Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I have a vague memory of my mother making chicken and rice soup when I was younger.  It wasn't something that she did that often and it was definitely something that I did not eat.  I was a very picky eater back then. It's gotten better over the years, but I'm still fairly picky.

As I've grown older and my mother is no longer on this Earth with us, I find myself craving any and all foods that bring back all the memories of  her in the kitchen cooking us dinner, including meals that, at the time, I refused to eat.   One day I was browsing Pinterest and saw a recipe for chicken and wild rice soup.  Even though it was very different from my mother's version, it brought back that memory and I set out to make my own.  I took this recipe from My Sweet Savannah and adapted it to our family's tastes.  It turned out wonderfully creamy and something that we will eat several more times throughout the winter.

Scroll down for a printable version.


What do you need?
1 ½ cartons of chicken broth (32oz cartons)
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked wild rice (we used Rice Select Royal Blend it's a Texmati, Brown, Wild and Red rice blend)
¼ cup butter
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup half-n-half
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and chopped

What do you do?
1. In a large pot combine the broth and water. Add the rice and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not drain any liquid that is left in the pot, this is part of the soup.
3. In a medium pot melt the butter over medium heat, stir in the flour. Slowly whisk in the half-n-half and milk, stirring constantly until it's no longer lumpy and it's thoroughly incorporated.
4. Stir in your seasonings, add your rice and chicken. Cook for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally, but cooking over low heat all day is much better so the flavors have plenty of time to meld together.