Chicken and Wild Rice Crockpot soup #recipe @lucyburdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Have I mentioned that I’ve fallen in love with my crockpot since my oven died? Not every single thing I’ve tried has been amazing, but we’ve eaten well overall. I bought a cooker that has a browning option, so browning the chicken and onions before adding the other ingredients boosts the flavor.

This chicken and wild rice soup started as a recipe I found on Pinterest from Iowa Girl Eats.

And of course I made some adjustments for low-sodium eating. This means using low sodium broth, cutting out the salt, and increasing the most flavorful vegetables, such as onions, carrots, and celery. And then I added spinach for color and green goodies. Yummy! And it can be waiting for you when you get home from work or shopping or writing...

Ingredients

SERVES 4

1 lb chicken breasts (do not use frozen,) cut in half if large

1 large onion

3 carrots, thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 fresh sage leaves, chopped

leaves from about an inch of fresh rosemary

2 small bay leaves

2 Tablespoons butter 

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus 2 cups water

3/4 cup Lundberg Farms wild rice-brown rice blend 

Several handfuls of fresh spinach

Brown the chicken and onion for several minutes. Then switch the heat to low, and add all ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot. 

Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken breasts are cooked through. Rice should be done around the same time. 

Shred chicken then stir back into soup and serve (soup will thicken as it cools.) 

About a half hour before the soup is done, add the fresh spinach. Serve with a salad and enjoy!

Lucy writes the Key West food critic mysteries.  Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!