Creamy Chicken Wild Rice

My husband made this soup for me for the first time in our early dating days. I caught a cold, and this sweet man came over to nurse me back to health with this soup and a side of cheese and crackers. Until then, I'd only had chicken wild rice soup from a restaurant. I had never had it homemade. Let’s just say I asked for it even when I was not sick after that! This soup is creamy, with the aroma of nostalgia and the warmth you need on a bone-chilling day.

The Goods:

• 3/4 Cup Uncooked Long Grain Wild Rice

• 6 Cups of Water

• 1/2 Cup Flour

• 1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken Shredded

• 2 Small Stalks of Celery Diced Small

• 1 Large Carrot Diced Small

• 1 Medium Yellow Onion

• 2 Cups of Half and Half

• 3 Cups of Chicken Broth

• 1 TBSP Olive Oil

• 1/4 Cup Butter

• 3-4 Wyler's Chicken Bouillon Cubes

• 1/2 tsp of Salt + more to taste

• Lawry's Seasoning Salt to taste

• 1/8 tsp Rosemary

• 1 tsp Parsley

• Pepper to taste

Step 1: Over medium-high heat, sauté the wild rice in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Add water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender. Drain the rice using a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl to catch the cooking water. Set the rice aside and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Step 2: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter, then stir in the diced vegetables and cook until tender.

Step 3: Add flour to the pot and coat all the veggies. Stir constantly to avoid browning. Do this for about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Add the reserved wild rice water, chicken broth, half-and-half, spices, wild rice, and shredded chicken. Next, add 3-4 (depending on your preference) chicken bouillon cubes.

Step 5: Simmer for 30 minutes. After that, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this soup with crusty, warm bread or cheese and crackers.

Enjoy! ☺️