Sunday, October 29, 2017

Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (Crockpot Copycat)



Because I have a food blog, you probably think that I cook all of the time. No. In fact, I have managed to get it down to no more than three, maybe four days a week. I'm not all that different from you, some days I like to cook, but some days I really don't. Unfortunately, even on the days when I don't want to cook I still have to eat. So I always seek the path of least resistance, and by that I mean the crockpot.

It's warm and breezy as I write this, but big changes are in the air. Next week the highs are going to be in the 40s, the lows in the 30s, my kind of fall weather. I cleaned out the fireplace today, set a fire, and decided a big batch of chicken and wild rice soup would be perfect. I had seen the copycat recipe for Panera's Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, but the thought of paying attention to something on the stove was not appealing. I took a look at the recipe, and just knew that it could be easily done in the crockpot.

As it turned out, I was right! Essentially, after I chopped the celery, carrots, and onion, I threw everything into the crockpot (including an entire frozen breast of chicken), with the exception of the dairy ingredients. Because I had thrown the chicken in frozen, I cranked it up to high and let it do its thing for about six hours. At that point, I removed the chicken, cut it into bite-size pieces, added it back to the pot, along with the cream and cornstarch slurry, and had a wonderfully delicious and soothing soup. The remainder of it went into single serve containers (I use
these, that also make soup easy for gifting.) that I marked and stuck in the freezer. I am set with chicken soup all winter.
Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (Crockpot Copycat)

6 cups homemade chicken stock
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces (or not)

1 box Rice-A-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large ribs of celery, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Spray the interior of your 6-quart slow cooker with Pam. Place all ingredients EXCEPT the heavy cream, cornstarch, and water, into the slow cooker in the order listed. Set to "high" and cook 5 to 6 hours, until vegetables are fork tender and the chicken and rice are done. 

Remove chicken (if, like me, you tossed in an entire breast), cut into bite-size pieces and return meat to the pot. Pour in heavy cream stirring to combine. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup water whisking to ensure there are no lumps, and stir into the soup. Return the lid, and allow to cook another 15 minutes until it reaches desired thickness. 
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9 comments:

Alycia Nichols said...

Smart gal to cook large batches and freeze ‘em up for future meals. I do the same. No point in scrambling around trying to prepare something delicious and nutritious when you’re short on time. Just pop that bad boy in the microwave oven and prepare to feast! I like this recipe. Maybe turmeric is the unidentified flavor in Panera’s soup that has been a mystery to me for so long. Their soup is so satisfying. Thanks! And yes...it is definitely now soup weather!!!🌬🌬🌬

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...


This soup sounds so good., I am like you sometimes I just don't feel like cooking.
Thanks for the recipe.

Mary

Roseann Hampton said...

Love finding delicious new crock pot recipes!

Julie's Creative Lifestyle said...

I love this soup from Panera and your version sounds great. Thanks for sharing at C&C with J&J.

sandy said...

sounds perfect for the coming cold week here in the mountains. thanks for the recipe.

Sue Ready said...

Sounds like the perfect fall soup and easy to make thanks for sharing

The Lazy Gastronome said...

This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!

annies home said...

I love soup this one looks super filling with the ability to warm me up in the cold weather thanks for sharing
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

Miz Helen said...

I love this soup recipe, we will really enjoy it. I am pinning this one and can't wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen