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Cozy Crockpot Turkey and Wild Rice Soup: Easy Fall Dinner

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This cozy Crockpot turkey and wild rice soup is a lifesaver for busy weeknights and impromptu gatherings. It’s hearty, creamy, and packed with nourishing ingredients, making it the perfect comfort food for chilly autumn evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup wild rice blend
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Sauté the vegetables (10 minutes): Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent and the vegetables start to soften—about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Transfer to the slow cooker: Scrape the sautéed vegetables into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, wild rice blend, dried thyme, dried rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  3. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the wild rice is tender and has started to split open.
  4. Add the turkey: Stir in the shredded or diced cooked turkey. Let it cook for another 15 to 20 minutes on LOW, just long enough to warm the turkey through.
  5. Create the creamy base (5 minutes): Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup directly in the slow cooker until partially creamy but still chunky. Alternatively, transfer about 2 cups of the soup (avoiding the turkey pieces) to a regular blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot.
  6. Finish with cream: Stir in the heavy cream or half-and-half. Let it heat through for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
  7. Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve hot, preferably with crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables—it adds depth of flavor. Check the soup at the 5-hour mark if cooking on low, as slow cookers vary. For a dairy-free version, use olive oil instead of butter and full-fat canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. The soup thickens as it sits; add extra broth when reheating.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey soup, wild rice soup, crockpot soup, slow cooker soup, fall dinner, comfort food, easy soup recipe

Find it online: https://recipebelle.com/cozy-crockpot-turkey-and-wild-rice-soup-easy-fall-dinner/