Broccoli Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup

Broccoli Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup is an easy family-pleasing recipe that’s full of delicious broccoli, vegetables, and wild rice in a creamy broth! So thick and creamy, this broccoli rice soup is the ultimate comfort food.

I love the slow cooker or Crock Pot, especially in the busy fall and winter months. When you can put something on, have it cook and smell yummy and not have to do much! Oh, that’s perfection! And that’s exactly what this vegetarian broccoli and wild rice soup brings to the table! You’ll love how this hearty and healthy soup warms you up.

I first published this recipe in 2015. I created it based on a recipe I learned how to make when I turned vegetarian. Unfortunately, I lost that original recipe and can’t find it anywhere! So, I recreated it as an easy to make slow cooker soup.

But it needed an update. I’ve updated the photos, the information, the recipe card, and the recipe itself a bit, all for a better user experience.

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Easy to make

This broccoli cheese rice soup made in the crock pot totally works for the cooler months when you want something yummy, warm, filling, and so easy to make!

I’m also a big fan of the crock pot in the hot summer months. It doesn’t heat up the house when it’s on, and you can even plug it in outside or in the garage to keep all of the heat out of the house.

What if I can’t find wild rice?

If you can’t find plain wild rice at the store, you can use a rice blend instead.

I have to go to Trader Joe’s to get the plain wild rice, as my grocery store doesn’t carry it anymore.

But there are many rice blends that have wild rice in them. Those rice blends will also work really well in this soup.

If you use a blend, just use a total of one cup of rice blend in the soup.

Easy slow cooker soup recipes

Soups are probably my favorite thing to make in the crock pot. And I have many delicious slow cooker soups to make dinner easy to share with you!

Some of my favorites are: Tomato Parmesan soup, Creamy Tortilla Soup, Black Bean Chili Soup, and Cream of broccoli soup. Be sure to check out all my crock pot recipes.

Looking for more great soups to serve? Here are some of my favorites that aren’t made in the slow cooker: Cream of Garlic Soup, Sausage & White Bean Soup, Rosemary Orzo Soup, Vegetarian Pot Pie Soup, Caramelized Onion Roasted Garlic Bisque.

Want to make it even more convenient?

I’m a big fan of taking short cuts that help save time in the kitchen.

If you want to make it even easier, use some shredded carrots from the produce section at the grocery store.

Just throw those into the crock pot and not even worry about precooking them, because they’re so small they should cook up really quickly.

You could also use a bag of frozen peas and carrots. Those are already mostly cooked, so just add them in with the broccoli at the end.

And don’t forget that broccoli stems are so good too! And if you chop up the stems and add them to the soup, there’s less food waste. After you’ve separated the florets from the stems, chop the stems and toss them into the soup as well. Learn a little more about prepping broccoli stems with my Broccoli Salad recipe.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes! You can absolutely make this soup vegan!

Instead of the half and half, use a plant-based milk. I recommend a neutral flavored milk like unsweetened soy or almond with no vanilla. Canned coconut milk would make a nice creamy soup, but it will change the flavor profile a bit.

And, for the cheddar cheese in the soup, try a vegan cheddar, or vegan Parmesan instead. Or, just leave the cheese out entirely.

What kind of milk to use?

I highly recommend half and half for this recipe; it’s what gives a really creamy soup.

But, if you don’t want those calories, use the milk of your choice: skim milk will make a thinner soup that’s lower in calories, whole milk will give a good compromise between half and half and skim milk.

And, like I said before, you could even use a non-dairy lactose free milk like canned coconut milk (that would give a great thick soup), or almond milk.

How to make

This soup is really easy to make in the crock pot or slow cooker. Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for all ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Heat the oil in a pot, and once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions. Cook them until they start to brown, and toss in the sliced carrots. Cook for 5 minute longer, and toss those cooked veggies into the crock pot.

along with the cooked onions and carrots, add the broth, rice, and spices. Cook on low for about 3 hours or until everything is nice and cooked.

Then add in the half and half, broccoli florets, and shredded cheese. Cook for an additional hour, or until the broccoli is the desired tenderness.

Garnish soup with almonds and paprika.

Can I make this on the stove top?

Yes! Though the crock pot is my favorite way to make this soup, if you want to skip the slow cooker and make this directly on the stove, it’s easy peasy.

Stove top directions:

In a large stock pot, cook the onions as directed on the stove, and add in the carrots. Once the onions and carrots are done cooking, add in the next 8 ingredients (broth through pepper), stir to combine, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, and simmer 50 to 65 minutes until wild rice is cooked to desired tenderness.  

Stir in the half and half, broccoli, and cheese, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until broccoli is desired tenderness.

How to toast sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread the sliced almonds out on a baking sheet (or a baking sheet covered with parchment paper), and bake about 7 to 8 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Make sure you don’t leave the oven because they can burn easily.

Got leftovers?

This broccoli cheese rice soup is great for a little variety too.

You can throw in some ham or bacon to add a nice meaty smoky flavor.

Toss in some leftover Thanksgiving turkey to help use up those leftovers.

Want to make chicken broccoli rice soup? Just add some shredded rotisserie chicken.

Of course, I love it as a vegetarian main dish soup. It’s filled with enough veggies, protein, and goodies that you don’t need to add anything to it.

Reasons to love this soup

• It’s gluten free, egg free, and vegetarian
• It’s delicious
• The crock pot makes it easy to make, not standing over the stove and stirring
• Healthy whole grain goodness

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