Share a little warmth with a delicious bowl of Northwoods Wild Rice Soup!
Northwood Wild Rice Soup
Nothing warms the soul like a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter’s day. Besides the cold weather, my dear friend Patty was in need of a little TLC. She was recovering from surgery, and soup seemed like the perfect way to show her I cared.
This is a very simple soup to make. Especially if you use a rotisserie chicken. I also used some leftover ham which was stashed in the freezer from Christmas. This combination of chicken and ham makes a hearty soup which provides a great dose of protein. Luckily, I also had some wild rice squirreled away in my pantry from a previous farmer’s market purchase. This rice was unique because it was wild, hand harvested rice vs. the cultivated variety found at the grocery store. It was lighter in color and cooked up more quickly. Of course, any wild rice would taste great. I was just happy to put the last of my rice to good use.
My Tweaks
- I increased both the amount of chicken broth and half & half because soup should be the consistency of soup, not hot dish. That said, this soup still thickens up quite a bit when it cools down. If it’s too thick when you reheat it, just add a little more broth, milk or half & half.
- While the initial recipe did not call for sauteing the veggies, I think this is required. Instead, I had to simmer the soup longer to get them tender. The recipe below includes the saute step.
- You can use whatever you like for cooked chicken. Personally I love the ease and flavor of rotisserie chicken, so I went that route.
- Since I had Marsala on hand, I used that instead of Sherry. I also drizzled a little more Marsala on top when Mike and I enjoyed a bowl. Yummy!
- Toasted slivered almonds make a great garnish or a few tablespoons can be stirred into the soup for a little extra crunch.
Northwoods Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot if you buy shredded carrot, which is more coarsely grated, saute it a little longer
- 1 cup sliced celery about 1/4″ thick
- 5 cup (1 qt. plus 1 cup half & half)
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup Sherry or Marsala wine
- 3 cup cooked wild rice
- 2 cup cooked chicken cubed (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup cooked ham cubed
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tbsp. butter melted
- toasted slivered almonds optional
- additional Sherry or Marsala for drizzling optional
Instructions
- Add oil to Dutch oven and saute onion, shredded carrot and celery for a few minutes, or until softened. If necessary, cover and simmer for a few minutes so the veggies can soften without browning.
- Add half & half, broth, sherry, cooked wild rice, chicken, ham, salt & pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to meld flavors.
- In small bowl, stir together flour and melted butter. Stir into hot soup. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thickened (5-10 minutes.) If desired, top with toasted almonds and an additional drizzle of Sherry or Marsala. Enjoy!
Just made this recipe tonight because I wanted a classic and comforting chicken wild rice soup and it ended up being a perfect fit! I really enjoyed it, although I did add more salt throughout the process. So glad someone posted it to my neighborhood facebook group so I could satisfy my craving.
Wow! Reposted on a neighborhood facebook group, thatās cool! So glad you liked it. Thereās nothing like a good bowl of soup when youāre in the mood I say. š„£ā¤ļø
for the half and half is it 1 qt plus the 1 cup for a total of 5 cups of half and half?
Yes mam. It states 5 c. 1 quart plus 1 cup half & half. I will put that last part in parentheses so itās more clear.
Thank you for the clarification. Am I able to freeze this for later?
Yes. I have frozen this soup a number of times. I always freeze it in single serving portions, but thatās not a necessity. I recommend reheating it slowly at a low temp in the microwave or a pan on the stovetop. You may also want to add a little extra milk or half & half as you reheat, because cream soups tend to thicken up when you reheat them. š©āš³
It was a lovely recipe. I loved that it wasnāt super salty because whenever I have this soup at a restaurant itās very salty. The slivered almonds and nice crunch and flavor. 10/10 would definitely make it again. ā¤ļø
So glad you liked it! Remember to add a star rating on the recipe too. ā¤ļø
I want a for this right now, it looks amazing!
I can tell you first hand…. the soup was absolutely delicious!!!!
I highly recommend it!