Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Name: Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tbsp butter; 1 medium onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 7 cups chicken broth; 3/4 cup wild rice (or wild rice blend), rinsed; 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup half-and-half; salt and black pepper; chopped parsley, to serve

A Minnesota-style creamy soup full of nutty wild rice, shredded chicken, mushrooms, carrots and celery. Thick, cozy and good for a cold night.

Prep20 min

Cook55 min

Total1 hr 15 min

Serves6

What you'll need

Enameled cast-iron Dutch ovenFor soups, stews and braises

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8-inch chef's knifeFor all the chopping

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Meat shredding clawsFor pulling pork and chicken

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Ingredients

4 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

7 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup wild rice (or wild rice blend), rinsed

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup half-and-half

salt and black pepper

chopped parsley, to serve

Steps

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms until soft and the mushrooms have browned a little, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth.

Add the wild rice, whole chicken pieces, thyme, bay leaf and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and splitting.

Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks or shredding claws, and return it to the pot.

Stir in the half-and-half and heat through without boiling. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and serve with parsley.

TipWild rice keeps drinking broth as the soup sits; thin leftovers with a splash of broth when you reheat.