Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Butter
- 2 medium Onions, diced
- 6 ribs Celery, chopped
- 5 large Carrots, chopped
- 7-8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp Fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Wild rice blend, rinsed
- 10 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 cups Water
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Heavy cream, plus more if desired
Build the Soup’s Flavor Base
In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for ~10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sweating the vegetables slowly like this makes them tender and sweet, which creates a better flavor base for the soup.
Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for one minute more until fragrant.
Make the Roux and Simmer the Soup
Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and stir constantly for ~3-5 minutes.
This step cooks out the raw flour taste and creates a roux, which will thicken the soup. The mixture should look like a thick paste.
Stir in the rinsed wild rice, then slowly pour in the chicken broth and water, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Add the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for ~30-45 minutes, stirring every so often.
Cook and Shred the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts directly into the simmering soup. Let them cook for ~20-25 minutes.
Pull the chicken out of the soup as soon as its internal temperature reaches 160°F. This prevents it from getting dry and chewy.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks and return it to the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Finish with Cream and Serve
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Adding the cream off-heat prevents it from curdling.
Remove the bay leaves and serve the soup hot.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Butter
- 2 medium Onions diced
- 6 ribs Celery chopped
- 5 large Carrots chopped
- 7-8 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 1/2 tsp Fresh thyme chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3/4 tsp Black pepper freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Wild rice blend rinsed
- 10 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 cups Water
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Heavy cream plus more if desired
Instructions
- Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots; cook 10-15 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables; stir constantly 3-5 minutes until paste forms.
- Add wild rice, chicken broth, water, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes.
- Add chicken breasts to soup; cook 20-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Remove chicken, shred with forks, return to pot. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in heavy cream. Season to taste.
- Remove bay leaves and serve hot.
