Nothing feels better on a chilly winter’s eve than warming
up with a hot bowl of soup. As much as I love chicken noodle soup, more often
than not I’m not a fan of leftovers because the noodles become soggy and
reminiscent of the canned version.
To alleviate this internal dilemma, I opt to add wild rice.
Not only does it hold up it’s natural texture better than noodles, but it adds
a slightly nutty, earthy flavor to the soup that makes it that much more
delicious.
The unfortunate thing about this tasty grain is that it
takes about 50 minutes to cook. But, your patience will be rewarded. While you
could cook it direct in the soup pot, you have to make up for all the liquid it
will absorb and double the chicken broth. This is why I highly recommend
cooking it separately and then adding to the soup after it is fully cooked.
Although the recipe below only serves six, it is incredibly
easy to double or even triple the recipe and store the leftovers in the
freezer. Cool the soup to room temperate before freezing, and then seal tightly
leaving enough room for expansion in the container.
When ready to defrost, heat in the microwave until you are
able to pour into a large pot and reheat. Personally, I like to freeze
individual servings so that I don’t have to reheat a whole batch and can just
take it out for a quick lunch or dinner for myself.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Serves: 6
- 1
cup wild rice
- 1
Tbsp olive oil
- 1
Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1
large onion, chopped
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 3
carrots, chopped
- 3
celery stalks, chopped
- ¼
cup all-purpose flour
- 1
tsp dried thyme
- ½
tsp salt
- ½
tsp ground black pepper
- 4
cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 11
bay leaf
- ½
lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
Cook wild rice according to package directions.
In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until soft and onions are
translucent. Add flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes stirring to coat vegetables with
flour. Stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and bay leaf; bring to
a simmer.
Add chicken breast chunks, cover pot and simmer for 10
minutes. Remove lid, stir in wild rice, allow to heat through 1 to 2 minutes
and then serve.
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