Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

There is something deeply comforting about a slow cooker soup simmering all day. It fills the house with warmth, removes the pressure of cooking later, and gives you a nourishing meal without standing over the stove.

This creamy white chicken and wild rice soup is one of those steady, grounding recipes. It’s balanced with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. It’s hearty without feeling heavy. And it works beautifully for meal prep because the flavors deepen overnight.

I love recipes like this during busy seasons because they reduce stress around food. When dinner is already handled, everything else feels a little more manageable.

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Why You’ll Love This Soup

This soup is:

• Protein-rich and satisfying
• Naturally balanced with wild rice and vegetables
• Creamy without being overly rich
• Perfect for leftovers and freezer-friendly

It’s a complete meal in one bowl — comforting, filling, and supportive.

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Ingredients

• 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, raw
• Salt and black pepper
• 6 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth
  (Use 4 cups if making in the Instant Pot)
• 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
• 5–6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
• 3–4 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups)
• 2–3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
• 1½–2 cups whole milk or half and half
  (Use coconut milk or unsweetened nut milk for dairy-free)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

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Directions – Slow Cooker

Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and black pepper.

Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the wild rice, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and mushrooms.

Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and the wild rice is tender.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter or ghee over medium heat. Stir in the milk or half and half and warm gently for 2–3 minutes. Do not boil. Pour this creamy mixture into the soup and stir to combine.

Let the soup cook on low for an additional 15–20 minutes to blend flavors. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Top with freshly chopped parsley and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

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Instant Pot Version

Use 4 cups of broth instead of 6. Add all ingredients except milk and butter to the Instant Pot.

Seal and cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes, then allow a natural release for 10 minutes before manually releasing remaining pressure.

Remove and shred the chicken, then return it to the pot. Stir in warmed butter and milk mixture and let sit for 5–10 minutes before serving.

A Final Note

Here at Nutrient Rich Life we believe that variety is the spice of life! We encourage everyone to make all foods fit as much as possible and that includes eating more plants and cooking in a way that adds fun and flavor to your life! 

Hi, I’m Amanda!

Functional weight loss coach, registered dietitian nutritionist and mom of one picky eater with multiple food allergies! I’m a big believer that if you can learn to fish — you can eat for life! So this blog is dedicated to helping you learn to toss out the food myths that result in unnecessary food stress so that you can become a confident, healthy eater!