Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

I have been in a soup mood all week. I blame it on the cooler weather we have been having! I saw this Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup on Pinterest a few months ago and finally decided to try it! I am glad I did! The kids asked for seconds and asked for it in their lunches at school!

Ingredients:

• 3 (10¾ oz) cans condensed chicken broth
• 2 cups water (*I added more as it cooked. It was too thick for my taste. You can also add more milk)
• ½ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed (I used Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Meledy)
• ½ cup finely chopped green onions
• ½ cup margarine or butter
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups half and half
• 1½ cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
• 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
• 2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth – do not drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
3. Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil. The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors merry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day! For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.

I added this soup in my homemade soup bowl for a delicious dinner!