Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a comforting presence I love in my soup bowl. I love the way the herbs lend to so much flavor in the broth and how tender the chicken and vegetables are. A wild rice blend completes the recipe with a grassy flavor that I can’t get enough of! This recipe is perfect for a sick day, or just a day when you want all your veggies in!
What is Wild Rice?
Wild rice is a grain grown in grass, though not related to the domesticated rice that we are all familiar with. It has a distinct vegetal and plant-y taste to it, kind of like a grassy flavor, and the rice itself has a little more bite, it’s a little chewier. Wild rice is called wild because it can be found growing along rivers and lakes, and it once grew as plentiful and as much as the grass. The rice grows on long, delicate stalks. You can harvest the rice and then eat the plant it grew from.
Variations
For a creamier chicken soup, you can add heavy cream and butter, we used half and half, but heavy cream would add much more richness. This will turn the recipe into a creamy chicken wild rice soup. For a different type of chicken and a heavier feel, you could add skinless chicken thighs instead of using chicken breasts. You could also add any different types of vegetables you want, including peas, corn, zucchini, broccoli, edamame, and more.
What to Serve with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Thinking about serving food with this soup, my mind first goes to crackers. Next, a delicious grilled cheese, you could mix up the type of cheese inside, anything you want. To add freshness, something like a cucumber salad would taste great. Finally, fresh baked bread sliced up and dipped in this soup would be wonderful.
How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
First, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, and celery to a large pot. Cook until tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Next, add flour and stir to coat the veggies. Slowly add chicken broth while stirring the veggies. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Add mushrooms, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and wild rice. Stir, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. Stir occasionally to keep things from sticking to the bottom. Next, add the chicken and stir. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add spinach and half and half. Cook until the spinach wilts slightly. If the soup is on the thicker side, add a little more half and half. If the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency.
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