This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is so darn simple to make. Chicken, carrots, celery, onion, wild rice, seasonings, and cream. Pair with a piece of crusty bread on a cold night for the perfect meal!
Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Featured comment
Probably one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. So much flavor! And the leftovers are just as good. 🙂
Lindlee
Watch How To Make This Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Wild Rice Is My Favorite Soup.
Hello, if you didn’t know we were based in Minnesota yet, you do now because here we are with another chicken and wild rice soup recipe! And for the crockpot no less! We are staying hardcore true to our roots.
Super creamy, savory goodness with tender shreds of chicken and perfectly cooked veg. Wholesome piles of deliciously satisfying wild rice throughout. Ope, yep yep yep! Grab some warm crusty bread because this soup is truly a dream to come home to on a cold winter night.
(Again, if you weren’t sure about the whole from-Minnesota thing, please see the use of “ope!” in that last paragraph.)
1
Cook The Wild Rice and Chicken in The Crockpot.
Rice, veggies, broth, and seasoning. Good house smells coming through!
2
Cut The Chicken.
Remove the chicken and chop it up on a cutting board.
3
Make and Stir In The Creamy Base.
Make your roux in a saucepan and add it back into the soup with the chicken. Stir and serve!
Ingredients You’Ll Need
For such a deep, rich, savory flavor, this soup has a pretty short ingredient list. It’s just that each member of the team here is really doing their part, bringing their own special something to this beautiful soup. Here’s what you’ll need!
- wild rice (it’s important to use authentic wild rice here and not a wild rice blend)
- chicken breasts (or chicken thighs could also work)
- mirepoix (chopped celery, carrots, and onions)
- chicken broth
- poultry seasoning
- butter
- All-purpose flour
- whole milk
- white wine (optional, but such a nice touch)
Also get your favorite crusty bread ready to tear because you are definitely going to want to be swooping, scooping, and dipping through this soup over and over again.
What To Serve with This Soup
It seems like no soup experience is complete without some big hunks of warm crusty bread like maybe this easy peasy no-knead bread to dip. And sure, spoons are helpful with soup but also…how great is it to just scoop it with bread?!
If you are looking to add a little green to the meal, this Simple Green Salad or this Brussels and Kale Caesar Salad come together quickly and beautifully. Or maybe you want to sheet pan up some roasty vegetables to go on the side?
But really, if you’ve heard nothing we said here, bread. That is, after all, the Minnesota way. And also, BREAD IS GREAT.
If there is a chill in the air, grab your ingredients, toss them in that crockpot and then smile all day knowing you get to come home to big tastes with this warm, cozy, delicious little friend.
Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
What does poultry seasoning consist of?
The poultry seasoning is a mix of several things, including thyme and sage. Even though it’s only a teaspoon, do not omit this because it adds a lot of the flavor. If you don’t have any, just use any other herb seasonings that you like. Thyme and sage are the best in my opinion.
Can this be made vegetarian?
Absolutely! Check out our mushroom version of this recipe here.
How would I make this in the Instant Pot?
Add your wild rice, chicken, seasonings, veggies, and broth to the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 30-40 minutes with a quick release once the soup finishes cooking. Shred the chicken in the Instant Pot. Make your roux on the stovetop with butter, milk, and flour. Whisk it up and add it to your Instant Pot with the rest of the soup. Stir to combine and enjoy!
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Yep! For step one where the soup cooks in the crockpot, simmer it on the stove instead for about one hour, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Then follow the rest of the steps as-is!
Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is so darn simple to make. Chicken, carrots, celery, onion, wild rice, seasonings, and cream. Pair with a piece of crusty bread on a cold night for the perfect meal!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
This recipe was slightly adjusted in February 2025. To access the original version, click here.
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups mirepoix (chopped celery, carrots, and onions)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1–2 tablespoons sherry (optional)
- up to 2 cups additional milk or water
Instructions
- Cook Wild Rice and Chicken: Rinse the wild rice. Place the uncooked wild rice, raw chicken, mirepoix, garlic, chicken broth, and poultry seasoning in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and the rice should be soft. There will be a bit of extra liquid in the crockpot; do not drain it out.
- Cut the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and allow to cool slightly. Gently cut into chunks.
- Make the Creamy Base: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and let the mixture cook out for a minute. Pop the milk in the microwave for a minute to get it warm – the add the milk a bit at a time, whisking continuously, until a thick, creamy mixture forms. Stir in the sherry if using.
- Bring it Together: Add the creamy base and the chicken to the crockpot. Stir to combine. Add extra water or milk to adjust the consistency as you like it (a bit of heavy cream is also delicious for a buttery, rich flavor). Season with additional salt and pepper. So cozy and so good.
Equipment
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Notes
You can also use 2-3 cups rotisserie chicken meat instead of chicken breasts – just cube or shred it, and add it into the crockpot in Step 4.
Warming the milk in Step 3 will help the bechamel (creamy mixture) come together more smoothly, without any lumps!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crockpot wild rice soup, chicken wild rice soup, wild rice soup
More Cozy Soups To Make ASAP
- Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Healing Chicken and Rice Soup
- Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our all-star slow cooker recipes page. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Carrot Dinner Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Quick and Easy Rice Slow Cooker Soups Winter
December 28, 2021
Created By The POY Team
Lindsay Ostrom
Recipe Developer
Rita Boersma
Writer
Eman Kemp
Editorial
You are going to love Breaking Bad Lindsey! Every time I watch, I wind up clutching my pillow for support, because it gets super intense, but the character development and storyline is incredible. Enjoy with a big bowl of this soup and congrats on the new house. Smaller definitely means less to clean (love, Erin, dweller of a 500 ft. apartment)
*fist bump*
How many people does this recipe serve? Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi, Sara! This recipe serves 10 people. It could definitely be doubled, but you’d need a really large crockpot – or 2 standard size crockpots. Enjoy! 🙂
Do you cook this and then freeze it?
Yep, this freezes wonderfully!
Hi there! We love this soup recipe! It’s been so good every time I’ve made it in the past. Just curious if you’ve ever made it with a milk substitute like coconut or oat milk? Trying to cut out dairy for our newest baby and hoping we could still make this soup 🤞
I have made the soup using non-dairy milk and plant-based butter, and it has turned out really nicely!
I love this soup and have made it many times! Wondering if you think black rice would work well? I have it on hand and would love to avoid a trip to the store today! 🙂
We haven’t tried, but we think it could work well, especially with the longer cooking times needed for both wild rice and black rice. If you give it a try, we’d love to hear back!
I tried this with black rice because unblended wild rice was incredibly expensive…. I do not recommend the swap lol, black rice makes for purple soup.
Hi! Do you have measurements for subsistutions if you don’t have poultry seasoning?
Dried thyme, rosemary, or parsley will work! Use one or all of them to make 1 teaspoon of seasoning!
You are going to love Breaking Bad, it’s the best. Super intense but so so soooo good.
Word of advice: Don’t eat hot soup and watch BreakingBad at the same time, it might make you jump…and then you know… 😉
Wow. Good to know. 🙂 Thanks Mike.
sorry was not sure what mirepoix ment. you said 2 cups vegetable that what I put in. just start it not sure if this is right. thank you
Is there a way to do this in an instapot?
Hi Andrea! You can follow this recipe for Instant Pot instructions: https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-wild-rice-soup
This soup looks delicious! How well does it reheat? I’ve always wanted to make a creamy chicken and rice soup but I know we’ll have leftovers and I’m not sure how it tastes the next day.
Reheats great! Just add some water or milk. It thickens up overnight.
YUM! Already pinned this…’tis the season for soup!
I followed this recipe exactly and it came out a mushy mess. What could i have done wrong. I even added extra milk because it was just a mess
So sorry to hear that! Did you cook on high or low, and how long did you cook it for?
Same here. I cooked it on low for 6 hours and it turned into a mushy mess. All of the rice disintegrated. I would suggest not to add the rice right away. It was completely inedible.
I wonder if your wild rice wasn’t really wild rice? Sometimes they fool you with a wild rice “blend” because wild rice is so expensive.
Just commenting if someone else worries about this: I used wild rice and this soup was utterly delicious, and the texture was great. The problem for this commenter is almost certainly that they didn’t use the right rice. Highly recommend this recipe myself
My favorite soup ever! Now in the crockpot! Thanks so much for this one 🙂
We’re moving too, and my new kitchen is a tad smaller. I’m scared. I used to have a huge island with cabinets…not anymore. What am I going to do??
Have less to clean! 🙂
Remodeling your kitchen sounds like fun! This soup sounds like the perfect comfort food for this cold weather! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Your house looks in good shape for a foreclosure. Have you come across Deb Perelman’s blog? It’s Smitten Kitchen and she has 42 sq feet of kitchen, having moved from a whopping 80 sq feet! Small is beautiful in my book ~ especially if it curs the cleaning and the temptation to hoard *stuff*.
I love the soup. I’m a slow cooker (or crockpot) junkie and I haven’t made a creamy chicken soup in too long! We’re threatened with a cold snap later this week so I’ll put chicken on the shopping list! Thanks.
I know Deb’s blog but I did not know her kitchen was so small! She and I can be small kitchen food blog friends. 🙂
A whisk attached to a drill?? – you might be onto something with that invention 🙂
What a delicious and easy soup for these busy months! Thanks for sharing!
I live in MN too, and this soup seems PERFECT for the weather we’re going to have this week.
It’s been snowing for the last hour and I literally can’t get anything done. SO EXCITING! 🙂
This looks so perfectly delicious this time of year! YUM! Thanks for sharing =)
Can you add mushrooms to this or will they turn too chewy?
You can add mushrooms!
This looks so creamy and fabulous!
I can’t wait until I have a window in my kitchen… Some day! 🙂
Any chance you could cook on high to save time? I’m making this for a friend who just had a baby and got a late start this morning….
I’m making this right now- i’m going for 5 hours on high!
1. I will exclusively be eating this soup for the next three weeks. Thanks for that.
2. Breaking Bad – I watched half of the first episode with Eric and decided it was too intense for me. But I also held my breath through most of Lost. So, I’m mostly what you would call a pansy.
Hahaha. You and I might be alike in more ways than one.
Firstly – Breaking Bad? Do it. It’s not even a question to be asked.
Secondly – This soup? Ya, I want it. And it’s not just like “oh ya, another girl wanting soup in the winter, big whoop.” I live in Florida. Where it is 30 degrees. And, I want this soup.
30 degrees in Florida? Bless your heart, that is cold! I didn’t know Florida got that cold. I’m in So. Cal. and really looking forward to this soup, too!!
This soup looks fantastic! I moved a couple months ago and my slow cooker was my best friend until we got unpacked.
Wow, I’m so jealous of the window in your kitchen! Amazing! And this soup – it looks so delicious. Pinning this to my, “I need to buy a crock pot board” – b/c I need to buy one and make this soup ASAP!
Yum this recipe looks amazing! Not to be totally ignorant, but what is mirepoix and how do you make it? Thanks!!
Good question! Just chopped carrots, celery, and onions. It’s the base of a lot of soups and recently I’ve been crazy busy so I’ve been buying it prechopped from Trader Joe’s. Otherwise just cut up some carrots, onions, and celery and you’re good.
I know this post is almost a year old, but I just ran across it today and am extremely excited to try this! I’m so glad you asked was mirepoix was because I was completely clueless!! 🙂
me too!
But how many cups of each vegatables do we put?
I learned to make mirepoix from a Gordon Ramsay “How To” video on YouTube. For 2 cups, I do 1 cup of chopped onions and 1/2 cup each chopped carrots and celery. I’ve made this soup and it’s WONDERFUL! It’s 99º outside in Maryland today and I have this soup on in the crockpot for when I get home from work. It’s THAT good.
Do you throw mire-pox in raw or do you sauté? Does it make a difference? Looking forward to trying recipe! Thanks for sharing
We throw it in raw. Sauteing the veggies first might add a little more flavor to the soup, but we like the ease of just throwing it all in and letting the slow cooker do its thing!
Can you put the chicken in frozen or does it need to be thawed?
If we use frozen chicken, we thaw prior to cooking. Enjoy, Joanna!
This soup is solo good. thank you
I am wishing I had this for dinner tonight. Tomorrow will have to do!
I really wanna try this but my roommate is severely lactose intolerant, do you think coconut milk would sub well or do you have another suggestion?
No, I wouldn’t do coconut milk. Maybe almond milk? I guess I’m not sure if that behaves the same way when making a roux? But taste-wise that would be better than coconut. Good luck! 🙂
I’ve left the roux part out altogether once, by accident of course, but it was a happy accident. It is still delicious that way and I make it this way sometimes for a less calorie soup option.
Did you ever try it with a milk alternative? My son is off dairy right now, but this soup sounds awesome!
I made it with Almond milk. It worked just fine.
This soup is amazing ❤️
Can you add velveeta cheese to this at any point through cooking?
This looks so creamy and yummy – pinned on my soup board! I hear Breaking Bad is incredible – soon as I get time, I have a date with Netflix!
I watched one episode of Breaking Bad and it was so intense I had to leave my mother and her friend to watch it alone! I’m sure I could’ve handled it better with this soup in hand 🙂
We have made so many of your recipes (loved them all!), we bought your creamy cauliflower sauce cookbook (love it too!), and I read all of your posts word for word. This is the first time I have ever posted a comment on your blog, or anyone’s for that matter, and it has nothing to do with food. You need to be warned…Breaking Bad is the most addicting series I have ever watched. You may need to set aside plans of remodeling your kitchen or even just unpacking the rest of your stuff once you start watching. We recently bought my 81 year old mother an Apple TV and she watched all 5 seasons in a month!
P.s. Enjoy your new house…ours is not very big either and we have enjoyed remodeling it and making it our own and keeping it clutter free!
Thank you for the comment Adrienne! 🙂 🙂 You are too funny. and so is your mom!https://pinchofyum.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-form
This looks so creamy and amazing, I’m going to have to step away from my computer because I’m getting really hungry!
This soup looks delicious. I love a good slow cooker recipe and this is so warm and comforting for winter!
This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup looks more than just a ‘pinch of yum’! I’ve never come across this and I’m thinking of ‘Indianising’ this and making a Chicken Khichuri, the Rice and Lentil dish that we normally make. Although in many parts of India, minced meat is put in Khichuri, this is probably very different – thick and creamy.
Congrats on the house! I want a small, cozy kitchen to call my own! And I say yay for Breaking Bad…one of the few shows that ended when it was SUPPOSED to and not two years after…:) Happy watching!
sounds lovely! can’t wait to try it…this is a bit off topic, but i LOVE the bowls- they go so well with the soup and the shape keeps things nice and hot- where did you get them? <3
Thanks Devi! My father in law made them for me! How lucky am I, right?! I would love to try to sell some of his stuff on the blog someday, so you may see them again in the future. 🙂
wow- talented potter! that’s lovely work… definitely let us know if he decides to sell them (and maybe ones a bit larger?) i’ll be the first in line 🙂