🎩 A Word from Captain Moonboot
The Department of Seasonal Survival at World Headquarters has issued its annual October advisory.
Apparently, the arrival of cooler weather means Captain Moonboot can no longer claim that a hamburger and a cold beverage constitute a complete supper every evening.
The Missus has suggested soup.
Captain Moonboot has agreed, provided the soup contains enough chicken, vegetables and rice to require a spoon capable of supporting considerable weight.
The result is a hearty, creamy chicken and wild rice soup featuring tender chicken, carrots, celery, mushrooms and a rich, savoury broth. It's proper comfort food without requiring a culinary degree or a second mortgage at the grocery store.
Better still, it's an excellent way to use leftover roast chicken.
Toad has expressed enthusiasm for the chicken component but remains deeply suspicious of the celery.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Servings: 6 generous bowls
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40–45 minutes
Total Time: 55–60 minutes
🥕 Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced cremini or white mushrooms
- ¾ cup uncooked wild rice blend (not instant)
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
For the creamy finish:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup half-and-half cream (10%)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Optional additions:
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ½ cup frozen peas
- Extra mushrooms
- A pinch of smoked paprika
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the vegetables
Dice the onion, carrots and celery into small, reasonably uniform pieces.
Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic.
Captain Moonboot recommends preparing everything before turning on the stove. Experience has demonstrated that attempting to chop carrots while simultaneously rescuing burning onions is an unnecessarily exciting kitchen activity.
2. Sauté the vegetables
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots and celery.
Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the rice and broth
Stir the uncooked wild rice blend into the vegetables.
Add the chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and black pepper.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Cover and simmer for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Check the rice package for its recommended cooking time. Some wild rice blends require longer.
Add a little extra broth or water if the rice absorbs too much liquid.
4. Prepare the creamy mixture
When the rice is nearly tender, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour and cook for approximately 1 minute.
Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Continue cooking for 3–4 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
Stir in the half-and-half cream.
Remove from the heat.
5. Add the chicken
Once the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf.
Add the cooked, shredded chicken to the soup.
Stir gently and allow the chicken to heat through for approximately 3 minutes.
If using spinach or frozen peas, add them now.
6. Make it creamy
Slowly pour the prepared creamy mixture into the soup pot, stirring continuously.
Simmer gently for another 3–5 minutes.
Avoid a vigorous boil, which can cause the dairy to separate.
If the soup becomes too thick, add a little additional chicken broth or milk.
7. Finish and season
Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
The lemon juice won't make the soup taste lemony. It simply brightens the flavour and balances the richness.
8. Serve and enjoy
Ladle the hot soup into generous bowls.
Garnish with a little extra parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve with warm crusty bread, homemade biscuits or toasted sourdough.
Captain Moonboot maintains that bread is an essential soup accessory because leaving perfectly good broth at the bottom of a bowl constitutes wasteful behaviour.
🌟 Captain Moonboot's Kitchen Notes
Make it economical: Use leftover roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Save the bones to make homemade broth for another day.
Choose your rice carefully: A wild rice blend containing brown and wild rice works beautifully. Pure wild rice generally takes longer to cook, so follow the package instructions.
Make it lighter: Replace the half-and-half cream with additional milk. The soup will be slightly less rich but still creamy.
Make it dairy-free: Substitute olive oil for the butter and use unsweetened oat milk or another neutral, unsweetened milk alternative.
Add more vegetables: Spinach, peas, finely chopped broccoli or extra carrots are all excellent additions.
Make it thicker: Allow the soup to simmer uncovered for a few additional minutes after adding the creamy mixture.
Make it thinner: Add additional chicken broth until the desired consistency is reached.
Make ahead: Prepare the soup base and rice in advance, but add the milk mixture shortly before serving for the best texture.
Leftovers: Refrigerate promptly in an airtight container for 3–4 days. The rice will continue absorbing liquid, so add broth or milk when reheating.
Freezing: For the best results, freeze the soup before adding the dairy mixture. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat thoroughly and prepare the creamy finish just before serving.
🍽️ Captain Moonboot's Serving Suggestion
For a proper autumn supper at World Headquarters, serve this soup with toasted sourdough bread and a simple green salad.
For something a little more substantial, accompany it with a grilled cheddar sandwich.
The soup is also excellent for lunch the following day, although the rice will absorb additional broth overnight.
Captain Moonboot recommends preparing an extra cup of broth specifically for leftover management.
The Missus recommends simply following the recipe.
Both approaches remain under consideration.
🚨 WORLD HQ EDITORIAL NOTICE
The Department of Seasonal Survival has officially approved Recipe #30 for inclusion in Making Salsa: Recipes & Other Bad Decisions from Captain Moonboot.
Following an extensive investigation, the Department has determined that homemade soup offers several advantages over commercially prepared alternatives.
These include lower cost per serving, greater control over ingredients and the ability to add considerably more chicken than certain canned soup manufacturers appear willing to provide.
Captain Moonboot has described the findings as revolutionary.
The Missus has pointed out that people have been making soup at home for thousands of years.
Captain Moonboot has requested that she stop undermining important government research.
Meanwhile, Toad has submitted an application for the newly established position of Director of Chicken Inventory Management.
Her proposal includes supervising the shredding process, inspecting all chicken before it enters the soup and personally disposing of any pieces deemed unsuitable for human consumption.
Management has expressed concern that her definition of unsuitable includes virtually all chicken.
Furthermore, the Department of Canine Safety has reminded everyone that the finished soup contains onions and garlic and must not be shared with household pets.
Toad has responded by requesting that a small portion of plain, boneless, unseasoned cooked chicken be reserved before soup production begins.
The Missus has agreed that this is a reasonable compromise.
Captain Moonboot has asked whether the same arrangement could be made for him.
His request has been denied.
Recipe #30 is officially ready for the World HQ cookbook! 🍲🐔🍁