Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 7 Tbsp butter, diced, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp of each dried thyme, marjoram, sage and rosemary
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions

1. Cook the rice using the instructions on the package. When the rice is about halfway done, warm a separate large pot over medium heat and melt 1 Tbsp of the butter. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for about 4 minutes, until they soften a bit. Add the garlic for the final 30 seconds.
2. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and let the soup come to a boil. Put the lid on and boil for 12 – 15 minutes, until the chicken is done all the way through. If the chicken breasts are thick and not fully covered by the broth, turn them over once as they cook.
3. Move the chicken to a cutting board, leave it there for 5 minutes to cool, then shred it into small bite-size pieces. While the chicken cools, lower the heat to low and stir in the cooked rice. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
4. For the roux, use a separate medium saucepan; the rinsed and wiped rice pan works just fine here. Set it over medium heat and melt the remaining 6 Tbsp butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, whisking the whole time.
5. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking with some enthusiasm, so it blends smoothly into the butter-flour mixture. Continue cooking and stirring until it thickens.
6. Stir this milk mixture into the soup pot, then cook for about 5 minutes more, until the soup has thickened. If you’d like the rice softer, you can simmer it longer; cover the pot first and stir now and then. You can also splash in the broth remaining in the can. Finish by stirring in the heavy cream and lemon zest, then serve it warm.