Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes     Prep Notes: See rice note below

Cooking Time: 15 minutes     Yields: 4 people

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup flour (optional -- see note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup quick-cooking or instant wild rice (see note)

3 cups shredded chicken (or turkey)

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (optional -- see note)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medicum heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes.

3. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring and scrapping up any brown bits. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chicken (or turkey), sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes more.

Notes: Check the length of time on your rice. Quick-cooking or instant has been parboiled to reduce the cooking time, while conventional wild rice can take 40 to 50 minutes to cook. If you only have conventional rice, cook it in advance and add it as a part of step 3. -- To make without flour or dairy, after adding the rice and before the chicken, scoop out about a cup of the soup and mix in a blender. Return blended mixture to the pot and stir.