Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Healthy, easy, and better than Panera! This comforting soup can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 7 hrs 40 mins
Total: 8 hrs
Servings: 8 servings, about 12 cups
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium carrots peeled and 1/4-inch diced (about 2 cups)
- 3 medium celery stalks 1/4-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small russet potato peeled and 1/4-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus additional to taste
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice or whole grain wild rice blend
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium breasts), trimmed of excess fat
- 5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 3/4 cup 2% milk plus additional as needed
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium high. Add the carrots, celery, potato, and onion, and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook 30 additional seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Rinse the wild rice, then add to the slow cooker with the vegetables. Arrange the chicken breasts on top, then pour in 4 cups of the chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board and let cool slightly. With two forks or your fingers, shred the chicken, then return to the slow cooker. Place on low to keep warm. If the chicken finishes cooking before the rice, remove it first so that it does not overcook, then re-cover the slow cooker and continue cooking until the rice is tender.
- Once the chicken and rice are cooked, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, sprinkle the flour over the top. Whisk and cook until the flour is golden brown, about 1 minute. Pour in the 2 3/4 cups milk a few splashes at a time, whisking as you go to remove any lumps. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
- Pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. If you’d like a thinner soup, stir in additional chicken stock until your desired consistency is reached. Taste add additional salt and/or pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm soup in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE DAIRY FREE: Substitute the butter for vegan butter and the milk for unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. Note that the mixture may not be as creamy or may take longer to thicken.
- TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Omit the flour in step 3. With a fork, firmly whisk 1/4 cup of cornstarch into the milk before adding the milk to the melted butter. Stir to combine and let simmer, stirring often, until thickened.
- TO MAKE IN AN INSTANT POT: If you prefer, you can make this tasty recipe in an Instant Pot instead: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and cook the carrots, celery, potato, and onion as directed in step 1. Continue with step 2, adding the ingredients as instructed to the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure (manual) for 35 minutes. (If using a whole grain rice blend, cook only for 20 minutes.) Manually release pressure. Make the roux and stir it in as directed in steps 3 and 4.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8), about 1 1/2 cupsCalories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 30gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgPotassium: 908mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4123IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 146mgIron: 2mg
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