Wild Rice Soup

Method

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1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 8 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to remove the raw taste.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

3. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring, so the flour dissolves without lumps. Add the wild rice, thyme, bay leaf and salt.

   Mark done

4. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

5. Add the chicken breasts whole and simmer for 20 minutes more, until the rice splits open and the chicken is cooked through.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

6. Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it to the pot, discarding the thyme stalks and bay leaf.

   Mark done

7. Stir in the cream and pepper and heat gently for 3 minutes without boiling. Taste and adjust the salt.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Rinse the wild rice first. It can carry dust from harvest.
• Add the stock a little at a time. The flour lumps if it goes in all at once.
• Keep the soup below a boil once the cream goes in, or it can split.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Crusty bread
• A green salad
• Crackers

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 4 days. The rice keeps absorbing liquid, so thin with stock when reheating. Freezes for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.