Chicken & Wild Rice Soup for the Soul

Today is Chicken Soup for the Soul Day. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading one of the many Chicken Soup for the Soul books that were created by inspirational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. Spend the day in front of a warm fire or sunny window and whip up a pot of this delicious Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and dive in.

These books are close to my heart because they were given to me by my mother to read as a teeneger. She was sweet enough to hand it over as "just a suggestion" to her wild child as a way of finding my center and bringing some inspiration and culture to my world. A world that was full of loud music and Johnny Depp wall collages. That part hasn't changed, but it's now called iTunes and Pinterest boards. Digital rebellion and refusal to ever let the wild child die is how I think of it now. I still like my music loud, but I balance it out with yoga, meditation and well, blogging to all of you (thank you for reading, friends! xoxo). Now back to chicken soup and the soul...

Some of my favorite quotes from Jack:

“Most everything that you want is just outside your comfort zone.” 
― Jack Canfield

“There are essentially two things that will make you wise -- the books you read and the people you meet.” 
― Jack Canfield

“Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” 
― Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul

There is a Chicken Soup book for just about everyone. They are a nice little pick me up and I found reading them, especially as such an impressionable age, made me feel more normal as I related to the stories I read. The struggle is real for all of us. Sometimes it's nice to have that reassurance or a reminder to keep your head up on a bad day. I don't know the author, and couldn't find the source, but I love this quote when I'm feeling stressed or down:




So in honour of this soulful day, I decided the most fitting chicken soup recipe to share would be my chicken & wild rice. Like most of the recipes I post, I've made this one healthier by eliminating the need for cream. It's absolutely delicious with a velvety mouth feel, and as a bonus, good for you too! Try it out, read some happy thoughts and leave me your favorite quotes in the comments below. 

Peace, love and light,

Amelia 

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup for the Soul

Ingredients:

2 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded.
32 oz. organic free range chicken broth
1 cup of Lundberg wild blend rice
3 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cube of butter
1/2 cup of flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup of frozen peas, rinsed
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1 Add rice and chicken broth to a medium pan, on medium heat, with the lid on, until rice is cooked. About 45 minutes.

2 While the rice is cooking, sauté the olive oil, garlic, onion, carrot and celery in a stock pot over medium heat, until the onions are translucent. Remove the veggies and set aside for later.
3 Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the flour, whisking to make a roux. Cook until light blonde. Add the milk and continue whisking until milk thickens. Add the rice and stock mixture, veggies and shredded chicken. Stir together and simmer for ten minutes, to thicken and marry all of the flavors together. Add thyme, salt and pepper and frozen peas. Stir until peas are melted. Serve and enjoy!

If the soup isn't to your desired creaminess, you may add another splash of milk. The reason I suggest cooking the rice in the stock, is to use the rice as a thickening agent and eliminate the need for cream. This saves quite a bit of calories and makes for a hearty, creamy base without sacrificing flavor. 

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

I am a soup addict! I eat soup for lunch at least four times a week and sometimes for dinner as well. It's perfect for the cool fall weather and so easy to meal prep, portion out or freeze for later. Soup & a sandwich or soup & salad combos are the best! We all know that tomato soup and grilled cheese are soulmates that were destined to be together. They're our favorite lunch couple. This recipe gives them a fresh new twist that will renew your love and make you never open a can of that "Mmm mmm good" watered down mess again.

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
1 box of low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
4 Roma Tomatoes, finely diced (can substitute 8 oz. can, crushed)
3 medium carrots
1 celery stalk
1 med vidalia onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 T. olive oil
2 T. Sweetener (sugar in the raw or stevia, optional)
sea salt to taste

Garnish:

Crème Fraîche
Fresh chives or scallions

The best grilled cheese:

Butter two slices of sourdough bread on the outside and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place 
1 slice of pepper jack and one of sharp cheddar cheese (or your choice) on the inside. Toast on Med-Low heat in a cast iron skillet or heavy cast pan until the cheese melts and the outsides are golden brown, Slice into triangles, or cube and use the sandwich as croutons in your bowl of soup.

Directions:

Add the carrots, celery and onion to a food processor. Blend until coarsely chopped.

Add the mixture to a large pot with 4 Tbs. of olive oil heated to medium heat. Sauté for 3 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add canned and diced tomatoes, stock and thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add stevia and salt to taste. Cook an additional 10 minutes and turn off heat.

Serve by spooning into Soup bowls, swirl the top with Crème Fraîche and garnish with chives.


*Can be made vegan by omitting the Crème Fraîche and using vegetable stock. Also by using non-dairy cheese and vegetable spread on your sandwich.