Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe for Cozy Nights

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is an ideal crock pot meal for chilly days when you want something comforting and satisfying. This recipe produces a large batch, perfect for sharing with friends or freezing for a busy weeknight.

Below you’ll find the complete recipe with both crockpot and stovetop instructions. I usually make it in the crockpot and include notes for that method, but either approach works well.

If your slow cooker has a sauté setting you can brown the vegetables and chicken right in it; otherwise, sauté them in a skillet and then transfer everything to the crockpot.

Carrots, Onions and Celery

Carrots, onion, and celery form a classic flavor base for soups. Sautéing them until soft and lightly browned brings out their sweetness and deepens the overall flavor of the finished soup.

You can also prep these vegetables ahead of time—sauté them and store in the fridge along with cooked, cubed chicken. On the day you want soup, simply combine the prepped ingredients in the crockpot and continue with the recipe.

Long Grain & Wild Rice

I use a long grain and wild rice blend that includes seasoning packets; those packets provide much of the soup’s seasoning. Any similar boxed blend will work—just be sure it includes a seasoning packet.

Note that this rice blend absorbs a lot of liquid, which is why the recipe starts with a large amount of water and finishes by adding canned soup, water, and milk during the last hour of cooking to achieve a creamy consistency.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Yield: 10 to 12 Servings

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This soup can be prepared in a crockpot or on the stovetop. It’s a simple, hearty mix of sautéed carrots, onions, celery, chicken and boxed wild rice, finished with cream soup and milk for a rich, comforting bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
• 2 cups milk
• 10 cups water
• 2 (6 oz) boxes long grain & wild rice blend (with seasoning packets)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Poultry seasoning
• Dried chili flakes, for garnish

Instructions

If your crockpot has a sauté setting use it; otherwise sauté vegetables in a skillet and transfer to the slow cooker. For stovetop cooking, sauté directly in the soup pot.

1. Add the butter to a skillet, crockpot (sauté mode) or soup pot. Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms until golden and soft. Season with about 1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning and black pepper to taste.
2. Add the cubed chicken and sauté until browned and cooked through. Small pieces cook quickly.
3. Stir in the seasoning packets from both boxes of wild rice and cook for about 5 minutes to bloom the flavors.
4. Pour in 10 cups of water. If using a crockpot, add both boxes of rice and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. For stovetop, bring to a low simmer and cook for 1 hour, then add the rice and simmer on low for an additional hour.
5. With one hour of cooking time remaining, combine the two cans of cream soup in a bowl. Rinse the empty cans with water and add that water to the bowl, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Stir the mixture into the soup and continue cooking on low for one more hour.
6. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of crushed dried chili flakes. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

This soup is a cozy favorite on cold, blustery days. If you enjoy hearty creamy soups, keep this recipe on hand for an easy, crowd-pleasing meal.