Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

picture courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

We had a cold, rainy day yesterday and I was feeling soup-y! So, I looked this little number up on my all time favorite recipe blog, My Kitchen Cafe and, let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. In fact, it made so much that we're having it for dinner again tonight and I'm going to freeze the rest (which I'm sure will feed us at least one more time). I love soup season!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
1 cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder (didn't have any, so I just used regular old French's mustard)
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.