Cream of Chicken Soup with Wild Rice
Submitted by DeniseD
Cream of chicken soup with wild rice made from scratch: homemade broth from a poached chicken, nutty wild rice, mushrooms, and a velvety roux finished with a splash of white wine. Northwoods comfort in a bowl.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1½ hrsCreamy chicken and wild rice soup is Northwoods comfort food, and this version earns its richness honestly, by building everything from scratch. You poach a whole cut-up chicken right in the pot, which gives you both tender meat and a deep homemade broth that no carton can match.
Wild rice is the soul of the bowl. Cooked just until partially tender, then finished in the broth, it keeps its signature chew and nutty, almost smoky flavor instead of going soft. Sauteed mushrooms, onion, and celery layer in earthiness while the rice simmers and drinks up the broth.
The cream comes from a proper roux. Butter and flour cook together until smooth, then milk goes in all at once and cooks until bubbly before it’s stirred into the soup, giving the broth a luxurious body without curdling. A final splash of dry white wine brightens the richness, and the chicken goes back in to heat through. It’s a soup that eats like a meal.
Chef Tips
- Make the broth from the whole chicken as directed and skim the fat. That homemade broth is what gives this soup its depth.
- Cook the wild rice only partially before adding it to the broth. Fully cooked rice turns mushy by the time the soup is done.
- Whisk the milk into the roux all at once and cook until bubbly before adding it, so the cream base thickens smooth instead of lumpy.
Variations
- Stir in a splash of cream or half-and-half at the end for an even richer soup.
- Add diced carrots with the celery for color and sweetness.
- Use leftover rotisserie chicken and stock to cut the time significantly.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook wild rice according to package directions for 30 minutes; drain off liquid and rinse. Set partially cooked rice aside.
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, combine the chicken and water and bring to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth and let stand until cool enough to handle. Skim fat from broth. Strain and reserve broth. Remove chicken meat from bones. Cut into bite-size pieces.
In the same pot, cook mushrooms in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
Add onion and celery. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring once (I’d probably do the onion and celery first, until transluscent, and then add mushrooms and cover and cook). Remove from heat. Return broth to the stock pot.
Add partially cooked wild rice to the chicken broth. Stir in the granules, white pepper and salt. Bring to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until bubbly. Stir into soup mixture. Stir in the chicken pieces and wine, and heat through.
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