Description

This Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a comforting and hearty dish, perfect for chilly days. Tender chicken breasts cook alongside wild rice, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs in a savory broth, then enriched with a creamy roux made from butter, flour, milk, and heavy cream. The slow cooker method makes preparation easy, ensuring flavors meld beautifully while you go about your day.

Ingredients

Soup Base

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf

Creamy Roux

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
1 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the chicken breasts, wild rice, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and bay leaf into the slow cooker. Cover with the lid tightly.
Cook Soup: Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 7 hours, or set to high and cook for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken should be fully cooked and the wild rice tender at the end of this time.
Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine.
Prepare Roux: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to form a roux which will thicken the soup.
Make Cream Mixture: Slowly whisk in the milk to the roux, continuing to whisk until the mixture slightly thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir in the heavy cream thoroughly.
Incorporate Cream Mixture: Pour the cream mixture into the slow cooker with the soup and stir until well combined.
Final Cooking: Let the soup cook on high for an additional 10 to 15 minutes to fully integrate the creamy roux into the soup.
Serve: Remove the bay leaf before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy warm.

Notes

For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half or whole milk for the heavy cream.
This soup thickens as it sits; add a splash of broth or milk when reheating leftovers to loosen it.
Use gluten-free flour in the roux if a gluten-free version is desired.