Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

I hate being sick! I've had a cold since Thursday, It's not very fun at all! You're hot, you're cold, you're achy, and tired, and then you don't know what you are, you feel just plain ucky. I decided I wanted a nice, comforting.  hot, soup for dinner. So I asked Hubby to go to the store and get something. Everything he named off didn't sound good at all. so I decided I would make my own. I had him grab a few things, most of the ingredients we had on hand. I'm so glad I made my own soup, it was thick, hearty, and comforting for a cold (and or sick) night. Hubby isn't a soup person, but he loved it! Especially the next day when the rice soaked up most of the broth. This is a great, quick and easy weeknight soup. Even if you're not sick. I would highly recommend making this asap, it's perfect for those cold evenings indoors.

Beautiful veggies!

Slice em up!

Yep, rice-a-roni, trust me.

Add the butter, and only 1 packet of seasoning.

Add spices, and saute veggies until leeks are tender and smelling delicious

Add to stockpot, along with chicken stock

saute chicken in the same pan as the veggies, for the flavor

Add in the Minute rice

Remove chicken, let it cool, a little, sneak a piece or two.

Shred it up, add it to the stockpot

Open this and add it to the soup, so good!

Melt this

Add Some flour, make a paste, add stock.

Add to stockpot and let it bubble, and get even more delicious

Yep, this is what soup heaven looks like

Perfect for bread dipping!

Ingredients:

1 leek (or onion) chopped and cleaned*
3 medium carrots sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices (I used baby carrots because it's what I had on hand)
3 stalks of celery sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 stick butter, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 - 10oz can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup Minute white rice
2 - 4.3oz boxes rice-a-roni wild rice, 1 packet seasoning reserved
3 tablespoons flour
4 thin sliced chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2- 32oz boxes plus 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon pepper plus more to taste

*Note: The best way to clean a leek is to slice it up, and set it in a bowl of water and mix it around with your hands to let all of the dirt in the layers fall off, then remove to a kitchen or paper towel to get rid of any excess water.

Directions:

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat, add sliced carrots celery, leeks, and garlic.
saute until onions are soft. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin, stir until fragrant. In a large stock pot, add 2- 32oz chicken stock, Minute rice, and vegetables, simmer on medium heat.

In the same large saucepan, saute the chicken on medium heat, until golden in some areas, and no pink remains. remove chicken to a cutting board and let cool about 5 minutes. shred chicken and add to stockpot.

In a medium saucepan, add both boxes of wild rice mix with 2 tablespoons butter, cook by directions on package, (about 24 minutes) using only 1 seasoning packet, cook until rice is soft and fluffy, add to stockpot.

Empty contents of cream of mushroom soup into stockpot, along with cream, stir continuously until all ingredients are incorporated.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter, add 3 tablespoons flour, whisking constantly cooking 1 minute until a paste-like consistency, slowly add 1 cup chicken stock whisking constantly until incorporated. let simmer for 2-3 minutes. then turn off heat and let thicken 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once butter/flour/stock mixture has thickened, pour into simmering pot of soup and stir, continue simmering until soup has a thicker consistency(when the bubbles look thick). Turn off heat and let sit 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve while hot with a nice loaf of french bread or baguette. Delicious!