Slow Cooker Wild Rice Vegetable Soup

A healthy wild rice soup recipe made with butternut squash, kale and white beans. This Slow Cooker Wild Rice Vegetable Soup is a vegetarian and vegan crockpot soup recipe.

@AniphaeS

Published in

Slow cooker

· 5 years ago

I love every single recipe that I share here on Kristine’s Kitchen, but there are a few that I just know I’m going to make again and again. Which is not an easy thing to say as a food blogger who is constantly testing out new recipes. Sometimes I don’t get to make old favorites as often as I’d like.

Not surprisingly, many of my favorite recipes are easy slow cooker recipes. I originally shared this soup recipe in 2017 and it has become such a favorite with my family and with readers that I’m updating this post with new tips and resharing it today.

I shared a sneak peek of this recipe on Instagram as it was going into my crock pot the first time that I made it. A few people asked for the recipe right away which let me know that I’m not the only one who gets excited when butternut squash and wild rice get together in the slow cooker! Then, when I was happily eating this for lunch at work a few friends asked about the recipe as well. I made a mental note to get the recipe up on the blog as soon as possible!

This Slow Cooker Wild Rice Vegetable Soup is a great option for make ahead lunches or dinners. You can portion it out into individual serving containers for work lunches. You can also freeze portions for later.

This wild rice soup recipe reheats well so you can make it ahead and then enjoy it throughout the week. Making a big pot of soup on Sunday is one of my favorite meal prep tricks.

How to Make Wild Rice Soup in your Slow Cooker

This soup is simple to make. It’s a dump and go recipe, so you just add everything (except the kale) to your slow cooker and cook. Once the rice is tender, you stir in the kale and serve.

This soup takes 6 hours on low or 3 1/2 hours on high in my slow cooker. Since all slow cookers vary slightly in their cooking temperatures, the first time you make this you’ll want to check on it at near the end of the cook time, in case it cooks faster or slower than mine did. The rice is what you’ll want to check on – once the rice is done the soup is done!

Can I make this wild rice soup on the stovetop?

Yes. To make this soup on the stove, start by sautéeing the onion and celery in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the kale. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the kale and serve.

Tips for Making this Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Be sure to use a wild rice or wild rice blend with a cook time of about 45 minutes listed on the package. Add the rice to the slow cooker uncooked. Different slow cookers cook differently, so the cook times in this recipe are estimates. The rice will be soft after cooking in the slow cooker.

You can use sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash in this recipe. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 3/4-inch pieces.

If you do not enjoy kale you may leave it out or substitute fresh spinach.

To add chicken to this soup, add 1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts along with the other ingredients. After slow cooking, check that the chicken has cooked through and then chop or shred.

This soup is great for make ahead lunches, and it also freezes well. The rice will absorb some of the broth over time, but I still enjoy the texture and flavor. You can add a little more broth to your leftover soup before reheating and serving.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 6 hrs
Total Time: 6 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 214kcal

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped
1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend (uncooked) the cook time listed on the package should be about 45 minutes, rinsed and drained
1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
15 ounce can white beans I used cannellini, rinsed and drained
4 ribs celery chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
6 cups chopped kale or fresh spinach, optional

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker except for the broth and kale.

2. Pour the broth into the slow cooker, and gently stir to combine.

3. Cook on low setting for about 6 hours, or on high setting for about 3 ½ hours, until the rice is cooked and tender. As all slow cookers vary, cooking time may be different in your slow cooker compared to mine. Near the end of the cook time, check to see if the rice is done. Once the rice is tender, the soup has cooked long enough.

4. Remove the bay leaf.

5. Stir kale into soup. Serve.

Notes

1. To make on the stovetop, start by sautéeing the onion and celery in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining soup ingredients, except for the kale. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the kale and serve.

2. Be sure to use a wild rice or wild rice blend with a stovetop cook time of about 45 minutes listed on the package. Add the rice to the slow cooker uncooked. Different slow cookers cook differently, so the cook times in this recipe are estimates. The rice will be soft after cooking in the slow cooker.

3. You can use sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash in this recipe.

4. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 3/4-inch pieces.

Source: https://kristineskitchenblog.com/slow-cooker-wild-rice-vegetable-soup/