This Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Wild Rice soup is just the thing you’ve been looking for!
Do you know what a sign of ageing is? It’s when everything you’ve done, seen and tasted in your 20s is much more appealing than it used to be.
It’s when you realise that “Bring Back the 90s” playlist on your and your husband’s Spotify account is the first one in the lineup based on how frequently you both listen to it.
And those embarrassing fashion moments you always wanted to forget start to seem “darling”. Yup, I am feeling ALL of those things right now!
It’s especially strange when your mind keeps wandering when it comes to meal planning and stubbornly returns to your college day Chicken and Wild Rice soup.
Brad and I met in college in Minnesota, the home of everything cheesy and creamy, so it’s no surprise Chicken and Wild Rice soup is something that stuck with me.
As I worked as a cook after classes in the college kitchen, I made that soup dozens of times and I am sure you expect me to say next I’d memorised the recipe but I didn’t…I forgot it. At least I forgot the details.
I tried to find a similar one on the Internet, that is flooded with plethora of its variations but nothing seemed as good. I am sure it’s just my darn nostalgia talking but here you have it.
And then it occurred to me, why in the world would I want to create another chicken and wild rice soup recipe, many others have done it already?!?
A happy thought popped into my head after another work lunch at my usual café. I am going to create a modern twist on the classic to satisfy our changing taste buds.
That’s how Thai Chicken and Wild Rice Soup came to be. Well, not right there and then. I still had to develop the recipe but you get my drift.
How to make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup in a slow cooker
I wasn’t sure about the specifics but one thing I knew for certain, my chicken and wild rice soup needed to be made in a slow cooker as wild rice takes ages to cook! I am so glad I did.
I don’t love all things that come from a slow cooker but soups and stews are definitely those things that taste better if cooked low and slow.
Also, who is NOT a fan of a “throw everything in, walk away and only come hours later to a cooked meal” method?! Not me!
I only had to check on it once to add more delicious things like mushrooms and kale!
This soup is a variation on my regular Thai curry recipe minus coconut milk as I wasn’t sure how it would do in a slow cooker. I hope you love it as much as we did!
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2-3 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 cup/250 ml crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup/125g wild rice
- 2 chicken breasts
- 6 cups/1.5 litre low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup/6 large mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup/100g black kale/cavolo nero sliced
- ½ lime juice only
- 2 tbsp brown or palm sugar
- ¼ cup/30g cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp peanuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a slow cooker combine evenly diced onions and celery, minced garlic, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, crushed tomatoes, wild rice, chicken breasts and low-sodium chicken stock (otherwise the soup might be too salty).
- Cook for 4 hours on hight or 8 hours on low.
- The hour before the soup is done, take the chicken breasts out and shred them with two forks, then return back to the slow cooker.
- Add sliced mushrooms, kale, lime juice, sugar and chopped cilantro (I chopped up cilantro stalks as well as the leaves) and cook for additional hour.
- Serve sprinkled with some chopped peanuts and more cilantro.
Paula says
Cooked this for lunch today. Great recipe, tasty and light!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
So glad you enjoyed it, Paula!
Amber Rogers says
I made this today follow the recipe but added more water, I cooked it in an electric pressure cooker for 20 mins on meat .. took the chicken out and shredded it and put all other ingredients in as you stated then cooked another 20 minutes and boom done .. and it is delicious .. will be making again 😀
vikalinka says
I am so glad you loved it, Amber. Thank you for a wonderful review!
Janet Moon Drawdy says
I’ve been hooked on Campbell’s slow kettle spicy Thai chicken soup. This sounds close. Will send update after I make it..
vikalinka says
I haven’t tasted the Campbell’s one, so can’t be sure if it’s close or not but I hope you like it, Janet.
Karyn says
OK, so another smash hit from your lovely blog! I love slow cooker recipes but so often they do end up tasting kind of the same, not so with this one. I doubled the recipe but not the stock, so it was more stew than soup. I also used a blend of wild and brown rice as it was all I had in the pantry. So glad I made extra so that we have leftovers!
vikalinka says
Oh that is awesome! I think you are the first one to report on the success of this recipe, Karyn! I loved it as well and we did have leftovers for a few days. 😉
Lucy Parissi says
I think ageing is realising everything you *used to* love and you think of as still current is at least 15 years old! Love this soup bet it tastes incredible. I have been all about the soups lately!
vikalinka says
Very true! I love how my kids now tell me what is in, and I do know what those things are, for the record, but they clearly don’t think so!