Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (approx. 200g)
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (approx. 150g)
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced (approx. 100g)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 cup uncooked 100% wild rice
  • 6 cups chicken bone broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped

Instructions:

  1. Prep the vegetables. Dice the yellow onion, slice the carrots into rounds, and chop the celery. Note: Uniformity ensures everything softens at the same rate.
  2. Layer the aromatics. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic into the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
  3. Season the base. Sprinkle the dried thyme, crushed rosemary, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper over the vegetables.
  4. Add the chicken. Nestled the 1.5 lbs of bone in chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
  5. Introduce the rice. Pour the 1 cup of uncooked wild rice around the chicken pieces.
  6. Submerge in broth. Pour the 6 cups of chicken bone broth over everything and add the 2 bay leaves. Ensure all rice is submerged to avoid crunchy bits.
  7. Set the timer. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the chicken registers 165°F and the rice grains have popped open.
  8. Shred the poultry. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate. Discard the bones and use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the pot.
  9. Thicken the soup. In a small bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup of heavy cream with the 2 tbsp of cornstarch until smooth. Stir this slurry into the crockpot.
  10. Final wilt. Stir in the 2 cups of chopped spinach. Cover for 5-10 minutes until the spinach is vibrant green and the soup has thickened slightly.