Creamy Slow Cooker Ground Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A comforting and hearty soup, slow-cooked to perfection with savory ground chicken, earthy wild rice, sweet carrots, and peas in a rich, creamy broth. Ideal for a cozy evening or feeding a crowd, this recipe uses half and half for a lighter yet luxurious finish.

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 360 min
Total Time: 385 min
Servings: 8
AmericanNut-FreeEgg-FreeSoy-FreeShellfish-FreeFish-FreeSesame-FreeSugar-FreeHigh-Protein

Ingredients

  • 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.

    Time: 10 min
  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.

    Time: 10 min
  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.

    Time: 360 min
  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.

    Time: 5 min
  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.

    Time: 25 min
  6. 6.

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

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).

Recipe from TheCookbook.ai

Created by smw355