69. Chicken-and-Wild-Rice Soup

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I love having a pot of soup cooking on the stove on Halloween, and it's usually the first time in the South when it's actually cold enough to break out the soup & stew recipes.

This has tons of flavor and comes together quickly. It's creamy (but not rich) and packed with lots of veggies. Most of the reviews I read on SL's site suggested using broth instead of the water for additional flavor...I used a four-cup container of chicken broth along with one cup of water.

1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
5 cups water
1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) loaf pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted


Sauté onion and carrots in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.