The Perfect Soup for the Perfect Storm

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

After enjoying several weeks of Indian Summer, I guess we were due for some nasty weather. With Hurricane Sandy coming our way, this weekend looks like it may be a good one for staying indoors and brewing a batch of your favorite one pot meal. Today I made a big pot of one of my favorite cold weather soups - a lighter version of a rich and creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup that I first became obsessed with at Panera a few years ago. I use much less butter, substitute skim milk for whole, and stock it full of veggies so it's still rich and satisfying, but also healthy enough that I can eat it for days on end without the guilt. And as long as the electricity stays on through this storm, we'll be warming up with this soup all weekend long.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. skinless chicken breasts
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart water
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 box wild rice with seasoning packet
2 cups skim milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Simmer chicken breasts in large pot with chicken stock and water for 25 minutes or until cooked through.  Set aside and dice into bite-sized pieces. Save broth in pot.
2. While chicken is cooking, saute carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil in large skillet until slightly soft. Set aside.
3. Add diced chicken and wild rice to broth and simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is cooked.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in skillet used to cook veggies. Add seasoning packet from wild rice and flour and continue to whisk to form roux.
5. Add milk in slow stream, continuing to whisk until mixture is well incorporate, thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add mixture to chicken/broth pot along with veggies. Simmer for 10 minutes. Soup should be slightly thickened and creamy.