Comfort food: Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Yesterday I mentioned how perfect this Vidalia onion & Wild rice soup (via Smitten Kitchen) sounded and what do ya know, I followed through and whipped it up last night! 


The soup was so easy to make and really only took a little while because of having to cook the wild rice. I also had some leftover baked chicken, seasoned lightly with salt, pepper, and thyme, that I decided to shred and add into the soup-so delicious! 


I also added a sea salt vegetable bouillon cube to the chicken broth instead of the herb bundle the recipe called for. I thought that this was a great substitute and added the perfect amount of flavor to the broth. The only thing missing for us was the homemade baguette croutons, but the flavor of the soup was spot on, so the added carbs weren't missed at all!

image from Smitten Kitchen

Chicken & Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice

very slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 4

1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds (about 4) Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, quartered and very thinly sliced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Sea Salt & Vegetable bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
8 slices baguette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Blue cheese if you are making the baguette croutons!

Cook the wild rice in a small saucepan according to package directions. Usually, 2 cups of water is the amount needed for 1/2 cup wild rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer and cover the pot. Let it cook, undisturbed, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 50 to 55 minutes. Set aside.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and season the onions with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for another 15 to 25 minutes, until they are tender, limp and sweet. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Wrap the herbs (see Note up top) in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string. Trotter suggests you drop the bundle into the broth for one minute, then remove it, but after going through such an effort to make one, I decided to leave mine in a little longer; it made me feel better. Adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with oil. Bake on a baking sheet until light golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. While the croutons are still warm, spread them with blue cheese.

To serve, divide the rice among four bowls, and ladle broth and onions on top. Float two croutons in the center of each bowl, and sprinkle with more pepper. Eat immediately.