Description
Hearty slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup delivers comforting warmth during chilly days. Home cooks can easily prepare this nourishing bowl with minimal effort and maximum flavor satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breasts (or thighs, boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup wild rice blend (uncooked)
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 cups (473 ml) water
- 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 tbsps flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- Fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Uniformly dice onions, carrots, and celery to create a consistent base for the soup, ensuring even cooking and balanced texture.
- Layer Protein and Aromatics: Arrange chicken pieces in the slow cooker, then sprinkle minced garlic and crumble dried thyme and rosemary directly over the meat, releasing their essential oils and creating a fragrant foundation.
- Build Flavor Layers: Distribute wild rice evenly across the chicken, dust with paprika for warmth and color, and add a bay leaf to infuse herbal undertones. Season generously with salt and pepper to develop a robust flavor profile.
- Liquid Integration: Gently pour broth and water over the ingredients, ensuring they are partially submerged, which will facilitate the melding of flavors during slow cooking.
- Slow Cook and Finish: Cover the slow cooker and set to low heat for 6-7 hours, allowing the ingredients to transform into a rich, comforting soup. Thirty minutes before serving, remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the pot. Discard the bay leaf and ladle the soup into warm bowls, ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
- Optimize Rice Texture: Rinse wild rice thoroughly before adding to remove excess starch and prevent clumping, ensuring a perfect al dente consistency.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Toast dried herbs briefly in a dry skillet before adding to release more intense aromatics and boost the soup’s overall flavor profile.
- Customize Protein Options: Substitute chicken with rotisserie chicken, turkey, or plant-based protein alternatives for dietary flexibility and quick meal preparation.
- Control Sodium Levels: Use low-sodium broth and adjust salt gradually to manage overall saltiness, allowing individual seasoning preferences at the table.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (low) / 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg