Finney’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup
There is no easier soup to make when time is short and the weather is chilly than Finney’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup! So yummy, so hearty, so comforting, so creamy! And when you read the recipe, you will notice – no chicken! That is not a typo or omission. Wait, what?
So, I have no idea who Finney is, but many years ago I was working for a bank in downtown Birmingham. There was a little antique store a block or so up the street from our office that my coworkers and I would regularly visit on our lunch breaks. If I remember correctly, they served this soup in their little cafe area; not every day, only on certain Tuesdays. Now that was a long time ago, so I might not 100% be remembering that right. BUT one thing I DO remember is that we would be terribly disappointed when it wasn’t available!
The cafe eventually closed, and I am not sure if the antiques store is still in business. But one day this recipe showed up in the Birmingham News sometime in the 1990’s. And I have been making this bowl of yummy-ness at home ever since. Now, over time I have made a few seasoning adjustments and additions to make it my own. The original recipe called for a box of Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice mix. But over the years all boxed mixes have changed greatly in net weight. Not to mention there has been a definite change in quality. Having said all that, this recipe is certainly inspired by and based on that original Finney’s recipe from “back in the day”.
Finney’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a great dish to bring to someone that isn’t feeling well or to a new mom. My daughter recently texted and asked me for the recipe. She reminded me that I brought it to her when she and her husband came home from the hospital with their new baby. So another generation is now enjoying this fabulous soup. Hope you will enjoy it as well! Thanks, Finney!
Finney’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small sweet onion chopped fine
- 3 ribs celery chopped fine
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend such as Rice Select Royal Blend
- 2 teaspoons flour I use Wondra flour, but all purpose works fine
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1-2 teaspoons chicken base I use Better than Buillion brand
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
- zest of half a lemon
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese plus a bit more for serving, if desired
- kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
- fresh chopped or dried parsley for serving
Instructions
- Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots; season with a bit of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a good pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute until tender, 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies , stir and cook for about a minute.
- Now stir in the wine and the teaspoon or two of chicken base and allow to cook another minute, to reduce the wine slightly. Add the rice and stir to coat.
- Now pour in the chicken broth and bay leaf. Stir, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once it boils, turn heat down to medium low/low and cover almost completely with the pot lid. Simmer until the rice is done, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and stir in the whipping cream and lemon zest.
- Using an immersion blender, lightly puree the soup for just a few seconds, to thicken the soup up just a bit. You want to leave the majority of the rice and veggies whole, so don't over puree it. Now add in the Parmesan and stir until it melts; a couple of minutes.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsely, additonal Parmesan and some black pepper. Enjoy!