Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup Karri Perry | Blue Ribbon Favorites
Two-32 ounce containers chicken broth
2 cups wild rice blend (I use Royal Blend by Rice Select)
3 Tbs olive oil-divided
1 Tbs chopped onion or shallot
1 tsp salt/pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
3 celery ribs cleaned and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small garlic head-sliced at top
3/4 cup heavy cream
1Tablespoon butter melted
1 Tablespoon flour
On a sheet pan with sides, add the chicken, chopped carrots, celery, and garlic head with the top sliced off. Drizzle everything with the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle everything with: salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Chicken will be 165 degrees-when cooked.
As the sheet pan bakes, on the stovetop, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, turn on low heat and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil.
Add the chopped onion.
Cook for a few minutes until onion is softened.
Add one of the 32-ounce chicken broth containers, bring mixture to a boil.
To the hot chicken broth, add 2 cups of the wild rice blend. Stir.
Lower heat to a simmer, cover and let rice soften for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Once rice has cooked, add the second 32-ounce chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
In a coffee cup or small bowl, microwave or melt 1 Tbs of butter, to the melted butter add 1 Tbs of flour, stir together. Add a ladle of the warm chicken broth to the flour/butter mixture and stir. This will thicken the entire soup. Return the flour/butter/broth mixture in the coffee cup back to the soup. Stir.
Add the heavy cream and simmer.
When the vegetables and chicken are roasted, allow them to cool slightly, and chop the chicken into bite size pieces.
Add the chicken, pan drippings, carrots, and celery to the soup. Stir.
Squeeze the roasted garlic from the garlic head and add to the soup. Discard the leftover garlic membrane.
Allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally before serving. Add more broth, or water to thin the soup if necessary.
Refrigerate any leftovers. When reheating, add liquid to loosen the soup, either water, or broth, 1 cup at a time.
This soup freezes well, and works well as base for a chicken pot pie-a great use for leftovers, just add extra vegetables and use premade dough to create a pot pie.
