Wild Rice, Mushroom and Chicken soup.

So who doesn't like a warm, filling, and earthy soup when it's cold out?

This soup was a little hard but it was worth the amount of time it took to make. I at first didn't take to it like butter on hot toast but the next day it was so much better! This soup is sophisticated but yet, so earthy that it almost puts it in another class. I honestly added more to this soup then what was in the recipe and I am glad I did because it would of been way to bland. When I hear of a soup that doesn't have garlic, onions, carrots and celery, I scratch my head. How does that have any base flavoring? You have to have the aromatics to go with an earthy soup. At least I think so. I am the cook, what I say, goes in this house! Especially if you are hungry and you want to eat!

Ingredients:

For poached chicken:
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tbls of Italian seasoning. I use Mrs Dash garlic and herb.
1 clove of garlic
1 celery stem cut into thirds
1/2 of yellow onion cut into chunks
1 carrot cut into thirds
1 tsp ground black pepper

For the soup:
2 tbls butter
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves finely diced
1/2 cup yellow onion diced
1 cup of shitaki mushrooms thinly sliced
1/2 cup of carrots diced
1/2 cup of celery diced
1 cup wild brown rice (I used Lundberg Farms Country Wild Brown Rice Blend)
4 cups of chicken stock or veggie stock. You will need to buy two boxes.

For the roux:
1/3 cup flour
5 tbls butter
1 cup milk
1 cup stock

Directions:

1- In a stock pot add chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and seasonings. Add enough water to cover and boil on medium high until cooked. Shred chicken and set aside.

2- In the pot you plan on using for the soup saute the garlic, onions, carrots and celery in the butter and olive oil until tender. Add in the rice, chicken and mushrooms and four cups of stock, cook per directions on the packaging. (about an hour)

3- Add more stock if you need to thin out the soup. In a small pot melt the butter, add in the flour and stir until you get a paste. Add in the milk and stock, mix until it starts to get thick and then add into soup. Stir and then cook on low simmer until the soup has thickened.

Enjoy!

This soup pairs well with a chardonnay and a thick crusty sourdough bread! Restaurant quality soup made at home!