Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 

There is nothing like a warm, savory, hearty soup when it's cold outside. This Chicken and Wild Rice soup checks all the boxes (and my kids love it). This has been on repeat at my house since Thanksgiving (we used leftover turkey for that one). It's pretty versatile and can be made allergen friendly. I have always made mine gluten and dairy free. Let's get to the good stuff...

What you need: 

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalked of celery, copped
• 1 container (8 oz) baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 3 TBSP flour (or gluten free flour works great)
• 2 TBSP minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 4 TBSP butter, vegan butter or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup wild rice (not the quick kind)
• 1/2 cup rubbed sage
• 1/2 cup thyme
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 cups shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken for this)
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 
• salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Heat 1 TBSP oil or butter over medium heat in a large stock pot
2. Sautee onions, carrots, celery and garlic until onions start to soften
3. Add mushrooms and stir until they start to soften
4. Sprinkle in the flour and add butter or oil and stir until the flour is absorbed by the veggie mixture
5. Add rice, sage, thyme and broth
6. Cover the pot and let the mixture come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until rice is cooked
7. Stir in chicken and coconut milk
8. Season to taste 
9. Enjoy!

Tips to make this quicker and easier: 

*have shredded rotisserie chicken frozen and ready to go at any time

*used pre-mince garlic

*while carrots/onions/celery/garlic are sautéing, use that time to chop the mushrooms

*speaking of carrots, throw in a big handful of baby carrots and save peeling and chopping