This is the soup I always long for once the weather cools down in the fall. It’s so hearty and comforting with all the shredded chicken, rice and vegetables. I picture myself with a big bowl of this soup, curled up in blankets by a fire while watching a movie. It’s the perfect thing to warm you up after a cold day outside.
I can’t tell you how many times my husband asks for this soup. Since I’m not a big fan of soup in the summer, there are only certain times of the year my husband gets to eat this. Since our first cool front of fall is about to hit, I thought now would be the perfect time to break out all my cold weather classics.
This recipe makes a lot so I typically save half of this recipe in the freezer in single serving portion containers. This soup stays good for about 4-6 months. To thaw it out, simply take it out of the freezer and leave it in room temperature for half a day. Or you could also move it to the fridge and let it thaw slowly for a day or two. I love to do this so that if I happen to catch a cold or I’m just craving something warm, I won’t have to spend the time cooking it. It will already be ready for me to eat!
This soup is so easy, it’s something that everyone can make. It’s pretty much a “throw everything in a pot and let it cook” kind of meal. It’s not super labor intensive and it makes A TON. I just think it’s one of those recipes everyone should keep on hand for those cold winter months.
CREAMY CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP
Total time: 1 hour 48 minutes
Makes: 6-8 servings
BOILED CHICKEN
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
8 lb chicken, deconstructed
60 oz chicken broth (2 boxes)
DIRECTIONS:
With a sharp knife, deconstruct the chicken into pieces. Keep the backbone and leave the skin on. This is going to help deepen the flavor of the broth.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, place in the chicken pieces and chicken broth. Make sure the chicken is totally submerged in the broth. If it is not, add more broth.
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Place a lid on the pot and let cook for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes has passed, turn off heat and take the lid off. Let the chicken cool for 30 minutes or until cool enough to touch.
After the chicken is cooled, shred the chicken with your hands. Make sure to remove all the bones and skin. Discard bones and skin and put shredded chicken into a bowl.
Set aside chicken and the remaining broth to use in the soup later on.
CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP:
prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 38 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 cups chopped carrots
1.5 cups chopped celery
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cups chicken, shredded
3 cups wild rice, cooked
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1 medium lemon, juice of
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot of Dutch oven, add in olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 6 minutes in medium high heat while stirring every minute. Add in garlic and cook for another minute while stirring.
Add in butter and let melt. Then add in flour and stir. Keep stirring and let the mixture cook for another minute. Make sure there are no dry clumps of flour.
Add in chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, bay leaves, shredded chicken and wild rice. Bring everything to a boil and continue to stir till it thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
Add in heavy cream and lemon juice. Let cook on low for another 10 minutes.
Serve hot.