Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This easy Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is built for quick prep and simple weeknight dinner ideas, with tender shredded chicken, earthy wild rice and a creamy broth that smells like thyme and garlic. The best part is the texture: soft carrots, chewy rice and silky broth in every spoonful. What makes this version different is the trick of adding cream and a cornstarch slurry near the end, so the healthy comfort-food Search focus: chicken and wild rice soup crockpot.

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and wild rice soup crockpot Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 6 30

Total Time: 6 50

Servings:

Ingredients

2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts Use two medium breasts of similar thickness so they reach 165°F at roughly the same time.
1 cup Cultivated wild rice Rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds before adding so loose surface starch doesn't cloud the broth excessively.
3 medium Carrots Peel if desired and cut into 1/4-inch rounds so they soften without disappearing during the long cook.
3 large Celery stalks Cut into 1/4-inch slices so the pieces stay visible after several hours of slow cooking.
1 medium Yellow onion Dice into small pieces so it softens fully and flavors the broth without leaving large onion chunks.
8 ounces Cremini mushrooms Wipe clean and quarter them so they keep a recognizable shape after slow cooking.
4 large Garlic cloves Mince finely so the garlic disperses through the broth instead of remaining in concentrated pieces.
6 cups Low-sodium chicken broth Use a low-sodium broth so the soup can reduce slightly without becoming too salty.
1 teaspoon Dried thyme Rub it between your fingers before adding to release more aroma into the slow-cooking broth.
1/2 teaspoon Dried rosemary Crush it lightly before adding so the piney flavor spreads without leaving large needle-like pieces.
2 large Bay leaves Add them whole for slow infusion and remove both before the cream goes into the soup.
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt Season the broth before cooking, then adjust only after the wild rice has softened and concentrated the flavors.
3/4 teaspoon Black pepper Use freshly ground pepper for visible flecks and a warmer finish in the creamy broth.
1 cup Heavy whipping cream Add near the end of cooking so the dairy stays smooth and gives the broth a silky beige color.
3 tablespoons Cornstarch Whisk with cold water before adding so it thickens the broth without forming small starch lumps.
1/4 cup Cold water Use it to dissolve the cornstarch completely before the slurry meets the hot soup.
1/4 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley Chop just before serving and scatter over individual bowls for fresh color and a clean herbal note.
2 teaspoons Fresh thyme Use the tender leaves as a light finishing garnish so the final bowls echo the thyme in the broth.

Instructions

Cut the yellow onion into a small dice and slice the carrots into 1/4-inch rounds. Slice the celery 1/4 inch thick and quarter the cremini mushrooms. Then place both boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Scatter the cultivated wild rice, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and minced garlic around them. Start with ingredients refrigerated at 40°F or below and finish assembling within 15 minutes. Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth and add thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir around the chicken with slow sweeping motions so the wild rice settles into the liquid. You'll see the rice distributed across the bottom while the chicken remains partly visible. Don't leave dry grains above the broth or they'll cook unevenly. Full broth contact hydrates the wild rice evenly during the long cook.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours. At hour 5 1/2, check the thickest chicken breast with an instant-read thermometer. It must reach 165°F. Stir the wild rice and vegetables gently from the edges toward the center once during the final hour. Keep the lid closed otherwise because repeated opening can extend the cooking time. The chicken will turn fully opaque and the wild rice grains will split open while staying slightly chewy. The carrots should yield to a fork without collapsing. You'll smell thyme and savory chicken when the broth is ready. Go much past 6 1/2 hours and lean chicken breast can become stringy. Low slow heat softens wild rice while keeping the chicken surrounded by moisture.
Lift the chicken out once it reaches 165°F and let it sit for 5 minutes. Pull each breast into irregular bite-size shreds and chunks instead of tiny threads. Then return all the chicken to the slow cooker and fold it through the wild rice with broad gentle motions. Remove both bay leaves during this step so they don't disappear among the rice. The chicken should look moist and opaque with rough torn edges. Meanwhile, the broth will cling lightly to each shred while rice and vegetables redistribute throughout the cooker. If you shred the chicken while it's scorching hot, it can lose more moisture and turn fibrous. (I used to shred it immediately. Five minutes of rest gives noticeably juicier pieces.) Brief resting lets the chicken fibers relax before pulling.
Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water until no dry pockets remain. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker and pour in the heavy whipping cream. Then switch to HIGH and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Fold the soup from the bottom upward every 10 minutes so the thickening starch disperses instead of settling in one spot. The broth will change from light golden to creamy beige and become visibly silkier. At about minute 20, it should coat the back of a spoon without turning gluey. You'll still see distinct wild rice grains and vegetable pieces through the cream. Cook much longer than 30 minutes and the starch can make the soup overly thick. High heat gelatinizes the cornstarch quickly without prolonged boiling.
Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the soup settle for 5 minutes. Aim to serve it near 160°F so it stays hot without scorching the cream. Stir once from bottom to top before portioning because wild rice naturally settles. Ladle one generous serving into a deep bowl and scatter chopped flat-leaf parsley across the center with a few fresh thyme leaves. The finished Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup should look creamy beige with dark wild rice streaks and bright orange carrot rounds. Irregular chicken shreds and mushroom pieces should peek above the broth. The surface won't look perfectly smooth, and that's exactly right. Letting it sit too long uncovered can form a skin and dull the creamy texture. Brief settling redistributes starch so each bowl has an even consistency.

Notes

Store Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months with a little headspace because the soup expands as it freezes. Reheat refrigerated soup gently over medium-low heat until it reaches 165°F, or microwave in 60-second intervals while stirring between each round. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of chicken broth if it has thickened. Discard the soup if it smells sour, looks separated with discoloration or has been left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.