Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
This hearty soup is a perfect dish for fall. It's full of flavor and nutrients, and has a wonderful array of textures. You can make it in a slow cooker or a stove top.
On a specialized diet? This recipe works well for folks following a gluten-free or Mediterranean diet — and, of course, omnivores!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and diced
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Directions
Slow Cooker Preparation
- Combine chicken, chicken stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, kale, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes in a large slow cooker. Stir briefly to combine, then place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours, until the rice is cooked and tender.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and parsley. If the soup is thick, add an additional ½ cup water.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm and top with rosemary and parmesan. Or transfer to sealed container(s) and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Stove Top Preparation
- In a large soup pot melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add in garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Cook until fragrant and caramelized.
- Add in chicken breast, chicken stock, wild rice, mushrooms, sweet potato, kale, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook covered on medium for 2-3 hours until the sweet potatoes are tender and the rice is cooked.
- Remove from heat and shred chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the cream, parmesan, fresh parsley. If soup is thick, add an additional ½ cup water.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm and top with rosemary and parmesan. Or transfer to sealed container(s) and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Note
While dried herbs are often a great substitute for fresh herbs when not available, fresh parsley and rosemary in this recipe make this soup stand out.
This recipe was provided by registered dietitian Ariel Johnston of The Tasty Balance in partnership with Midwest Dairy. You can find more dairy recipes here.
More Great Soup and Stew Recipes
