Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

My mother-in-law got me a subscription to Cooking Light magazine last Christmas.

In a recent issue I saw this recipe for creamy chicken and wild rice soup that I was just dying to make.

This is comfort food at it's best.

There's nothing more soothing than a homemade soup in the Fall.


Ingredients

5 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1 Tbps fresh Thyme leaves(I used a pinch of dried)

1 (8 oz) package of pre-sliced cremini mushrooms

4 cloves of minced garlic(I used the pre-roasted and minced garlic)

4 cups unsalted chicken stock(I used broth)

1 cup water

4 cups lightly packed chopped curly kale

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 oz shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast(about 1 1/2 cups)

1 (8 oz) package precooked wild rice

1 cup fat free half and half

1 1/2 oz all-purpose flour(about 1/3 cup)


Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp.

Remove bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 Tbsp drippings.  ***I drained out most of the bacon grease here to reduce the fat because it seemed like a lot!***

Add onion, carrot, and celery to drippings in the pan and saute for 3 minutes.

Add thyme, mushrooms, and garlic; saute 5 minutes.  Add stock and water; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, simmer 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add kale, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes.

Stir in chicken and rice.

Combine half and half and flour in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Stir into soup; cook 2 minutes or until thickened.  Top with bacon.

Let's talk points~

This recipe serves 6.  Each serving is 1 2/3 cup and comes out to only 4 points!!!

I am so happy with this recipe!

It's lower in points than I originally thought it would be and it's so delicious!

I love it when I can satisfy a craving and a need(comfort) and not break my points bank.

Happy Cooking!