Creamed Wild Rice Soup With Chicken and Mushrooms Minnesota Yea

Hello to all my foodies friends out there in webland I hope this blog finds you all in good shape and having a great New Year.  Am back from Texas and moving right along with giving you this recipe that I tested out in the great state of Texas.  The Wild Rice comes from the great state of Minnesota which we visited over the summer.  Great people in that state and lots of good food to taste along the way.  I tried this recipe out on my in-laws while we were there and it pasted their test and that can be hard sometimes to do for a daughter-in-law.  I'd been wanting to try this soup because my daughter is trying to get us to eat healthy as she calls it however that said am using some half in half in this recipe but it will be no fat.  You may use the real thing or follow me down the road of healthy as she calls it.  Did you know that wild rice is really a grain and not a rice?  It takes about 45 minutes to cook wild rice as well.  It is very healthy to eat and in Minnesota the Native Americans are the ones who harvest the rice from the fields.  They use paddles and beat the grain until it falls into their boats and it has been harvested that way fro years.  It must take along time to harvest and its pricey to buy the wild rice.  However its worth the cost because it has a great earthy flavor, nice and meaty texture.  Anywho I hope you enjoy this dosh as much as we did.  Bona Y'all.

Creamed Wild Rice Soup With Chicken and Mushrooms

1/2 cup Butter
1 Cup chopped Celery
1 Onion, Chopped
4 Pods Fresh Garlic, minced
1/2 cup sliced Carrots
3/4 cups Flour
1.5 tsp. Onion Powder
1.5 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. dried Thyme
1 tsp. dried Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 pound Chicken Breast, cubed
3 T. White Wine
2 cups cooked Wild Rice
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 cups Half and Half

Melt butter in a pan and to that you add the onion, garlic, celery and cook for about 10 minutes then to that you add the mushrooms.  Cook till the mushrooms are tender.  Then add to your pot the onion and garlic powders along with the parsley and thyme, carrots.  Then you add the flour for your roux.  Stir.  Then slowly add the chicken broth and bouillon cubes, salt and pepper to taste and remember not to oversalt, you can always add more salt but you can't take it out.  Now place alittle Olive oil in another pan to brown the cubed chicken and add the wine.  When it is brown add the chicken to the pot.  Stir well.  Then you add the cooked Wild Rice and stir.  Simmer for about a hour and then add the half and half and simmer on low, not a boil for about 20 minutes.  If you boil your soup after you add the milk it will separate and will not look smooth.

Well that is it for this wonderful blog on my Wild Rice Soup I hope you enjoy this recipe and please try the other recipes that I have.  You may email me at madjon51@aol.com or visit my on face book fan page called, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Watch the cookin show as well at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95, " Cooking With Madjon and Friends."  Thanks so much and try to stay warm outside you hear.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.