Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This soup is easy to make, healthy, flavorful, and satisfying! It’s like chicken noodle soup with all the veggies, but it uses wild rice instead of noodles, and it’s creamy. Everyone will love it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 – 1 ¼ lbs. chicken breasts – raw
• Salt and black pepper
• 7–8 cups chicken broth, use less for a thicker soup
• 1 cup wild rice, uncooked – could use white or brown too
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3–4 carrots diced
• 2–3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon sage or poultry seasoning
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 8 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced or diced
• 2 cups half and half or full-fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken into a 6-qt slow cooker.
2. Stir in the broth (use 7 cups for thicker soup), wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay leaves.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours).
4. When the chicken is cooked and shreds easily, remove the bay leaves and discard them. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a clean plate and shred it using two forks. Add chicken back to the slow cooker and stir.
5. Stir in half and half or coconut milk.
6. Cover and heat until warmed, an additional 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast, broth, wild rice, mushroom, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and mushrooms in the Instant Pot.
2. Lock the lid into place. Turn the vent valve to the ‘Sealing’ position.
3. Select the ‘Manual’ or ‘High Pressure’ setting and set the cook time to 12 minutes.
4. When the cooking time is up, release the pressure using the quick-release method (i.e. flip the vent valve to the ‘Venting’ position).
5. When the pressure is released and the lid unlocks, remove the chicken to a clean plate and shred it with two forks. Set aside.
6. Replace the lid on the Instant Pot and cook for 6 minutes, allowing for 5 minutes of natural pressure release.
7. Stir in half and half or coconut milk.
8. Add the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir.
9. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
10. Optional step for Instant Pot: If you prefer an even thicker soup, remove ½ cup of the liquid in the Instant Pot to a small bowl. Whisk two tablespoons of cornstarch into the liquid to create a slurry. Set the Instant Pot to the Saute function until the liquid starts to simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry into the soup and stir until thickened, about 3-5 minutes