Herbed Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Prep

10 mins

cook

5 hours

serves

8

The savory tastes of the fall season always have me wanting to get the fire going while preparing some of my favorite hot dishes. Particularly large batches of soups and stews find their way onto my weekly menu at least once. A recipe like today’s herbed chicken and wild rice soup is perfect, because not only can you make it for dinner, but you can pack it up and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It features chicken as its primary protein source, which makes it filling and gives your body what it needs to remain strong and healthy. This soup contains the classic chicken soup vegetables that we all know and love, as well as herbs, but feel free to add your personal favorite veggies into the pot as well. We’ll be utilizing the wonders of the slower cooker, so once you add all of your ingredients into the pot, you turn it on, and let the cooking begin (while not actually having to do anything!) You just sit back, relax, and before you know it, your home will be filled with the fragrant smells of herbs. 

Benefits of eating herbs

Herbs, although small in size, pack quite the nutritional punch. They are inexpensive and can completely uplevel the taste of the most mundane meals. Herbs can be used fresh or dry, and adding them into your recipes will provide more flavor, but at no cost to sodium, fat, or sugar levels. (Not to mention, they are incredibly low in calories!) Like many greens, they may even help prevent different chronic illnesses as a result of their anti-inflammatory properties. 

Sage

As with most plant-based foods, herbs are grown abundantly in mother nature. Wild herbs like sage specifically, can often be found in your local, large park or nearby forest. While some people use dried sage as a purification tool to burn in the home as a way to clear out negative energies, lots of autumn-inspired dishes call for this herb, due to its unique aroma and earthy flavor. It is common in many holiday meals and adds a slightly bitter and mildly sweet taste. Sage contains a variety of nutrients from magnesium, zinc, and copper, to vitamins A, C, & E. This potent herb may also help reduce blood sugar levels, support memory and brain health, as well as protect against certain cancers. 

Thyme

Thyme is a classic herb that finds itself into meals year round. It has an earthy, almost lemony flavor that pairs well in plenty of savory dishes, and especially with chicken as in today’s recipe. This herb is practically a staple in all soup and stews recipes, and its earthy taste really brings dishes alive. It’s also great to drink as a tea considering it helps with oral health, proper digestion, and respiratory problems. Not only that, but thyme is rich in anti-fungal and antioxidant properties and it boosts the immune system. 

Herbs do a wonderful job at bringing out the natural flavors found in vegetables. And when you are looking for a way to include more veggies into your diet, we recommend using a service that can also fit in with your lifestyle. In the busy modern-day world, it can be difficult to carve out time to go to the grocery store or weekly farmer’s market to do your weekly shopping. At FarmboxRx, we make sure that you have fresh groceries delivered to your home. Choose the box size and type to suit your household, as well as your subscription frequency, be it weekly or bi-weekly, and boom! fruit and vegetables boxes delivered to your door. Our farm to table delivery service ensures that you can always have fresh produce in your home for staying on track with your health goals and trying out new, delicious recipes. 

Back to this soup recipe! One of my favorite ingredients to sneak into a soup is a grain-based carbohydrate source such as rice. But not just any rice, I like to opt for wild rice because it is nutrient-dense, offering the body protein, fiber, and potassium to keep the body performing at its peak. They say the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice, and well, the darker the rice, the better it is for your health! Choosing a wild or black rice over the traditional white rice is one way to continue enjoying rice, but in a healthier way. Make it a pantry essential and always have it on hand to throw into soups, serve alongside veggies, or even add into a nice salad to make it more satisfying.

Soups are, in my opinion, one of the top comfort foods. Think about it, whether you are perfectly healthy or coming down with a cold, soup is a food that you know will taste good, will fill you up, and keep you warm from the inside out. It is easy to create in big batches and freeze, so that you can eat it throughout the cold, winter months. Simply heat it back up in a sauce pan and you’re good to go! Be sure to stock up on some easily storable tupperware, and this becomes a hearty, fast lunch to take with you and re-enjoy. 

Now let’s jump right into this herbed chicken and wild rice recipe. Be sure to try it out for yourself and give us a tag at @FarmboxRx and make sure to use the hashtag #FarmboxRx #FarmboxLiving so that we can see how the recipe turns out.

Herbed Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Herbed Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts

2 quarts chicken broth

1 cup wild rice

1 large yellow onion

3 stalks celery

4 large rainbow carrots

2 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp fresh sage

4 tbsp fresh thyme

Directions

  1. Prepare vegetables. Dice yellow onion, celery, and carrots. Roughly chop sage, and remove leaves from thyme stems.
  2. In a large slow cooker, add all ingredients and stir to ensure everything is submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hour, or until wild rice is tender.
    1. Optional: use a pressure cooker, and cook on high for 30 minutes.
  3. Break chicken up with a wooden spoon and stir to combine. Serve soup warm and enjoy!
Herbed Chicken Wild Rice Soup

 

Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ashley Tyrner
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Servings: 8
Servings: 8
Author: Ashley Tyrner

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts large
  • 2 qt chicken broth
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 4 rainbow carrots large
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp fresh sage
  • 4 tbsp fresh thyme

Instructions

  • Prepare vegetables. Dice yellow onion, celery, and carrots. Roughly chop sage, and remove leaves from thyme stems.
  • In a large slow cooker, add all ingredients and stir to ensure everything is submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hour, or until wild rice is tender.
    Optional: use a pressure cooker, and cook on high for 30 minutes.
  • Break chicken up with a wooden spoon and stir to combine. Serve soup warm and enjoy!

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Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice Soup