This is a great mix-up of your traditional cream of chicken soup. Like all soups, it’s a great way to get rid of the little bits and pieces of leftover vegetables you’ve got sitting in your fridge – and makes a wonderful wintery lunch.
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-3 cloves garlic
1/2 a medium onion or 1 small onion (optional)
2 cups milk
1/2 to 1 cup white wine (optional – just replace with milk or chicken broth if you don’t have or want to use wine)
1 small box Long Grain and Wild Rice
In a deep frying pan or wide saucepan, cover the chicken with water (if you have it, add a cube of bullion or teaspoon of chicken stock). Place over medium-high heat. Let the water reach a boil, and poach chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until cutting into the thickest part of the meat reveals no pink.
Set poached chicken on a plate and allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it. (In the fridge, if you’re in a hurry) Shred or roughly chop the chicken – don’t worry about making it look pretty.
Prepare the long grain and wild rice according to the package directions.
Chop the garlic and onions into small pieces. In a medium soup pot, saute them together with a small amount of oil, until they’re softened. Add the cream of chicken soup, milk, white wine, shredded chicken, and rice. Heat through and serve.
There are plenty of things you can add to this soup. Try adding corn for a more hearty meal. Or throw in a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat. Small amounts of rosemary or thyme make great seasonings. This also freezes well – just pour into freezer-safe containers, let cool, uncovered in the fridge, then seal and pop into the freezer. To reheat, just put in a pot over very low heat.
