Creamy Gluten-Free Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Yesterday I was in downtown Chicago with some of my best friends. It’s strange, I live right outside Chicago, but I think my friend who lives in Indianapolis spends more time downtown than I do! The plan was to potentially eat together at the Walnut room, but unfortunately the wait was about 4 hours to get in. Needless to say, my friends did not want to experience the “hangry Erica”, so on a food search we went. It’s interesting, when I only had to avoid corn things seemed to be a bit easier. Now that it is gluten and corn, eating out has been brought to a whole other level of complication.
Salads tend to be safe, as long as I am careful of the toppings I put on it. So, the safe route I went. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love salads, but I also sometimes just want to eat something else. Right next to the salads were the soups. I’ve been craving chicken and wild rice soup for weeks, but finding a safe one is incredibly hard. I was super excited when I saw the “Gluten Free” next to the chicken and wild rice soup. I quickly ordered my cup, and then inspected the menu on a closer look. Turns out, that gluten free right by the long awaited and craved after soup was only explaining that when a soup at “GF” next to it, that meant it was gluten free – this soup however was not.
So today I went on a mission to make this soup. I have to say I’m pretty excited how it turned out and also excited about the fact that I could sneak even more veggies than the normal version of this soup has. I was also overjoyed to find gluten free “rye-less rye bread” (and corn-free!) at Trader Joe’s that could easily be made into garlic bread. The perfect addition for a creamy delicious soup. (see recipe below)
I hope that you find this as comforting and delicious as I do during these dreary winter months. If you need more persuasion to cook up a big batch of this soup, consider the following health facts:
Mushrooms: Did you know they are great at boosting your immune system? They not only increase the function of certain aspects of your immune system, but also reduce inflammation. Different mushrooms types of mushrooms do different things. I used white button mushrooms in this recipe and those in particular boost the part of that fights disease causing pathogens (such as viruses or bacteria).
Kale: Has more than twice the Vitamin C of an orange, which means it is also a great booster for your immune system. Time to kick those cold and flu germs to the curb! Kale (and parsley too) is a significant source of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential in helping to get calcium where it should be going – our bones. Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and calcium all work together to make strong bones, keep calcium out of places it shouldn’t be like our blood vessels, and keep help keep our calcium levels in normal limits. So kale not only helps to keep you healthy but also intact!
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 60 mins
Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup white onion, diced
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
15 oz chicken broth stock
3/4 – 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups wild rice
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 cups kale
3/4 cup white button mushrooms, diced
2 cups nut-milk of choice (I used coconut milk here)
1 1/2 -2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
1 stick of butter, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Rinse the rice and add it to a rice cooker with two cups water, or follow the directions on your rice cooker and cook until soft
Add the chicken broth to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and boil until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. When done, remove and allow to cool to the touch
Once chicken is done, remove and let cool
After the chicken is removed, put all the vegetables, garlic, and parsley in the pot on medium heat allow vegetables to soften for 10 minutes
While the vegetables cook, shred the chicken
Once the vegetables are softened, add in shredded chicken, rice, salt and pepper, and coconut milk
Allow to simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes
Place the stick of butter in to melt
Once the butter is melted, slowly add in the flour to desired thickness. It will continue to get thicker as it sits, so I suggest making it not quite as thick as you desire.
Continue to stir every 30 seconds while on low heat for about 5 minutes.
To date this is my most requested recipe from friends. I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this as much as I do!
Want some garlic bread to go with your soup that is easy and healthier than store bought options? Mix minced garlic and olive oil together. Use a spoon to then spread a thin even layer of the mixture onto each side of your bread of choice. (I used Trader Joe’s “ryeless rye bread” that is gluten free for this dish.) Cook for approximately 15 minutes at 350 on a metal pan flipping halfway through.
