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 Wild Rice

• 4 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

• 1/2 tsp of Salt + more to taste

• 1/8 tsp Rosemary

• 1 tsp Parsley

• Pepper to taste

Step 1: Sauté the wild rice in 1 TBSP olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Add water and 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Only cook the rice until it’s halfway done. It will cook more in step 5. Drain it and reserve one and a half cups (1 1/2 cups) of the liquid.

Step 2: Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the diced veggies 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, and half-and-half. Add the spices and shredded chicken.

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! ☺️