SLOW COOKER CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP

December 13, 2013

My protein best friend – boneless, skinless, chicken breast – is made about 5/7 nights a week for dinner. It feels like every day I pull out a skillet to cook some chicken up. Learning I can shred chicken with a hand mixer changed some things. One thing mankind can agree on is that hand-shredding meat with two forks is not that great. This lit a spark in me to find even more ways to streamline my weekly routine. Here’s what I do now: Sunday or Monday, I count up how many nights we will be having (shredded) chicken in our entree.

I throw enough chicken breasts for all those meals in the slow cooker and let it do its thing. Once fully cooked, I go wild with the hand mixer (right in the crock’s basin!). All cooked chicken shreds fast with a mixer, but crockpot-cooked chicken shreds nearly instantaneously because it is so warm, moist, and soft. I divide the chicken up in bags and then pull one out whenever needed.

It’s been so nice, and a significant time saver. I used it for this soup and it was a snap. Only having to wipe up a small cutting board used for vegetables is a breeze compared to de-sanitizing a whole counter and utensils and whatever touched by raw meat.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Serves 5 to 6

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup wild rice
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
6 cups vegetable broth

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

Shred chicken with forks.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
  3. Shred chicken with forks.

 

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Comments

  • evie

    Hi,

    This sounds so perfect in this cold weather! May I ask what type of broth you use? Is store bought chicken broth ok?

  • Tina

    Shredding chicken is so easy with a Kitchen Aide mixer! I use the paddle and shred chicken, pork or beef I cook in the crockpot!! Can’t wait to try this soup this weekend! Sounds awesome!!

  • Kim

    I made this today and the flavor is great however the rice turned to mush. I even added the rice to pot later on so it only cooked for 2 hours.

  • […] slow cooker chicken and rice soup. i made this on sunday and have been eating it all week […]

  • Monica

    Hi, a little late here but I was wondering how you cook your large batches of just chicken in the crockpot. Do you add chicken stock or water? Or do you just throw it in there without seasonings or liquids? What setting do you use?

    • Rachel Schultz

      I fill the crock with chicken breasts and just spray some water in. Then, I cook on high for 3-4 hours. Seasonings or stock would be fine, I just like to keep it very plain so I can use the shreds in any meal (and season at that time).

  • I made this for co-workers and they LOVED it! I honestly didn’t realize what went into shredding chicken. A friend of mine was over while this was cooking and was nice enough to do the shredding for me. A few days ago I made another dish that required shredding. It was so not easy or fun with two forks. I will have to try your hand mixer idea. I look forward to your posts and recipes. Thanks so much for sharing!

    • Rachel Schultz

      Thanks Joyce! So happy it was a hit.

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