Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

By kayjayjohnson

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 lb. carrots, sliced
• 1/2 bunch celery, sliced
• 1 lb. chicken
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• cracked pepper to taste
• 1-2 tsp (to taste) salt
• 1 cup wild rice mix
• 6 cups water
• 1/3 bunch fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk

Details

Adapted from budgetbytes.blogspot.de

Preparation

Step 1

STEP 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, dice the onion (and mince the garlic if using fresh rather than pre-minced). Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil and saute until tender (5 min).

STEP 2: If using fresh carrots and celery, clean and slice them while the onions are sauteing. Add them to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes more.

STEP 3: Add the chicken breast (whole), bay leaf, oregano, thyme, cracked pepper, dry rice, and 6 cups of water to the pot. Do not add salt yet. Bring the pot up to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for one hour.

STEP 4: Near the end of the hour, begin to make the creamy milk mixture. In a small pot, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. When it is fully melted, whisk in 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour. Cook and stir the butter and flour mixture for two minutes. Whisk in the milk and allow it to come up to a simmer, whisking occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Once it reaches a simmer, it will have thickened slightly.

STEP 5: Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the soup and shred or dice with a knife and fork. Rinse and chop the parsley. Add the parsley and the thickened milk mixture to the soup. Season with salt to taste. I used about 2 tsp of salt, but start with a little and add more as needed. I also added a touch more pepper at this point. Serve hot!