Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Several years ago, on a women's beach retreat, we had this soup.  I serve this when we have guests for Thanksgiving.  It's also great for Sunday Suppers.

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion diced

2 C diced celery ~about 5 stalks~

1 C sliced mushrooms

2 C dry wild rice blend made per box instructions

3 C cubed/pulled cooked chicken or turkey (about 5 chicken breasts)

½ C butter

½ C flour

3 ½ C heavy cream

2 C chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp sage

1 Tbsp marjoram

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 chicken bouillon

Directions:

6 qt Enamel Cast Iron
Dutch Oven

1. Boil chicken, cube, set aside.

2. Cook wild rice according to package instructions, set aside.

3. Slice mushrooms set aside.

4. Dice the garlic, onion, and celery.

5. In a Dutch oven, melt butter on medium low and add vegetables to sauté.  Once vegetables are tender (not mush), add flour and stir.

6. Turn heat to medium, add cream and stir.  Continue stirring as this thickens.

7. Once it reaches the thickness of gravy, add chicken and rice; stir.

8. Add chicken broth to thin the soup to your liking.

9. Add the bouillon and seasonings to taste.

10. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

11. Serve.  

12. To rewarm, add back to Dutch Oven and warm on medium high heat and add more chicken stock or cream to loosen the soup.

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Vegetable Beef Soup

When my husband and I first started dating, he was in seminary.  He came back from classes one cold rainy day sounding awful with the beginnings of a cold.  I went home and made this soup to take to him.  It's still one of his favorites.

6 qt Enameled Cast Iron
Dutch Oven

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef

• ½ c butter

• ½ cup flour

• 1 ½ qts. water

• 1 c chopped onion

• 1 c sliced carrot

• 1 c sliced celery

• 1 c cubed potato

• 1 10 ox package frozen soup mix

• 1 28 oz can tomatoes, undrained and chopped ~or tomato puree~

• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

• 1 ½ T beef bouillon ~I use Better than Beef Bouillon~

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in a large Dutch Oven, stirring to crumble.  Drain

2. Melt butter in Dutch Oven, add flour and cook over low heat 3 minutes.  

Gradually add water, stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring occasionally.

3. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients.  

4. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

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Tips:

Mix N' Chop

File this under, tools I never knew I needed.  LOL.  The Mix 'N Chop from Pampered Chef makes crumbling your ground beef easy.