Chicken and Wild Rice Soup [with the most amazing Chicken]

I’ve been hanging on to this recipe for several months now. My friend Amanda at work had brought some for her lunch and let me sample a bit of it. One taste and I knew I needed to make it immediately. That’s how good it was. I begged and begged for the recipe. I got the recipe and there it sat. In my email. For months. I attempted the chicken once and it didn’t quite turn out. I either cooked it too long or didn’t use enough milk – so I threw it out. Bummer. This last weekend I tried it again. This time it was a major success. I ended up having exactly what I needed right on hand so it was meant to be! This is the perfect soup for a crisp fall day, or when you are feeling under the weather, or when you are having guests over, or pretty much whenever you want! It’s delicious!

Source: My friends, Kevin & Amanda P (not to be confused with Kevin and Amanda)

1 c chopped onion
4-5 cloves minced garlic
1 c chopped carrot
1 c chopped celery
1 c frozen peas
8 c chicken broth
4 c water
4 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded (see directions below)
2 (4.5 ounce) packages quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 c all-purpose flour
6 tbsp butter
2 c heavy cream
2 c skim milk
Olive oil

Saute’ onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add carrots and celery and continue cooking until tender. In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water, carrots and celery mix, and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream and milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Add frozen peas. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the chicken:
8 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed.
2-3 cups 1% Milk
Weber’s Kickin’ Chicken
Weber’s New Orleans Cajun
Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
1/2 c honey
3-5 Serrano peppers, sliced (optional)

Put chicken in deep skillet. Add milk (enough to cover chicken to where you can still see the tops of the breasts). Add other ingredients. Cook on medium low heat for 1 hour. Turn chicken and cook for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Chicken is down when it falls apart when pressed with a fork. Shred chicken.

[My 2 Cents]
For the chicken I used, I actually prepared it all day in a crock pot and it worked marvelously. You will know that it’s ready when it shreds easily. After couple of hours I tried to shred mine and was having a tough time. I waited another hour or so and when I went to shred it again it was effortless. Also, I didn’t have the Weber’s Kickin’ Chicken seasoning so I just left that one out.