This is my most requested soup recipe by my husband. He likes his soup creamy, thick, and chunky, which is exactly how this soup can be described. It reminds me of Minnesota, known for its abundance of wild rice growing among its 10,000 lakes. My husband and I take a group of friends up to northern Minnesota every year for our annual Boundary Waters canoe trip. We have yet to find where the wild rice grows, as those lucky enough to find it keep their lips sealed, but one of these years I hope to have the opportunity to harvest some of our own. Let’s dive into this earthy, comforting goodness.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons flour
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into chunks
- Note: I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken
4 cups cooked brown & wild rice mixture
- Note: For convenience/to save time, you can use 2 packets of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat in large pot. Toss in the shredded carrots and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add in your celery, onion, mushrooms, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir so it covers the veggies and makes a paste. Cook for 2 minutes.

Toss in your bay leaf, dump in the chicken broth, and bring to a gentle boil.

Pour in the heavy cream and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Somewhere along the way, as you were waiting for the contents of your pot to boil etc., you shred/cut your chicken into bite size pieces.

Add all remaining ingredients into the pot: chicken, rice, parmesan cheese, seasonings. Let simmer for a few more minutes, and then fish out your bay leaf and discard.