½poundfresh mushrooms, chopped or thinly sliced (optional)
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspooncurry powder
1teaspoonmustard powder
1teaspoondried parsley
½teaspoonblack pepper
¾cupall-purpose flour
6cupschicken broth (I use low-sodium)
2cupscooked wild rice or a wild/brown rice blend
1cupslivered almonds
2cupshalf-and-half, regular or nonfat
3 to 4cupscooked, chopped chicken
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, carrots, and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are mostly tender (they'll cook a bit more in the next steps).
Add the mushrooms, if using, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, and ground black pepper, and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring or whisking constantly. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.
Add the cooked rice, almonds, chicken and half-and-half. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Moderate the heat so the soup doesn't boil vigorously. It will thicken as it simmers.
Serve immediately or keep warm over low heat until serving.
Notes
Chicken: the original recipe called for cooking 1 pound of cubed, raw chicken in step #1 with the carrots and celery. You can definitely still do that! But I've found it's easier to use cooked chicken and add it at the end. After ten years of making this soup, I've also updated the recipe to include adding the spices at the beginning to develop more flavor. None of the quantities of ingredients have changed.