Sunday Soup Day: Creamy chicken wild rice

Well, today's soup was quite possibly the best recipe that I've put together on Sunday Soup Day and I didn't make enough! I had a few guests over to watch football and when I was in the final touches, the crowd suddenly doubled. Needless to say, I didn't have enough soup for everyone and I won't be eating it tomorrow for lunch (drats!).

As a little guy, I remember my mom bringing home creamy chicken wild rice soup. We loved it so much that we always wanted more. Once in a while, I see chicken wild rice soup offered at restaurants, but hardly enough. So, I tried to create a creamy chicken wild rice soup to meet my needs. Instead, it surpassed every expectation I had. Everyone who was fortunate enough to enjoy a bowl agreed. It was magnificent.

Starting out, I chopped the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and sauteed them in the Dutch oven with some olive oil, thyme, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. When the vegetables were slightly soft, I added the chicken stock and chicken broth and cooked on medium heat until it boiled. In the meantime, I had the chicken in a frying pan with olive oil and salt and pepper. When the chicken was almost done, I chopped it and added it to the soup.

In a medium saucepan, I melted half a stick of butter, added 1/4 cup of flour and one can of cream of mushroom soup and stirred until it was smooth (it didn't boil). I inserted cooked wild rice to the cream mixture and mixed it in for about five minutes. Then, I adjoined the cream mixture to the soup and stirred in an additional 1/4 cup of half-n-half.

Everything cooked together for another ten minutes before I added the mushrooms. I wanted them to still have firmness. I also put slivered almonds on top (I didn't measure) and salt, pepper and Nature's Seasons seasoning. The consistency was not very thick, but it had a "white" tint and was very creamy. The thyme also presented a very distinct flavor.

I'll definately repeat this recipe.

Ingredients:
26 ounces chicken stock
10 ounces chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 chopped onion
1 fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces cooked wild rice
1/4 cup half-n-half
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste

Music: Train - Calling All Angels
Weather: 15 degrees, sunny