Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Ravenseyes's Note:

This soup was inspired by my co-workers love for the Panera's Cream of Chicken and Rice soup - I made my take of it and she loved it so here it is for all of you! A little healthier in that it doesn't have any heavy cream.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken (breast with bone in works beast and a "little" skin)
• 1 cup onion (diced)
• 3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
• 1 cup carrot (diced)
• 1 cup celery (diced)
• 14 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt (kosher)
• 1 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground)
• 2 bay leaves
• 14 ounces long grain and wild rice blend (Carolina seasoned Long Grain and wild rice)
• 14 3/4 ounces creamed corn
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup cream (fat free half & half)

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot over high heat add 1 tbsp olive oil - season the chicken breasts with fresh pepper and sea salt, place into the pot and brown on all sides, approximately 10 minutes total.
2. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots and bay leaves. Season.
3. Add 14 cups water and lower heat to medium. Simmer for 2 hours.
4. Remove chicken breasts from soup, debone meat and chop into cubes and return to soup.
5. Add 3 pkgs of the Carolina wild & long grain rice seasoned (this equals 14 oz), can of cream corn, and corn. Slow cook for 30 minutes.
6. In a small pot melt butter, add salt, pepper and flour, slowly ladle in soup of the soup stock - add cream and return to the soup pot. Cook for 10 minutes at medium high heat to bring to a boil. Stir frequently . Serve with a nice crusty bread! Enjoy.

Reviews

[Susiecat too]

This was a delicious and comforting soup on a cold and blustery day. Like the other reviewers, I also made a few changes. I had some cooked shredded chicken and some steamed brown rice left over. I made some wild rice separately and added it. I followed along the recipe for the onion/carrot/celery/garlic and added only frozen corn. Since Ravensyes (Verna) told me the rice mix was seasoned with cumin and coriander, I added about 2 tsp of each spice to my sauteed vegetables just prior to adding the chicken and water. I made my roux with olive oil (instead of butter) and flour and then added some water to make it into a gravy. I added that to the soup, and then to make it creamy I added a can of coconut milk. In this way, my soup had no dairy ingredients. We liked this soup a lot, and I will probably make it again soon. Thanks, Ravenseyes!

[SweetsLady]

This was really yummy! I made about 1/3 of the recipe. I had some chicken already cooked, so I cooked up the onions, garlic and carrots with some canola oil. I then added in 4 cups chicken broth, pepper and a bay leaf. I didnt add the salt with enough salt from the seasoned rice. I added 1 cup frozen corn and no creamed corn (personal preference). I cooked it for 20 minutes and then added in 1/2 c fat free half and half with 1 T cornstarch (that had been mixed together). It came out like a stew but was very tasty. :) Thanks, Ravenseyes!

[megnbrycesmom]

This was simple and straight-forward to make, and tasted yummy! I did end up using about 8 cups of chicken broth instead of 8 of the cups of water to add a little more flavor. I used a lundberg brown and wild rice blend that I had on hand (and cooked it longer to account for the brown rice) and i used real half and half. Oh, and I used half a chicken, bone in and skin on. I would have liked the soup to end up a little thicker than mine did, and I didn't love the corn in it, but overall I give it high marks. Definitely worth repeating.