Recipe: Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

On a lazy afternoon I came across this recipe. And I knew exactly what I was going to make for dinner. And when I checked out the website www.pinchofyum.com, my menu for the entire week was set.  This blog is so fabulous that just looking at the pictures makes me hungry. And then recipe…don’t get me started. It’s better than it looks and that says a lot because it looks great! Enough typing. Try this soup and let me know how much you enjoyed it.

Ingredients

• 3 (10¾ oz) cans condensed chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
• ½ cup finely chopped green onions
• ½ cup margarine or butter
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups half and half
• 1½ cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
• 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
• 2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth – do not drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
3. Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil. The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors merry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day! For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.

Also read: Planning to go on a diet? Don’t be a fool!