Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (No Cream)

If you want the coziest slow cooker soup for cold-weather season, my Crock Pot chicken and wild rice soup without cream is it. It's warm, hearty, filling, and tastes like something you'd order at a cute little mountain café, except it's a total dump-and-go recipe.

What You Need to Know

• The wild rice cooks in the slow cooker, so no extra pots or babysitting required. You can use a wild rice mix, or you can buy plain wild rice and go 50/50 with brown rice. White rice cooks too fast, so we don't recommend that. Do not use parboiled wild rice like Uncle Ben's, it'll get soft and mushy.
• Use whole milk, soy milk, or half-and-half depending on how creamy you want it. Soy milk is great for keeping this dairy free but still gives the recipe a protein boost.
• Chicken thighs are best here since they stay juicy and shred beautifully. You can use chicken breast to lighten things up a bit.
• Use bone broth if you want extra protein without changing the flavor.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1. Add everything except the creamy roux.

Rinse the wild rice. Add the rice, chicken thighs, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, seasoning blend (like Trader Joes Seasoning Salut or Mrs Dash) , and black pepper to your slow cooker.

Note: Wild rice takes longer than white rice and holds up perfectly during long cook times.

2. Cook until the rice and chicken are tender.

• High: 3-4 hours
• Low: 7-8 hours

The chicken should shred easily and the rice should be soft but not mushy.

3. Shred the chicken.

Remove the chicken thighs, let them cool for a minute, then shred with two forks. Discard the bay leaves and add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker.

4. Make the creamy roux.

In a saucepan, melt the butter (or olive oil). Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk until smooth and creamy, whisking constantly.

Tip: This step keeps the soup thick and creamy without curdling.

5. Stir the cream mixture into the soup.

Add it to the slow cooker along with the fresh thyme. Stir well.

6. Adjust thickness + seasoning.

Add more milk for a thinner soup or let it sit uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Storage

This soup thickens significantly as it sits. Add a splash of broth or milk when reheating. You can store the soup for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze it for up to 3 months. Dairy products do get slightly grainy in the freezer but the flavor is still great.

Reader FAQ's

What is the best type of rice for chicken and wild rice soup?

A wild rice blend or uncultivated wild rice works best because it holds its texture and doesn't get mushy during long simmering. Avoid parboiled or pre-cooked wild rice blends, and white rice since they break down too quickly.

Should you cook wild rice before adding it to soup?

No. Uncooked wild rice cooks directly in the soup and releases starch that naturally thickens the broth. My recipe was developed around adding the longer cooker wild rice. If your rice is pre-cooked, add it during the last 10-15 minutes to prevent it from becoming mushy.

Why is my wild rice still hard?

Wild rice takes longer to cook than other types of rice. If it's still firm, continue cooking for another 30-60 minutes or switch the slow cooker to High. Make sure you used uncooked, non-parboiled rice.

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Healthy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (No Cream Crock Pot)

This creamy slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup is the ultimate cozy comfort meal. Tender chicken, hearty wild rice, and a silky homemade roux make this the perfect fall and winter Crock Pot dinner. Made with no whipping cream yet still rich and creamy!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword easy, healthy, no cream

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice not pre-cooked or par boiled
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• 1 cup onions chopped
• ¾ cup celery chopped
• ¾ cup carrots chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups chicken broth - or chicken bone broth for a protein boost
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt-free seasoning blend Mrs Dash, Trader Joes
• 5 tablespoons butter or do half with extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 2 cup whole milk or oat milk or mix in half n half for a richer/creamier soup
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice. Add rice, chicken thighs, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, broth, and seasoning to the slow cooker. Cover and cook: High: 3-4 hours, Low: 7-8 hours
2. About 30 minutes before it's done, remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, then shred it with two forks. When the rice is finished, return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Discard bay leaves.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter and/or oil. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy. Stir this creamy mixture into the slow cooker. Add the fresh thyme. Adjust thickness with more cream or milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.