chicken & wild rice soup

need a break from the sweets? yea, me too. how about a bowl of vegetables spiked with chicken, half & half and wild rice?

really? that's it? that's all you've got? but what about something a bit more festive? a bit more complicated? i mean, just throw some vegetables, chicken, rice & cream into a pot. that's it?!

yep. that's all i'm asking of you.

why?

because it's simply one of the best soups i've ever had. ever. 

i can't quite figure out what it is, what makes it so good. there's really nothing fancy to it. it's not much to look at, but i dare you to show me a good looking soup. soup never really looks all that great, it's the name that gets you. who would have thought wild rice would be so good in soup?

speaking of, when i bought wild rice, the only packaged kind i could find was in the rice aisle of the grocery store, and cost $6+ for less than one and a half cups. i headed over to the bulk aisle and got a cup for significantly less, i think around $2. the only difference - i used a wild rice blend, instead of only wild rice. and it worked perfectly for me.

chicken & wild rice soup
adapted from my kitchen snippets
1 hour, serves 8

4 stalks celery, diced
6 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 bay leaves
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend, whatever you can find
2 cups (about 1 1/2 - 2 breasts) chicken, diced into small pieces
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup half & half

1. coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium heat. cook the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic about 10 minutes, or until just softened. sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until browned.
2. whisk in the stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, until incorporated. add the wild rice and bay leaves. cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.
3. add the potatoes and chicken. cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.
4. stir in half & half and cook 10 minutes. season with salt & pepper and serve immediately. leftovers reheat perfectly.