(Updated 10/2010): This soup continues to be a family favorite and is deliciously perfect and elegant for potlucks and entertaining. Over the years, I’ve adapted this soup in order to get the perfect consistency and have also added a few more details to help make putting it together a bit easier. Nine times out of ten, I serve this soup in bread bowls, but it is delicious on it’s own, also. The tender, chewy rice and subtle flavors of the curry and vegetables make for one of my all-time favorite soups.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ – 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup carrots, sliced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- ½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won’t believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring the soup just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.
- Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.
Printed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
Recipe Source: adapted from Mary G.
I made this yesterday and it was wonderful! I only did 1/2 stick of the butter, stuck to the recipe otherwise (sans mushrooms), and it was sooo good. Oh, I did for some reason add 1 c. of cheddar cheese in the end…craving that tang I guess.
Mel, do you ever instead of buying boneless, skinless breasts, roast bone-in skin-on breasts and chop them up in your soups? I can usually get them for 99 cents a pound, and they are so tender and juicy. I just put a tiny bit of EVOO on top, salt, pepper, and bake those babies 50 minutes to an hour as I prep all of my other soup ingredients. It is a little extra work, but the cost and flavor benefits are worth it for me. Just thought I’d share! So excited to try more of your recipes.
This was very worth the effort. My hubby said “Wow, this tastes like something you’d get at a really expensive restaurant.” Next we’ll be trying it in bread bowls. Thank you!
Oh Mel…this was yummy! I didn’t have frozen corn or mushrooms, and I substitued the fresh chicken for a little less than a pound of frozen chopped cooked chicken I had in the freezer….but inspite of that, the recipe was DELICIOUS! My twins lapped it up and even asked for seconds!
Ladies and gentlemen…………anooooother WINNER from Mel!
what kind of bowl is that?? i wanna try your broccoli and cheese soup in a bread bowl (panera style). My family and I crave it, but isnt always an option in our weekly budget! thanks a mill
Emily – I used this bread bowl recipe:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/11/my-favorite-bread-bowls.html
This soup is incredible! Love your blog!
I did have a question though – my soup was very, very yellow! Not at all the creamy white color in your photo. I used Swanson’s canned chicken broth, which has a very yellow tint to it, so I am wondering if maybe that is why. It still tasted delicious! Do you make your own chicken stock?
Brittney – the chicken broth could be part of it (I use the Swanson’s Natural Goodness 33% Less Sodium broth) but also it could depend on the curry powder you use. Some curry powder is much more yellow in color than others.
Im really excited to try this soup tomorrow! im a little confused on the rice though, should it be fully cooked before i put it in the soup? or would if cook fully in the pot as the soup cooks??
Hi Melanie – yes, the rice is fully cooked before adding to the soup.
[...] Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup goes really well with this Beer Bread [...]
I just had to stop back and leave a comment. I started making this recipe about a year or so ago and it’s one of our favorites! We especially love it with your Italian bread bowls. I took some soup and bread bowls out of the freezer for supper tonight! Thanks for a great recipe.
I just made this using some leftover turkey instead of chicken. It is incredibly delicious! Thanks for this awesome soup recipe!!!
First off: I love this soup! I’m not a huge curry fan but it’s just enough for this soup.
Second: I love your blog and recipes! Thank you for taking the time to share.
Now… I’ve made this before, but for some reason this time (can’t remember with other times) the left over soup is SO thick. Even when reheated its more like a casserole. That’s not necessarily bad, but I want soup.
Is it because the rice is just absorbing all the liquid? Did I simmer it too long? Did I add too much flour? A combination of them all?
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks so much!
Hi Katrina – my soup gets really, really thick, too, once I refrigerate it. It’s largely because of the rice absorbing more liquid but I’ve noticed this happens anytime I refrigerate a dish (soup or sauce or otherwise) that has a roux (flour/butter) to thicken it. You didn’t do anything wrong but if you want to minimize it in the future, add more liquid to the leftovers before refrigerating (just a bit of milk or broth). That should help.