Chicken/Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS

 

1 - 1/2 cups (3 sticks) REAL Butter

2 onions (chopped)

1 - 1/2 cups diced/sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

1 - 1/2 cups flour

12 cups chicken broth

5 - 6 cups cooked Wild Rice

2 1/2 - 3 lbs chicken (Cooked and Diced)

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. curry

1 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. Dry Parsley

1 - 2 cups slivered almonds

1/2 - 1 cup Sherry Wine (ya' know-- depending)

1 cup (+/-) Half-n-Half

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook and dice chicken.  Cook rice according to package instructions.  Wash, prepare, and measure vegetables.

2. In a large stock pot -- sauté the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms in the butter until soft. About ten minutes

3. Whisk in the flour to create a roux.

4. Add chicken broth and whisk to thoroughly blend and remove any lumps.

5. Add the cooked chicken and wild rice.

6. Season with salt, curry, dry mustard, pepper and parsley. 

7. Add wine and allow soup to simmer for about 30 minutes.

8. About 20 minutes before serving, add Half-n-Half.  Keep temperature on burner very low to avoid scorching after adding Half-n-Half.

My Notes...

We always make very large amounts of soup at our house and freeze leftovers (if there are any!).  This recipe could easily be cut in half.

We always use fresh parsley if  we have it.

To keep cream soups from burning when warming on stove, I turn a large frying pan upside down on the burner and put my stock pot on top of the frying pan.  This keeps the bottom of the stock pot at least an inch or so away from the direct heat of the burner.

I also found that adding too much Half-n-Half to this recipe distracts quite a bit from the flavor. More seasonings might be needed if adding more than 1 cup of Half-n-Half.....   The consensus of "taste-testers" walking through the kitchen:

"The soup was already creamy before adding the Half-n-Half. 

Adding cream seemed only to add to the richness of the soup --

not necessarily the creamy'ness."

 

-- Either way, "It's all good!"