Active time: 12 minutes Total time: 7 hours, 20 minutes
This thick, stick-to-your-ribs stew features tender wild rice and buttery-soft chicken. The poultry slowly simmers on the bone all day long, lending more flavor to the soup and moisture to the meat. After the long cook time, the meat falls off the bone and shreds easily.
For efficiency, chop the veggies the night before, and put everything in the slow cooker in the morning so it cooks all day when you’re at work. Just a little advance planning makes it possible to be busy and balance a healthy lifestyle.
Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) unsalted chicken stock
- 2 cups (230g) onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) carrots, chopped
- 1 cup (124g) celery, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups (215g) uncooked wild rice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces (227g) white mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds (907g) skinless, bone-in chicken breasts
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups (710ml) 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1/2 cup (64g) all-purpose flour
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Directions
In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together chicken stock, onion, carrots, celery, wild rice, salt, pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Nestle in the chicken, thyme and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low until chicken and wild rice are tender, about 7 hours.
Remove chicken from the slow cooker. Increase heat to high. Discard chicken bones and shred meat; set aside. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Stir into stew. Cook on high until thickened, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in chicken. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Serves: 8 | Serving Size: About 1 2/3 cups
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 368; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 8mg; Sodium: 378mg; Carbohydrate: 37g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 41g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 663mg; Iron: 7%; Vitamin A: 85%; Vitamin C: 10%; Calcium: 16%
