894 Days

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe! I found a new one that the girls and I LOVE (Jon hasn't tried it yet) and I've already made it twice.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water*
2 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (more to taste)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated or coined carrots
1 cup diced celery

*I only use 1 cup of water because we prefer our cream soups to be a bit thicker. I would suggest starting with one and then adding a second if if you want to thin it out a bit. It's easier to thin out a thick soup than thicken up a soup that you've made too thin.

Directions:

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Serve with rolls or French bread! Mmm!

There are many different modifications that you can make to this recipe to suit your own needs/tastes! You should be able to use just regular long grain rice and add your own seasonings if you prefer not to use Rice-a-Roni. You can use fat free half and half. You can also pretty much add any vegetable to this soup depending on your preferences. A few that I have heard suggested are peas, mushrooms, corn, diced onions, and broccoli. You can also skip the roux entirely and just make a regular soup rather than a cream soup if you are looking for less fat/calories. I love this recipe! It's so easy and you can really make it your own!

Original source: Chef Mommy