Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This is a great comfort food soup that we like as a filling meal. I've added carrots to the typical creamy chicken and wild rice soup that bring interest and a little textural variety. Feel free to add corn, peas, broccoli or other small vegetable pieces instead if you like.
I like to use a whole, raw chicken in this recipe instead of chicken breasts or even store bought roasted chicken because the broth that results from fully cooking a chicken from raw enhances the flavor overall. But if you are pressed for time, by all means use a whole roasted chicken or 4 - 6 chicken breasts. With raw chicken breasts, just use a sharp knife to cut them into bite sized pieces and add them to the soup once the Wild Rice is almost done (at about 30 minutes). Simmer the soup with the added chicken pieces for 15 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Ingredients
- 1 Onion (Medium, chopped)
- 1 cup Celery (Chopped)
- 4 Carrots (Medium, Roughly chopped)
- 2 Garlic (cloves, Minced)
- 1 tbsp Thyme (dried (3T is using fresh))
- 1 tbsp Rosemary (dried (if using fresh rosemary, two 2 inch sprigs))
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 3.5 lb Chicken (uncooked)
- 32 floz Chicken Stock
- 3/4 cup Wild Rice
- 4 oz Butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 2 cup Whole Milk
- 1 cup Half & Half
Instructions
- Place the onion, celery, garlic and carrots into a large (5 - 6 quart) pot. Add herbs and seasonings, wild rice and then the chicken. Pour the chicken stock over all and add enough water to completely cover the chicken. Bring the pot over high heat until the contents come to a simmer. reduce heat to medium low and cook 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is just barely done.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the broth and place in a large bowl to cool slightly. Stir any additional vegetables into the remaining soup contents. Continue cooking until the rice is done.
- While rice finishes cooking, use a fork and paring knife to debone and tear the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour until it forms a smooth paste. Cook over medium heat until the flour has stopped foaming.
- Add the milk and Half & Half, pouring slowly and whisking rapidly for a smooth consistency. Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture has thickened.
- Pour the flour and milk mixture into the soup and stir deeply to evenly distribute. Heat through. Serve immediately.
- Cool this and most soups by: 1. Dividing the soup into multiple smaller containers and refrigerating immediately, or 2. Placing either loose ice cubes or a plastic bag filled with ice in the center of the pot. Try not to cool the entire pot at once, as this creates an opportunity for special anaerobic bacteria to flourish (Clostridium varieties). They are potentially deadly, so let's avoid this situation!
Harriett's Cooking