Recipes

Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter where I share weeknight meal plans delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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overhead of a bowl of wild rice soup on a black tin with a broken roll

Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup {With Freezer Option}

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 11 cups 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

★★★★★

5 from 9 reviews
Print Recipe

Description

Here is a deliciously healthy and creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe made with tender chunks of chicken, wild rice, lots of veggies and a little sour cream. It can also be conveniently made ahead in freezer packs, and then cooked in the crockpot!

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound cubed boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2/3 cup wild rice

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

7 cups chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1/3 cup heavy cream or sour cream

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with garlic, and cook, stirring often until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape into the insert of a large slow cooker.
  2. Add onion, carrot, celery, wild rice, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in broth and wine. Cover and set to low for 6 hours. Set a second kitchen timer for 5 hours.
  3. When the kitchen timer goes off (and one hour before the slow cooker timer goes off) combine the softened butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and stir in the butter mixture until lump-free.
  4. Add the green beans and red peppers to the slow cooker, stir, cover and allow to continue cooking for the remaining hour.
  5. Stir in heavy cream just before serving.

Notes

Meal Prep and Freezer To Crockpot Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic, and cook, stirring often until cooked though, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to coat and remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. Transfer the chicken mixture to a gallon freezer bag. Add onion, carrot, celery and wild rice. Combine red bell pepper and green beans in a second bag. Seal bags, label and freeze for up to 1 month.
  3. Remove bags from freezer. Combine the chicken mixture, broth and wine in slow cooker and set to low for 8 hours (or 4 hours on high.) Set the bag with the green beans and peppers in the refrigerator to partially thaw.
  4. One hour before the timer goes off, combine the softened butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and stir in the butter mixture. Add the green beans and red peppers to the slow cooker, stir, cover and allow to continue cooking for the remaining hour. Stir in sour cream just before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 331
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 23 g

This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe is on a Meal Prep Menu:

One more thing! This recipe is part of my Meal Prep Menu which includes five make ahead dinners! In this plan, I give you the prep list, shopping list and plan to prep on the weekend, so you can have all your weeknight meals ready to go with 20 minutes (or less) of time in the kitchen! 

To get the full details, print your shopping list and get started, head over to the Meal Prep Menu to check it out!