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a plain bowl of pale creamy chicken wild rice soup with short shredded white chicken breast meat and many dark elongated wild-rice grains, with no mushrooms, carrot cubes, white rice, chicken skin or garnish
Rachel Kim

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Cook pure wild rice in its own saucepan while the chicken roasts and the leeks and parsnips soften for the broth. Those jobs can happen together, so this does not require three separate stretches at the stove. The parsnips blend into the soup for body, leaving the wild rice and shredded breast meat distinct after they are folded in. There are no mushrooms or flour in this version. Save the roasting juices and add them with the chicken, then warm the cream gently; the finished bowl should have a creamy base around dark, pleasantly chewy grains rather than rice that has dissolved into the liquid.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breast halves about 2 lbs total
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup uncooked pure wild rice rinsed
  • 4 cups water for rice
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 medium leeks white and light green parts only, sliced and washed
  • 12 oz parsnips peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Rub chicken with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper and place skin-side up in a small roasting pan. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the thickest breast meat reaches 165°F, then rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring rice water to a boil in a saucepan. Add wild rice, cover and simmer gently for 45 to 55 minutes until tender and many grains have split; drain any remaining water.
  3. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Cook leeks for 7 minutes, then add parsnips, broth, thyme and remaining salt. Cover partly and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until parsnips are soft.
  4. Remove chicken skin and bones and discard them. Shred the meat into short pieces, retaining the clear roasting juices.
  5. Blend the parsnip and leek broth until smooth with an immersion blender. Fold in cooked wild rice, shredded chicken and roasting juices.
  6. Add cream and heat gently for 5 minutes until steaming throughout without a hard boil. Divide among 6 bowls.