I made this Soup over the thanksgiving holiday in Georgia and Becky requested is posted here! Below is the recipe as it was posted by my friend in an email. Super easy and yummy!
1 4 oz package wild rice (I may not have used all of this, but once it is cooked add how much looks good to you)
olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups less sodium chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed baking potato
3 cups reduced fat milk
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped roasted chicken (about 2 breasts)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
seasoned salt to taste
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Heat a little olive oil in a large pot/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until potato is tender.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the potato mixture; bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in rice, chicken, pepper, and salt. If desired, add seasoning salt and garnish with parsley.
Notes:
This is the recipe as I made it. I made a number of modifications to the original recipe (which didn't have carrots and celery for example) but one modification people might want to know about is the cheese. The original called for 10 oz. cubed light processed cheese (like Velveeta Light) instead of the cheddar. I made it once with Velveeta and it did give it a rich taste and a smoother texture as it melts much more effectively, but as we usually minimize processed foods I usually substitute it with the shredded cheddar.
