Description
A hearty, smoky slow-cooker soup featuring tender chicken, wild rice, and creamy broth, perfect for chilly autumn evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups mixed carrots, celery, and onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- Optional: 1 cup frozen peas and 1 cup corn
- Optional: 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or diced jalapeño
Instructions
- Peel and dice carrots, celery, and onion into 1/4-inch pieces. Mince garlic.
- Turn slow cooker to LOW. Add chicken broth, wild rice blend, diced vegetables, minced garlic, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place chicken breasts on top of the vegetable mixture. Do not stir the chicken in.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours until rice is tender. (Alternatively, cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours).
- Remove chicken breasts and shred using two forks. Discard skin/fat. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
- Stir in heavy cream. Cook on LOW for another 15-20 minutes to heat through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
Do not overcook the rice; check at the 6-hour mark. Add cream at the end to prevent curdling. For freezing, omit cream until reheating. Can use leftover rotisserie chicken by adding it in the last 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 25
Keywords: crockpot soup, chicken wild rice soup, fall recipes, slow cooker meals, smoky soup, comfort food, one pot dinner