Hot soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods, especially in cold weather. Since January is National Soup Month, now is a great time to make a few terrific soups to help get the family through the cold weather in anticipation of spring.

The following Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is warm and comforting; it takes advantage of the nutty flavor of wild rice. Wild rice, incidentally, is not really rice at all; rather it is a grass which grows well in the cold weather of the Great Lakes Region of the US. In fact, it’s Minnesota’s official state grain. Wild rice is now readily available in most grocery stores everywhere.

Just 15 - 20 minutes hands-on time is all that is necessary to get things going before leaving for work. By using dehydrated onion, you’ll save time by eliminating the step of chopping the onions (not to mention the smell on your hands and, and of course the tears). Another timesaver is the use of pre-sliced mushrooms, which are readily available at most grocery stores; dehydrated mushrooms are another quick alternative.

I’m hoping you’ve already taken advantage of the Basic Cream Soup Mix, which is used in numerous delicious, but quick and easy soups on BellaOnline. If you haven’t, January is a great time.

Homemade bread is a must with homemade soup. If you have an automatic bread machine, you can dump the ingredients into the pan and set the timer so that the bread is finished at the same time the soup is. Hands-on time: 5-10 minutes! Follow the link at the bottom of this article for several quick and easy homemade breads on this site.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

8 Servings

3/4 cup wild rice
8 cups water
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 medium carrot, sliced
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes, or 1 medium chopped onion
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cleaned well and cut into 1/2" chunks
2 cups Basic Cream Soup Mix

Mix the wild rice, water, celery, carrot, onion, mushrooms, and salt in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Cook on low until the vegetables are almost tender, 4-6 hours (or 2-4 hours on high).

30 minutes before serving, add the chicken chunks to the hot mixture, stir in the Basic Cream Soup Mix, and cook on high until thickened. If the soup thickens too much, add a little water.

Note: If planning to be away longer than the six hours cooking time, the slow cooker may be put on a timer; timers are very inexpensive and are available at discount stores.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 281 Calories from Fat 94
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 34% Protein 25% Carb. 41%

Nutrient Amount per
Serving
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 6 g
Cholesterol 45 mg
Sodium 1011 mg
Total Carbohydrate 29 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 18 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 12% Calcium 0% Iron 5%