Wild Rice Chicken Soup
Take the chill out of winter by serving a steaming hot bowl of wild rice chicken soup. As a Minnesota native, I grew up on wild rice, which is still naturally harvested there. My first taste of it was in a soup much like this one. The original recipe calls for cream, but I recently served it without the cream to eliminate calories and it was equally delicious. Before we get to the recipe, a few interesting facts about wild rice.
Wild rice has a distinctly different texture and nutty flavor that makes any dish heartier. Technically, it isn’t really rice, it’s a whole grain grass that grows in shallow water in North America’s Great Lakes region. It’s only referred to as rice, because it looks and cooks like other types of rice. It’s packed with nutrients that offer numerous health benefits including protein, manganese, phosphorus and zinc.
Whatever food category you place it in, most people agree wild rice offers a unique flavor to any dish and is well worth the extra cooking time and price.
If you aren’t counting calories or lactose intolerant, I’d say go for the creamy version and pair it with a chardonnay. However, if you plan to make a large batch and freeze some, leave the cream out, which is how I served it recently. We all had seconds, so I’d say either way, this wild rice soup is a crowd pleaser.
Now, let’s get cooking! Who’s hungry? Can’t you almost smell that soup simmering on the stove?
Wild Rice Chicken Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 C chicken cooked and cubed (I use rotisserie chicken)
1 /2 C wild rice (I often double the amount of rice)
1 32oz box chicken broth (add more as needed depending on how much rice you use)
1/2 C diced onion
1/2 C diced mushrooms
1 C red and/or yellow peppers diced
1 C carrots diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4-1 tsp+ curry to taste (I go heavy on the curry)
spice variations: sometimes I add a dash of turmeric
3/4 -1 C half and half/OR try coconut milk for dairy-free (optional) stir in before serving
slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
fresh chives/avocado for topping (optional)
Directions:
Rinse and drain rice
Cook rice in chicken stock until tender
Saute veggies and garlic in olive oil
Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes
Add rice and chicken stock
Add spices and chicken
Simmer 1 hour
Add (optional) cream or coconut milk, warm slightly again.
Serve with toasted slivered almonds, fresh chives and/or diced avocado
Zabelicious Tips:
Shopping for wild rice
There are two types of high quality wild rice; the good stuff which is hand harvested in a canoe, sun dried with uneven colors or the black, shiny stuff you typically see in the store which is cultivated. Either one will work well for this soup. However if you go cheap and buy the quick cooking type of wild rice blend, it could get mushy. Here are a few options for the most authentic wild rice that haven’t sold out yet in the Midwest:
Save some wild rice for the next recipe!
Whenever I cook this soup, I like to make a large batch of wild rice and reserve some for a frittata that’s become a new family favorite. Watch for that recipe to drop soon!