Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup 

Happy New Year!  It is now 2025.  

We just got our first snow and the temperatures have cooled down considerably.  Winter has finally arrived. It is time to start making some delicious, heart-warming soups.  Here is one of our favorites.

 Ingredients

2 Tbs. butter
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. flour
6 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. wild rice
1 pound chicken breasts
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 c. heavy cream, milk or evaporated milk

Directions

In a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter.  

Add the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Sauté until the onions are translucent. This takes, about five to seven minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms, stirring to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add in the chicken, wild rice, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Bring the contents to a boil. Cover and lower heat.  Continue to simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes until rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°.

Remove the chicken from the soup and place on a plate or cutting board.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones.   Cut or shred the chicken meat into bite sized pieces.

Return the chicken meat to the pot.  With the heat on medium, return the mixture to a simmer.  Pour in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until warmed through. 

Serve and enjoy!  You can sprinkle some Parmesian cheese over the top of the soup as well.

Notes

You can use chicken 6 cups of hot water and mix in 4 to 6 cubes of chicken bouillon or 4 to 6 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder.    Taste the broth before adding the heavy cream or milk, to see if you have enough chicken flavoring to suit your taste.  If you are using bouillon, do not add the salt to the mixture.  Your soup will be too salty.

You can also add diced carrots to the dish as well.  Just add them at the beginning of the recipe when you sauté the onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms.  

In my location, we don't have fresh mushrooms.  So I use the canned mushrooms.  Sometimes I drain the liquid out before using, but most times I do not. It adds flavor to the dish.

Easy Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

We love stir-fry and this is a quick and easy recipe that we often use. If you like more sauce, and I know we do, you can always double or triple the sauce recipe. However, I would not double the honey immediately. It is a good idea to taste it first. Then you can add more honey to get the desired sweetness you like. 

If you are short on time, or you just don't feel like chopping up the vegetables, use a package of frozen vegetables.  

This dish has so many vegetable variations, that you aren't just stuck using the same recipe twice. Use the vegetables that you and your family like best.

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil

2 c. broccoli

1 c. carrots sliced thin

1 onion, sliced into thin half rings

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 to 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce (Optional)

1/4 c. chicken broth

2 tsp. cornstarch

Warm precooked rice

Directions

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat.  

Add the broccoli, carrots and onion.  Cook until the vegetables are tender. This can take around 4 minutes or so.  

Remove the vegetables to a bowl and cover with a lid or a sheet of aluminum foil. I usually use a plate to cover my bowl to keep the vegetables warm. Or you can use a CorningWare dish that has a lid.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet that you sautéed the vegetables in. The heat should be set to medium. 

Add the chicken in a single layer.  You may have to fry the chicken in batches.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  Fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until it is golden brown and cooked through. 

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds. 

Add the broccoli, carrots and onion to the skillet. Cook for several minutes, or until the vegetables are warmed through. 

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup chicken broth, Worcestershire (if using) and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Taste the sauce to make sure it is sweet enough for you.  If you like more sweetness, you can add more honey.  You can also use less honey if you like your sauce to be more savory.

Pour the stir-fry sauce over the chicken and vegetables.  

Cook and stir until the sauce has thickened and everything is heated through. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes. 

Serve over warm rice if desired.

Notes:

You can add a 16 oz. package of frozen stir-fry vegetable blend instead of the fresh vegetables. Just thaw the vegetables and drain off excess water. Add them to the mixture before you add the honey and soy sauce blend.  

You can also add the kind of vegetables you like best. We add canned carrots that have been drained of the liquid. But you can add bell peppers, mushrooms, snow peas, or snap peas.

You can add some ginger, and/or red pepper flakes for a spicier flavor.