Description
Chicken & Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is a rich, comforting soup featuring tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and nutty wild rice. This creamy and flavorful recipe balances a delicate roux-based broth with aromatic spices, slivered almonds, and a hint of dry sherry. Perfect for cold days, it can be simmered slowly on the stovetop or prepared in a slow cooker, and it freezes beautifully for easy future meals.
Ingredients
Vegetables and Butter
- ½ cup butter
- 1 finely chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup sliced carrots
- ½ pound fresh sliced mushrooms
Dry Ingredients & Seasonings
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup slivered almonds
Liquids & Other Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 cups half-and-half
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, celery, and sliced carrots. Sauté these vegetables for about 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant. Then add the fresh sliced mushrooms and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
- Make Roux and Add Broth: Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir thoroughly to combine with the vegetables and butter, creating a roux. Gradually pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
- Add Main Ingredients and Seasonings: Stir in the cooked wild rice, cubed cooked chicken breasts, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, dried parsley, ground black pepper, slivered almonds, and dry sherry. Allow the soup to heat through, ensuring all ingredients are fully incorporated and warmed.
- Incorporate Cream and Simmer: Slowly pour in the half-and-half while stirring gently. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 hours, taking care not to let it boil to prevent the roux from breaking and curdling. This long simmer melds flavors and creates a creamy, hearty soup.
Notes
- This soup can also be made in a slow cooker by transferring the sautéed vegetables, roux, broth, and other ingredients and cooking on low for several hours.
- Do not boil the soup after adding half-and-half to avoid breaking the roux and curdling the cream.
- Wild rice can be cooked ahead of time or substituted with other rice blends if unavailable.
- The slivered almonds add a delightful texture contrast; they can be toasted lightly for enhanced flavor.
- This soup freezes well; cool completely before freezing and reheat gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
