Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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!
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Table of contents
- Why We Love This Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Key Ingredients For This Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- How To Make Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Video: Watch How To Meal Prep This Recipe
- FAQs and Expert Tips
- More Chicken Soup Recipes
- This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe is on a Meal Prep Menu:
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!
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
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.
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.
Meal Prep Instructions {From Freezer To Crockpot}
- Cook the chicken mixture as directed. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
- Our Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Rice soup is perfect for folks watching their carbs
- This Chicken and Rice Soup is made in under an hour but has slow-simmered flavor.
- Our Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is packed with flavor and great for busy weeknights.
- This Thai-inspired Coconut Chicken Soup is made in the crockpot and is packed with veggies.
- This Chicken Quinoa Soup with Lemon and Mustard Greens will cure what ails you during the cold season.
- Our Paleo Chicken and Veggie Soup is loaded with winter’s best produce and is grain-free.
- We swapped out beef and used ground chicken to make the meatballs for our Hearty Italian Wedding Soup.
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
PrintSlow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup {With Freezer Option}
- 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
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!
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the green beans and red peppers to the slow cooker, stir, cover and allow to continue cooking for the remaining hour.
- Stir in heavy cream just before serving.
Notes
Meal Prep and Freezer To Crockpot Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- Monday: Stuffed Shells with Spinach and salad with Lemon Juice Salad Dressing
- Tuesday: Cod Fish Tacos with refried black beans
- Wednesday: Sloppy Joes and this Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese
- Thursday: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Friday: Greek Pizza and lemony green beans
To get the full details, print your shopping list and get started, head over to the Meal Prep Menu to check it out!
I would love to cook this chicken wild rice recipe without the freezer steps….no make ahead and freezing. Can you adjust adjust cooking times for me. Your recipes are wonderful and delicious. I read cookbooks like novels. Since there are only 2 of us, I read more than cook. I also like to share my soups with others and freezing soup for later is a must. I have become my Mother!
I haven’t tested that but I think you could cut the time in half. Say three hours. Then follow the step of thickening and adding the green beans and red pepper. Then cook one hour more. I think that should be plenty of time.
I made this soup and it was all gone in 2 days. So delicious. I did add mushrooms. Tasted delicious. The sour cream at the end is genius. Next time I make I would add a little more rice. Might be our new winter favorite. Next time I will try the freezer version.
★★★★★
Woohoo! I am so happy to hear it Kim! Thank you for the 5 star review. It’s appreciated.
I liked the idea of doing meal prep and picked this recipe to try that method, Very nice to be able to pull out everything and do in the slow cooker. I did freeze some after we had it the first time and I thought it was even better. I didn’t add the sour cream the first time I made this so froze it without that in the leftovers. ( Great for this time when you want to make as few trips to the store as possible to have a stash in the freezer) When I pulled leftovers out to reheat I added a bit of nonfat Greek yogurt after it was heated, to mine and swirled in some 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese I needed to use up ( a couple tabs) to my husbands. He loved it and said” keep that recipe” so I know it was a winner. Thank you for your healthy interesting recipes. I always learn something too when reading your instructions, a good lesson on why you do what you do or a new cooking term. Enjoying your site.
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear you are enjoying the site and that this soup came out well for you. Thank you Frances!
Can I substitute wild rice with farro or long grain brown rice?
Yes that would work nicely and it should cook in the same amount of time/become tender in the slow cooker as directed for the wild rice. The brown rice may become a little mushy, but still good.
I meal prepped this soup on Sunday. Put it in the freezer for later in the week. When we decided to make the soup it was easy to finish and was so good. Loved that it was all ready to go when we could just take it out of the freezer.
★★★★★
I’m a fan of soups. Katie, you’ve got this flavor balance down pat. Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Kim. I am so glad to hear you like this one. It’s been a favorite of ours this winter too! Hope you have a great week!
This recipe doesn’t say anything regarding the wild rice
Is this eaten separately then
It goes into the first freezer pack in step 2. Hope you try it!
This soup is so cozy and delicious! It’s the perfect dinner on a cold night!
★★★★★
Thank you Lindsay. I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season my friend!
I love that you can have this prepared ahead of time! The freezer packs are brilliant!
★★★★★
Hi Laura. I am so glad to hear you like this idea! Have a great week!
Things are so busy with the holidays so I can’t wait to try this easy recipe!
★★★★★
We’re having it on Christmas day actually! I already have the pack in the freezer, I am glad you think this is useful and I hope you make it!
My favorite soup! Pure comfort food!
★★★★★
Hi Lauren! So glad you like it. Thanks for coming by and leaving a rating!
love this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you Lisa! Have a great week!