Ingredients:
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice blend…depending on how much you want!
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 4 Tbsp butter, diced, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp of each dried thyme, sage and rosemary
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (I had one large chicken breast that I butterflied)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup half & half
Prepare rice according to directions listed on package.
Halfway through the rice cooking, in a separate large pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery and sauté until slightly tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sautéing. Add chicken broth, thyme, sage, rosemary and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover pot with lid and allow mixture to boil 12 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside on cutting board to cool 5 minutes then shred into small bite size pieces. Meanwhile reduce heat to low and add cooked rice. Add shredded chicken back into soup.
In a separate medium saucepan (I just rinsed and wiped out the rice pan), melt remaining 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 1/2 minutes, whisking constantly. Then, while whisking vigorously, slowly pour milk into butter/flour mixture. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add milk mixture to soup mixture in pot and cook about 5 minutes longer, or until soup is thickened. Stir in half & half and serve warm.