Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup!

There used to be a restaurant in our city that served a soup very similar to this and I just loved it.  It was always so good on a cold day when I was out working and running around all over town.  That restaurant eventually closed, like so many of the restaurants in our area seem to do, and I missed their Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.  I experimented with it and came up with my own and I will say this is very close to what they served.

The wild rice and touch of curry, gives this soup a slightly nutty flavor that is so unique.   I know that curry is something people either love or hate, so if you do not care for it, just leave it out.  This is still a good soup recipe.  I happen to love curry and I think it makes this so good.

This soup is great when you are sick with a cold or the flu, because the curry, cayenne and chicken broth will really open up your airways.  It's also quick to make, if you have some chicken already cooked or use a rotisserie chicken. 

Here is what you need:

1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

1 cup carrots, grated or cut in thin matchsticks

2 tsp. minced garlic

3 Tbs. butter

1 (6.2 oz.) box of long grain wild rice mix with seasoning packet (I used Uncle Ben's)

2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cups white meat chicken, diced

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup half and half cream

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, saute the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the butter just until the vegetables are slightly tender. 

Add the rice mix with the seasoning packet, the chicken broth and water.  Bring this up to a boil.  Once it boils, turn the heat down to simmer and add the chicken, seasoned salt, black pepper, curry powder, and cayenne pepper.   Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.    Add the half and half cream and stir.   

In a separate bowl, cube the cream cheese and slowly spoon some of the chicken broth from the soup into it mixing after each addition.  Do this until the cream cheese is melted and is mixed well with broth. 

This is called tempering.  If you do this, instead of dumping the whole block in the hot soup, your cream cheese will not curdle and it will incorporate into the broth and look nice.   Slowly mix the tempered cream cheese and broth back into the soup and stir well.

 Let this simmer for just about 10 minutes and stir again.  DO NOT let the soup boil after you add the half and half and cream cheese.  Just keep it on a nice low heat.  Stir this from the bottom to be sure it isn't sticking.   If this becomes too thick as it simmers, add a little more water or half and half to it.

Garnish with some sliced green onions and in less than an hour you have a hearty homemade soup!