Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

It is soup weather in our part of the country, and this one is a hearty satisfying treat on a cold winter night.  I love the nutty  texture of wild rice and this recipe highlights it beautifully.  It doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare, but it can really be quick to prepare when you cook the chicken and the rice the night before.  This recipe is a hit with everyone in the family, kids and adults alike.

Ingredients: (You can half this recipe if these amounts are too much for your family)

1 cup flour

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine (12 Tablespoons)

1/2 onion, minced

1 cup grated carrot

6 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked according to package directions (this is not brown rice, but wild rice.  There is definitely a difference!)

3-4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped

1/4 cups slivered almonds (or more if you desire)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

2 cups half and half

fresh snipped parsley

Directions:

Cook wild rice in boiling water as directed on the package.

When done, set aside and melt butter or margarine in a saucepan.

Add the minced onion and the grated carrot to the butter and cook for a few minutes til the onions and carrots are tender.

Once the onions and carrots are tender, sprinkle in the 1 cup of flour and cook and stir for a minute or so until the mixture is bubbly and the flour is completely absorbed into the butter mixture, and no lumps of flour remain.

Gradually begin adding the chicken broth as you stir to reduce any lumps that might form.  Soup will thicken as you heat it.

Stir in the cooked, chopped chicken breast.

Stir in the cooked wild rice.  You can use as little or as much as you like.

Sprinkle in the slivered almonds and continue to heat the soup to serving temperature.

When heated to serving temperature, stir in the half and half and bring back up to temperature, but do not boil. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add additional chicken broth until it’s the consistency you desire.

Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty garlic bread and a salad for a satisfying meal!