Creamy Wild Rice & Chicken Soup |
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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This is the perfect soup to make right on the cusp of autumn, when you're faced with a chilly day, but still have fresh basil at your fingertips! Pop a pan of buttermilk biscuits in the oven when you put the chicken in the soup, and you'll have a cozy warm meal in minutes! (You can easily use all fresh herbs in this if you like, it's just that I only grow basil!) Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil (more or less to taste) |
1 onion, diced |
3 stalks celery, each 6-inches long, sliced very thinly |
6 medium carrots, diced |
2 garlic cloves, roughly diced |
1/2 teaspoon powdered dried rosemary |
1 teaspoon dried thyme |
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon |
4 cups chicken broth (i use low sodium chicken bullion cubes) |
2 -3 cups water (start with 2, add more if needed) |
1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed |
2 chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes |
1/2-1 cup cream or 1/2-1 cup half-and-half |
fresh basil leaf, chiffonaded |
salt and pepper |
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a mid-size heavy soup pot over a medium flame till hot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, till soft and golden (lower flame if necessary to keep garlic from burning).
2. When veggies are soft, add dried spices and cook, stirring, till fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth, water, and wild rice. Bring to a boil, lower flame, cover tightly and simmer 40 minutes, till wild rice is almost done.
4. Add cubed chicken and cook 7-8 minutes more, till chicken and wild rice are both done. (Don't overcook, or you'll have mushy wild rice and dry chicken!).
5. Remove soup from heat and ladle about 1 cup broth into a small bowl. Let cool a bit, then whisk in cream, being careful to stir quickly so the cream doesn't curdle.
6. Slowly whisk cream and broth mixture back into the soup, stirring till well mixed. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
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