Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This weeks installment of Slow Cooker Sunday is a recipe for a thick and creamy soup that i adapted from the Little Spice Jar blog.  I think that the great flavor is because of the 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe's Seasoning Salute. I cooked it for 4 hours on high.  Serve with crusty bread.  

1 cup uncooked wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Blend Rice found at my  
                                               local grocery store).  
1 - 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
8 cups chicken broth (I used Swanson's Organic Free Range Chicken Broth)
2 tablespoons Trader Joe's Seasoning Salute

Roux:
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups half and half

salt and pepper, to taste*
     *I added 2 teaspoons and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse the rice (using a strainer) under running water.  

Place the uncooked rice, chicken breast, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, 
bay leaves, chicken broth, and the seasoning blend in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on the high setting for 3-4 hours or on the low setting for 7-8 hours. 

Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Return chicken back to the slow cooker.

In the meantime, make the thickening roux by melting the butter in a saucepan.  
On low heat, add the flour and whisk until mixture is smooth.  Whisk in the half and half and continue to whisk allowing mixture to thicken and become creamy.

Add this creamy mixture to the slow cooker, stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Remove bay leaves before serving.