How to Make Soup thick and creamy?

Making soup thick and creamy first starts with a roux of equal parts butter and flour. In gumbos, this is stirred constantly and cooked until light brown, like chocolate. However, in many recipes, like this creamy chicken wild rice soup, it's just added in with the vegetables before adding the liquid. If you want soup really creamy, use less chicken stock or broth, which waters the soup down. Also, consider adding heavy cream at the end before serving.

A mirepoix is a combination of celery, carrot and onion cooked in butter or oil. This term was developed in France and is a great way to build flavors in soups and stews.

How to Store Leftovers:

Allow the soup to come to room temperature, then transfer to sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, use a pot on the stovetop over medium heat and cook until warm, or use the microwave and heat in 30 second increments until hot.

Can I freeze this soup?

Absolutely! For the best results, allow the soup to cool and add into vacuum seal bags. Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow the soup to thaw and reheat in a pot until hot.

Creamy Chicken Soup with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Description

This Chicken Soup with Wild Rice and Mushrooms is creamy, hearty and the perfect cold weather meal! It's really easy to make and ready in just over an hour.

Ingredients

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2 chicken breast, about 1 lb, trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks or ribs of celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced small
1 cup baby Bella or cremini mushrooms, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
48 ounces Chicken Stock
3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lay the chicken breast over top of it. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
While the chicken is baking, place a dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat and add in the olive oil. Toss in the carrots, celery, onion and remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Add in the mushrooms, minced garlic, bay leaf, dried thyme and garlic powder and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, then add in the butter and allow it to melt.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. This will create the roux to help thicken the soup.
Slowly pour in about 1 cup of chicken stock while stirring, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then, pour in the remaining chicken stock. Cover the pot and continue to cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes.
Uncover, and stir the wild rice into the soup. Cover again and cook for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.
Once the chicken breast is finished cooking, cut it into small cubes.
After the rice has cooked for 30 minutes, add in the diced chicken and heavy cream. Stir well and reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for another 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the dutch oven to a burner that is turned off.
Ladle into bowls. Top with salt and pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

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Notes

When cooking the mirepoix, you want the vegetables to soften without any browning. Turn down the heat if this is happening.
Don't overcook the chicken because it will continue to cook in the soup. If the chicken breasts are on the thinner side, they may cook faster than 25 minutes.
If you haven't had wild rice before, it is supposed to have some texture and chew to the grain.
At the end of cooking, turn off the stovetop and move the dutch oven to a colder spot on the stovetop to stop the rice from cooking and turning to mush.
Salt and pepper to taste before serving. Some chicken stock (like All Kitchen or Kirklands brand has a good amount of flavor and salt) and other brands you may need to add salt and pepper.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 80 minutes
Category: soup
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American