UNCLE BENS CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat, add onion and saute until soft but not browned, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add flour and saute another minute.
• Add chicken broth, water, carrots, garlic, celery, brown rice and chicken thighs, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add wild rice mix along with it's seasoning packet, long grain rice and mushrooms and simmer on low, covered 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks, return to pot, add sour cream and more water if too thick, adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed and serve.

Steps:

• Open rice, pull out seasoning packet and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine pepper and flour. Set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in contents of seasoning packet, and continue cooking vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes more. Add seasoned flour gradually while constantly stirring, to form a roux. Saute roux for 3-4 minutes to cook out raw flour taste.
• Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
• Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through and rice is done,15-20 minutes.
• Alternatively, for those who cannot get the quick-cooking version of the rice, I have put the broth on to boil and cooked the 25-minute version of long grain and wild rice blend according to the directions, while sauteeing the veggies in the butter. I tend to cook the veggies longer this way, and I like them quite soft. I then follow the rest of the directions above, adding the rice/broth to the cream mixture. I've also used fat-free half and half with no appreciable difference in flavor. Enjoy!