Crockpot Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

Is it fall yet? I am not too sure. The weather is in the lower 80’s in early November here. I am still making all of the fall soups and all of the other tasty dishes that come with this “cozy” time of year. I just bought a few new sweaters and long sleeves to wear this fall and winter and yet they are still looking pretty in my closet. lol.

Anyway… I am going to share with you one of the best chicken and rice soups, in my opinion, for the fall and winter seasons. It is super easy because you make everything in the slowcooker. No fuss. No mess. No worries. Well with the exception of pre-cooking the onion and carrots on the stove… other than that it is all in the slowcooker. I just don’t like the texture of the carrots and onion when cooked from raw in the crockpot unless it is cooking for longer periods of time… like a pot roast.

Anywho…. let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS:

2 chicken breasts ( boneless and skinless)
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups spinach
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 cups wild rice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a skillet over medium heat add the oil, carrots, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes or so.
2. Spray the slowcooker with a bit of oil spray and add the chicken breasts, pepper, spinach, cooked carrots, onions, broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and rice. Give it a stir to incorporate the ingredients. It will look like a hot mess until it is cooked down and thickened with the rice.
3. Place the lid on and cook on high for about 4 to 5 hours. The rice should be tender and cooked through and the chicken should be quite tender.
4. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste. Add the cream and stir. Serve warm.

• If you want, you can add the spinach at the end with the cream and then let the spinach wilt for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. I typically add it in the beginning just for sake of fewer steps. lol.
• The cream is optional. You can add it or leave it out depending on how you feel when you make this yummy soup.
• I like to serve this soup with some type of bread. Typically fry bread, flat bread, or rolls of some sort. You can serve this however you would like. It is so good and very filling.
• You can keep this soup in the fridge for up to 1 week in a tightly sealed container. Add more broth if needed when reheating. The rice will absorb most of the liquid.