Chicken Wild Rice Soup

It seems like the only recipes I’ve been writing lately have been soups. But honestly, they’re so simple, fast and fulfilling that I can’t help but make a LOT of them throughout the cold winter days. And soups are a wonderful go-to when this house starts feeling under the weather. This chicken wild rice soup is another one that goes back to our graduate school days. It was popular for us because the ingredients didn’t cost much and the soup stretched over many meals. We don’t have it very often anymore, but it’s quite nostalgic when we do.

It’s very rare that I’ll cook chicken for this meal alone; it’s fantastic for using up chicken from a roast dinner. For the wild rice, I love using the Texmati version. Not only is it delicious, but it cooks really fast too! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten to start the rice until the soup is already simmering. But since it’s a fast cooking rice, it’s nothing to worry about because it’s done in 15 minutes. Not having to wait for the rice to finish cooking means my clan gets to eat sooner, which makes me happy. I mean seriously, have you seen my kids when they get ravenous? Monkey becomes a bear to be around. If I can avoid his Hangry attitude, it’s a good day!

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken broth {I use homemade chicken broth, but you can also substitute vegetable broth if you’d like}
1 cup milk {or half & half}
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare wild rice as directed on the package. Set aside when done.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots, and cook until the veggies are soft.
Add flour and some pepper. Cook for a minute or two. You want the flour to coat the veggies.
Stir in the chicken broth and milk, making sure to not leave any hunks of flour. Cook until the broth thickens and is bubbly.
Add in the chicken and wild rice. Stir, allowing the chicken and rice to warm back up.

Serves: 8 – 10.