Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend*
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
• 1 cup diced carrots (2 medium)
• 1 cup diced celery (3 ribs)
• 7 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1 large garlic clove, minced (1 1/2 tsp)
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp of each dried thyme, marjoram, sage and rosemary (or 1 tsp fresh, minced of any)
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup cooking sherry

Instructions

1. Prepare rice according to directions listed on package.
2. Halfway through the rice cooking, in a separate large pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute 4 minutes, add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
3. Add chicken broth, thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Cover pot with lid, reduce to medium-low heat and allow mixture to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 12 – 16 minutes (rotating chicken to opposite side once during cooking for thicker chicken breasts – if they don’t fully immerse in broth).
5. Remove chicken and set aside on cutting board to cool 5 minutes then shred into small bite size pieces. Leave soup covered over warm heat.
6. Meanwhile in a separate medium saucepan, melt remaining 6 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 1/2 minutes, whisking constantly.
7. Then while whisking vigorously, slowly pour milk into butter/flour mixture. Whisk in heavy cream. Add cooking sherry.  Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens.
8. Add milk mixture to soup mixture in pot along with shredded chicken, cooked rice, and lemon zest. Stir well and remove from heat.
9. Let soup cool slightly and serve.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

  3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – cooked and diced

               1 stalk of celery – chopped

• ½ white onion – diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
•      salt and pepper – to taste
•     1 teaspoon thyme
•   16 ounces potato gnocchi
•   2 cups half and half 
•   1 cup fresh spinach – roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent. 
2. Add chicken, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and thyme, bring to a boil, then gently stir in gnocchi. Boil for 3-4 minutes longer before reducing heat to a simmer and cooking for 10 minutes. 
3. Stir in half and half and spinach and cook another 1-2 minutes until spinach is tender. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed, and serve. 

Notes

Milk: for even more creamy richness, swap one cup of the half and half for heavy cream.