Creamy Chichen and Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

From: The Family Flavor

"Back in my food blogging days, a reader asked if I would put together a recipe for a creamy chicken and rice soup that doesnt have any of that cream of chicken soup, creepily slippy-sliding out of a can. Done! Over time, I have tweaked this recipe to its current, perfect state. Truly, this might be my greatest recipe creation ever. I have even made it for 100 people for one of my husband's catered events. It is savory, hearty, and soothing, a soup everyone is happy to come home to." 

- excerpt from The Family Flavor

Yields 6 servings

1/2 cup long grain white rice, prepared according to package directions

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced, 2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Prepare rice and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once oil is heated add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. saute until veggies are softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and sage and stir until combined. Turn heat to high and pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts, cover the pot and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the soup and reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Let the chicken sit until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. Uncover and add back into the soup. Add the prepared rice and heavy cream. Stir until combined and increase heat to medium-high.

In a small bowl, combine softened butter and flour. Stir it into a paste with a rubber scrapper. Stir butter flour mix into the soup until well combined and the soup is thickened. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chopped fresh parsley.

***Note from tayler: cory and i both really liked this. I forgot to time myself but i remember thinking it was a pretty easy dish. super yummy and hearty. i loved more rice in mine (i made way too much rice- but it all worked out), we even liked it as leftovers! i also cut the recipe in half and it still made a ton!