Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 750 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 200 g wild rice blend
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced into rounds
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 150 ml double cream
• Natural yoghurt, to serve
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 25 g unsalted butter
• 2 bay leaves
• fresh chives, snipped, to serve

Method

1. Place the chicken thighs in a large pot with 1 litre of the stock, the bay leaves, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and poach for 20 minutes until cooked through. Lift the chicken out, shred into large pieces with two forks, and reserve the poaching broth.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in the same pot over a medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, and parsnip with a pinch of salt and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened and the leeks have wilted down completely.
3. Add the garlic, dried thyme, and garlic powder. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes to knock out the raw flour taste.
4. Remove the bay leaves from the reserved broth, then gradually pour the broth and the remaining stock into the pot, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a steady simmer.
5. Tip in the wild rice blend and the red lentils and stir to combine. Cook uncovered over a medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is just tender and the broth has thickened to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency.
6. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir through. Pour in the double cream and warm gently for 3–4 minutes. Don't let it boil vigorously after the cream goes in — a gentle heat is all it needs.
7. Taste and season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper — soups need more seasoning than you think. Ladle into deep bowls, scatter over snipped chives, and serve with crusty bread or warm rolls. Freezes brilliantly.