Chicken, Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup
Soup & simplicity. Summer & serendipity. When planning your meals for hot days as we have here in Mzansi, so often are soups overlooked.
Soups, as this one is, should be easy to make, and our chicken, wild rice & mushroom soup will have you feeling as proud as a professional, and nutritious and healthy to boot!
Our recipe is made up of leftover chicken, be it from Sunday’s roast, or even if you cooked up too many breasts for your weekly plan. If not, just throw a couple of chicken breasts under the grill, lightly seasoned, and shred them using a couple of forks.
This soup is light, although rich and creamy. It’s so easy to whip up, and bursting with flavour. Just remember to stir in the flour slowly, making sure it’s fully incorporated into the butter before you move to the next step.
Should you not find any Gruyere, it’s easily replaced with Emmentaler. Just Check your local big brand grocery store, they have an amazing range of wonderful cheeses from all over the world.
Don’t forget that Body20 members get access via WhatsApp to Body20's Nutrition Doctors, who design a personalised meal plan, recipes and dietary support to help you on your health & fitness journey, and are more than happy to give you any tips, tricks, or even advice you might need.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium sized mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 stick of celery, sliced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup basmati and wild rice blend (or long grain and wild rice blend)
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock (water plus a couple of stock cubes is fine)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- ½ packed cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 2 cups leftover cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large sauce, and fry the mushrooms on a medium heat until browned. Remove from the pan.
2. Melt the butter in the same pan, and fry the onions and celery for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the flour to the pan, and stir together using a whisk, until the flour is incorporated with the vegetables and butter. Turn the heat up to high, and pour in the milk in a slow stream, whilst stirring with the whisk, until the milk is completely mixed in.
3. Add the rice and white wine, and stir. Then add in the stock and dried thyme and stir again. Bring to a gentle bubble and simmer for 20 minutes – stirring 2 or 3 times during cooking. Test the rice – it should be cooked at this point (give it a couple more minutes if it needs it).
4. Add in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, cream, cheese, cooked chicken and the mushrooms. Stir together and test for seasoning. If you prefer your soup a little thinner, you can stir in a splash of milk.
5. Heat until the chicken is warmed through, then serve topped with fresh parsley.
Body20 Members have access to Nutrition Doctors and Wellness Coaches who assess, assist and advise on the most effective health and wellness approach for you.
Book a free demo at your nearest Body20 Studio to find out more about our holistic health offering.
