Minnesota Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

AGHHHHH!!!!!  Please forgive my loud screaming!!  We got hit with another blizzard this past weekend.  The ironic thing is that I was just outside running around in shorts less than a week ago.  It was supposed to stop yesterday, but here I sit, staring out the window at a 3 foot snow drift and a lot of snow coming down.  The weather forecaster's predict that another storm of modest amount is supposed to hit on March 7.  Well honestly.  Screw you, Old Man Winter!  And you too, Mr. Punxsutawney Phil! Clearly, you are bitter about something.

Ok, enough complaining (grrrrrr).  But based on the above feelings, comfort food has certainly been a-plenty in our kitchen.  I ended up walking to the grocery store before the blizzard hit yesterday morning because I knew I would be craving chili.  And, because I deal with an extreme OCD when it comes to spotting a recipe and dealing with a craving, I knew it was wise to go out that day to pick up the ingredients.  I left around 9 am and snow had not yet begun to fall.  The grocery store is about 6/10ths of a mile from our house.  By the time I got there, flakes had started to trickle down.  In the 5 minutes I was inside the store, it turned into a snow-fest outside!  The walk home was intense and I was completely covered when I walked in the front door.

So, why am I not posting the chili recipe that I had made?  Because my blog is backed up with recipes that have yet to be posted!  So, since this delicious soup was made a few weeks back on another cold, snowy, dreary Minnesota winter night, I figured it would suffice for today's post.  Ron is a big fan of wild rice soup, so I figured I would give it a try.  Overall, it turned out fantastic.  Though, like all good soups, I swear that it tasted much better the next day after the flavors had a chance to mix together.  I did make one change to the recipe.  I replaced the cream with a can of cream of mushroom soup.  Cream, although very tasty, would have set the nutritional stats soaring.  I decided to make a somewhat "healthier" version of the soup and it worked out just great.  It might not be as creamy, but it worked for my preferences.  As always, serve with a big slice of a hearty, crusty bread... and enjoy!

Minnesota Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
from The Pastry Affair
Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 leeks, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 3 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• 4 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (1 1/2 - 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (or 1 cup cream)
• 1/4 cup dry sherry

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions.
2. In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Saute leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic until vegetables have softened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add flour and stir.
4. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add cooked rice and cooked chicken; stir.
6. Stir in cream of mushroom soup (or cream) and dry sherry; cook until heated through.
7. Serve with a nice hearty loaf and enjoy!