🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
Chicken & Rice
- 2 chicken breasts (or 3 cups cooked shredded chicken)
- 1 cup wild rice (uncooked)
- 6 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 250–300 g mushrooms (button, cremini, or mixed), sliced
Creamy Base
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour (for thickening)
- 1 cup milk (or half-and-half for richer taste)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional but recommended)
Seasoning
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional: pinch of paprika or chili flakes
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the chicken & rice
- In a large pot, add chicken breasts and chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until chicken is cooked.
- Remove chicken, shred it, and set aside.
- Add wild rice to the same broth and simmer for 35–45 minutes (until tender).
2. Sauté the vegetables
- In a separate pan, heat olive oil or butter.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until mushrooms release moisture and turn golden.
3. Build flavor in the soup
- Add sautéed vegetables into the pot with rice.
- Stir in shredded chicken, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 10 minutes so flavors combine.
4. Make it creamy
- In a small saucepan, melt butter.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes (this makes a roux).
- Slowly whisk in milk until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add cream if using.
5. Finish the soup
- Pour creamy mixture into the soup pot.
- Stir well and simmer another 5–10 minutes until thick and silky.
- Remove bay leaf, adjust seasoning.
🍽️ Serving Tips
- Serve hot with crusty bread or garlic toast.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or cracked black pepper.
- A squeeze of lemon can brighten the creamy richness.
🔥 Optional upgrades
- Add spinach or kale at the end for greens
- Use rotisserie chicken for faster prep
- Swap wild rice for brown rice (shorter cook time, softer texture)