chicken and wild rice soup

This to me, is an ideal winter comfort meal. For a faster version, you could make this with a rotisserie chicken. Just shred the meat and if you’re really cultivating a vibe, use the bones to make stock. Wild rice requires a fair amount of water and time to cook. By cooking it in advance, you ensure that the vegetables in the soup don’t overcook and saves some stock, because the rice will soak up a lot of liquid.

Tools needed: a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, and a separate smaller pot to cook the rice.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into quarters

1 onion, small dice

1 large carrot, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 qts chicken stock

2 c white wine

1 c cream or 2 c whole milk (optional)

2 c cooked wild rice (2/3 cup raw wild rice)

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Parsley, chopped (as much as you like. I used 1/2 bunch)

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce like Tabasco or Crystal’s for serving

Step 1:

Begin by cooking the wild rice according to package instructions. Pat your chicken dry and seasoning well with salt. Place your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a few Tablespoons of olive oil and allow to preheat. When the oil shimmers, add your chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown and flip over. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the other side starts to brown as well. Brown bits should be starting to form on the bottom of the pan. If they start to darken or turn black, deglaze with water and turn down the heat. Transfer chicken to a plate or tray.

Step 2:

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. As you stir the mirepoix, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove anything that has stuck to the bottom of the pan as much as possible. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon zest and cook a few more minutes. Deglaze with white wine and scrape the remaining bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes or until the wine has mostly absorbed into the mirepoix.

Step 3:

Add the chicken back to the pot in an even layer. Add the chicken stock and season, again, with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and then reduce the heat to maintain. Simmer for 1-2 hours or until chicken is cooked all the way through and you are able to shred it with a fork. Remove chicken and shred, removing the skin and bones. Add the cooked wild rice, parsley, and cream. Stir until evenly combined and add the juice of half a lemon. Stir and taste. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.