Creamy Slow Cooker Ground Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• •3 lb Ground chicken
• •2 cup Wild rice blend (rinsed)
• •3 cup Carrots (diced)
• •4 piece Celery stalks (diced)
• •2 piece Yellow onion (medium, diced)
• •12 cup Chicken broth (low sodium)
• •4 clove Garlic (minced)
• •2 tsp Dried thyme
• •4 piece Bay leaves
• •1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
• •0.5 tsp Black pepper (or to taste)
• •6 tbsp All-purpose flour
• •3 cup Half and half
• •2 cup Frozen peas
• •4 tbsp Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large skillet (you may need to work in batches), brown the ground chicken over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. Transfer the browned ground chicken to your slow cooker.

2. 2

   Add the rinsed wild rice blend, diced carrots, celery, onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper into your slow cooker with the browned chicken.

3. 3

   Pour in the chicken broth, ensuring all ingredients are submerged. Stir gently to combine. Make sure your slow cooker is large enough for the doubled ingredients (typically 6-8 quart for 8 servings). Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the ground chicken is cooked through and the wild rice is tender.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour with 1 cup of the half and half until smooth to create a slurry. Pour the remaining 2 cups of half and half into the slow cooker, then stir in the flour slurry.

5. 5

   Add the frozen peas to the soup. Stir everything together. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20-30 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly and the peas are heated through. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

6. 6

   Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

Chef's Tips

• 💡To make prep even quicker, you can buy pre-chopped mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion) from the grocery store.
• 💡If you prefer a thicker soup, you can increase the flour slightly, or create a cornstarch slurry (2-3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of cold water) and stir it in during step 5.
• 💡Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, and herbs) before serving. Broth can vary in saltiness.
• 💡This soup freezes well! Allow it to cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop.
• 💡Ensure your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate 8 servings (a 6-quart or 8-quart slow cooker is usually sufficient).