Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one of my favorites for a lazy, rainy day. Sometimes crockpot soups can get a little watery because of the moist environment of the crockpot, but this soup is thickened by adding a little flour, butter, and milk at the end of cooking. No one will ever guess it was made in a slow cooker. This soup can also be made on the stovetop if you don’t own a crockpot. It’s so, so good!

Speaking of rain, here is Seattle on a “sunny” winter day. I’m always amazed at how many shades of grey there are in the winter. But as rainy and dark as it is, I absolutely love it here! There is something so soothing and cozy to me about the dark and rain. And I know it’s getting us ready for a beautiful, green summer – with berry picking, hikes, bbq’s, and picnics (it always revolves around food -haha)

Thanks rainy winters!

Here’s how to make the soup!

Start by chopping some carrots, celery, garlic, and onion. Sauté it in a few tablespoons of oil on the stovetop.

While the veggies are sautéing, rinse about 1 1/2 cups of wild rice. I only had 1 cup in the cupboard and added another 1/2 cup of basmati rice and it turned out great. But don’t skip the step of rinsing or the wild rice might turn your soup a strange shade of grey.

Add the cooked veggies, rinsed rice, and 2 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken to the bottom of a crockpot.

Add some chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cover, stir, and cook for 3 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

At the end of cooking, make a roux to thicken the soup by melting some butter in a small saucepan, and adding a few tablespoons of flour. Cook until it’s thickened and smells a little nutty. Add milk and whisk until thickened. (I wish I had a picture of this step for you, but I got a little distracted with everything else going on!).

Add the roux and some cream to the finished soup and serve immediately. Garnish with lemon pepper and crackers. Enjoy!

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1/2 onion, finely diced
2 celery stocks, diced
3 carrots, diced or sliced into rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons, olive oil
1 cup frozen peas, optional
1 1/2 cup wild rice blend, rinsed
2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, more or less to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
Lemon pepper, for serving

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots in the olive oil, over medium-low heat. Add to crock pot. Add the wild rice blend, chicken, stock, salt, and pepper to the crock pot. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-7, until rice is cooked and vegetables are tender.
2. As the soup finishes it’s cooking time, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together and cook until the mixture is golden and smells a little nutty. Add milk and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add to soup in crock pot and add 1/2 cup cream to thicken. Add peas if using. Season with more salt and lemon pepper, to taste. Serve right away with crackers. So hearty and filling!

*Alternatively you can prepare this soup on the stovetop by sautéing the veggies in the bottom of a large stock pot and adding the wild rice blend, chicken, stock, salt and pepper to the stock pot. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is cooked and vegetables are tender. Proceed with step #2.