“Moooooooommmmmm…. can you make me some of your chicken wild rice soup this weekend when I come home? It’s the best!” Seriously you guys, that was music to my ears coming from my baby boy, who is all grown up and doing the college thing. Nothing brings me happier memories than of my momma in the kitchen, whipping up one of her famous soups… and I am thrilled to know that my son feels the same way! Sometimes there’s nothing that says “home” like a steaming bowl of mom’s chicken and wild rice homemade soup made with love.
And you know what makes me even happier? When I can make something delicious that my family loves that I threw into my crockpot! (I will totally be adapting this recipe for my Pressure Cooker, just haven’t done it yet.) There is a bit of chopping involved in this recipe, but I just press the easy button and throw it in my Ninja food processor and it’s done in no time.
Oh, and one more quick little tip…this is just as good (or maybe better???) with leftover turkey after the holidays! I stumbled upon this recipe and adapted it when I was searching ways to use leftover turkey on Pinterest. Adapted from Taste of Home – thanks for the recipe inspiration!
Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 10 cups TURKEY OR CHICKEN STOCK TURKEY OR CHICKEN STOCK
- 8 oz UNCOOKED WILD RICE
- 1 tbsp OLIVE OIL
- 1 medium ONION, CHOPPED
- 2 CELERY RIBS, DICED
- 2 CARROTS, DICED
- 1/2 tsp PEPPER
- 2 tbsp CHICKEN SOUP BASE
- 4 tbsp BUTTER
- 1/2 cup ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- 2 cups HALF AND HALF OR HEAVY CREAM
- 2 cups DICED COOKED TURKEY
- 1/4 cup FRESH PARSLEY, CHOPPED OR ONE TBSP DRIED PARSLEY FLAKES)
- SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sautee the onion, celery and carrots until onions are transparent, approx 10 minutes. Season with black pepper, then add the sauteed veggies to the crock pot.
- Add eight cups of the chicken/turkey stock and the uncooked wild rice to crock pot.
- Next stir in the chicken soup base. Set on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours and let the crock pot do it’s thing.
- Once the initial cooking time is completed, you are ready to make your “roux” (for those of you who are as ignorant as I am in culinary-speak, that means the gravy-like sauce that will thicken your soup!). Melt 1/2 stick of butter in your large skillet over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add the half-and-half or heavy cream and one cup of stock, whisking constantly until thickened and smooth (side note… directions called for “completely” smooth, which I never seem to be able to achieve… the slightly lumpy substance I end up with doesn’t seem to make a bit of difference in the quality of the finished product!)
- Add the white sauce to the crock pot and stir to combine. Next add the turkey and the parsley and cook on high for another 15-20 minutes until heated through. (Another side note… if you prefer a thinner soup, add the last cup of stock. You can even add some extra water to thin it even further.) Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.