Creamy Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice (Printable)

Hearty slow cooker soup with tender chicken, mushrooms, and wild rice in a creamy broth.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 cups sliced cremini or button mushrooms
03 - 1 cup diced carrots
04 - 1 cup diced celery
05 - 1 medium onion, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Grains

07 - 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed

→ Liquid & Dairy

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
15 - 3/4 tsp black pepper

→ Thickener

16 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

# Directions:

01 - Place chicken, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, wild rice, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper into the slow cooker.
02 - Pour in the chicken broth and stir everything together until evenly distributed.
03 - Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and the wild rice is tender.
04 - Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred using two forks, then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker.
05 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in flour to form a roux and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden.
06 - Slowly whisk the heavy cream into the roux, heating until the mixture thickens, then stir it into the slow cooker.
07 - Stir well, cover, and continue cooking on LOW for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until the soup is creamy and heated through.
08 - Remove and discard the bay leaf, taste the soup, and adjust seasoning as needed before serving hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does almost all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
  • Wild rice gives it a chewy, nutty depth that regular rice simply cannot match
02 -
  • Wild rice takes longer to cook than white rice so do not swap it out expecting the same timeline
  • Adding the cream mixture at the very end prevents it from breaking or becoming grainy over hours of heat
03 -
  • Saute the mushrooms in a little butter before adding them to the slow cooker for a deeper, more concentrated flavor
  • A handful of fresh spinach stirred in during the last five minutes adds color and a slight bitterness that balances the richness

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