Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (Panera copy-cat)
INGREDIENTS
6 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breast halves (cooked, boneless and cubed)
1 (6 ounce) package long grain and wild rice blend, quick
cooking version (You will use the seasoning packet. I used Uncle Ben’s)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup butter (I don’t use this much!)
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cups light cream (good with fat-free half-and-half)
DIRECTIONS
- Open rice, pull out seasoning packet and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine pepper and flour. Set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in contents of seasoning packet, and continue cooking vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes more. Add seasoned flour gradually while constantly stirring, to form a roux. Saute roux for 3-4 minutes to cook out raw flour taste.
- Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
- Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through and rice is done,15-20 minutes.
*Really thickens up after the first day, I add water to thin out.
Recipe courtesy of Food.com
