Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a deliciously wonderful combination of all white meat chicken, non-GMO wild rice blend, celery, onions, carrots, chicken broth, half and half cream, crème fraîche and wonderful herbs and spices to warm your tummy this winter.

All soups are awesome when it’s cold and damp outside. I  have always enjoyed making soup during this time of year… even though it never gets as cold here in Central, Florida as compared to when I resided in the Snow-Belt. I love making simple, fun, deliciousness in a warm bowl to enjoy with family and friends with crusty homemade bread  or my favorite homemade croutons. I think I can almost whip up a New soup recipe in a matter of moments in my head just using favorite ingredients on hand, which in my book makes it budget friendly and versatile.

I love wild rice blends and decided since I have it on hand I was whipping a batch of my favorite Chicken and Wild Rice Soup today.  Wild rice has long been a favored rice so for many reasons, wild rice has a slightly higher in protein content than most other whole grains and is an excellent source of fiber, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, Vitamin B6, and niacin.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota determined in 1994 that wild rice is extremely high in antioxidants. In 2009 scientists at the University of Manitoba studied and analyzed eleven different samples of wild rice and found that the antioxidant activity of wild rice was 30 times greater than that of the white-rice control. Also in 2009 researchers in China found that wild rice was effective in lowering cholesterol and other lipid measures…Talk about another wonderful superfood to incorporate into your diet.

Chicken and Rice Soup

• 2 cup of wild rice and brown rice blend, non-GMO verified
• 5 cups of  low sodium chicken broth
• kosher salt to taste, for rice
• 3 quarts of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 celery stalks, finely sliced
• 1 large onion diced
• 3-4 carrots sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup diced portobello mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 2 (8 ounces) chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 of a teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1/2 of a cup of white wine
• 1/2 of a cup half and half cream
• 1/2 of a cup crème fraîche, or sour cream
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the wild rice: Place the wild rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse in the sink under cold running water. Shake to drain.
2. Bring the rice and water to a boil: Place the rice in the saucepan and add 5 cups of water or stock along with a pinch of salt (unless the stock is salty enough). Cover and bring to a boil over high heat
3. Reduce to a simmer: When the water has reached a boil, lower the heat to maintain a slow but steady simmer. Keep the pot covered.
4. Cook the wild rice Cook at a simmer for  about 15-20 minutes. Check the rice-  The rice should still remain a bit chewy. It will cook an additional 20 minutes in the soup (do not fully cook)
5. In a sauté pan add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, finely sliced celery, diced onion, thinly sliced carrots, portobello mushrooms, and minced garlic- sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add 3 quarts of chicken broth to a large stock pot on medium heat- then add sautéed vegetables once done (3-4 minutes), 2 (8 ounces) chicken breasts that have been cooked and diced, dried basil, and dried thyme- simmer 2o minutes or so.
7. Once ingredients have simmered 20 minutes add wine, crème fraîche or sour cream and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour in very slowly stirring constantly for the next few minutes until flour dissolves completely, then add fresh parsley, kosher salt, and pepper to your own taste. Reduce heat and cook an additional 5-6 minutes on low heat.
8. Serve in favorite serving bowls.

 © Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner are strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.