Chicken and Leek Soup with Wild Rice

an overhead view of a bowl of chicken and leek soup that shows shredded chicken, carrots and mushrooms in a thick and creamy broth.

Chicken and Leek Soup with Wild Rice

This warming chicken and leek soup with wild rice and mushrooms is the perfect dish to welcome the harvest season. The hearty, autumnal flavors work perfectly together and it's really simple to put together.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, European

Keyword Chicken, Soup

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 325kcal

Equipment

large non-stick stock pot with a lid (at least 3 liters / 3.1 quarts)

Ingredients

4 chicken drumsticks
½ cup wild rice
2 leeks thinly sliced
2 carrots cut into medallions
3 celery stalks thinly sliced
250 grams chestnut mushrooms thinly sliced
500 ml low sodium chicken broth
1.25 liters water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
bunch fresh thyme
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
3 tablespoons heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

prepare the vegetables and herbs

Wash and thinly slice the leeks, mushrooms, carrots and celery.
Use a bit of kitchen twine to tie the thyme into a small bundle.

cook the soup

Add a tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat over medium-high.
Once hot, brown the drumsticks on both sides and set aside in another plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil and sauté the leeks, stirring often until they've reduced in volume and begin to brown. If they stick, stir more or add another tablespoon of oil. Then set them aside in another plate.
Add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté until they've reduced in volume and begin to brown. If they begin to stick, add more oil one tablespoon at a time.
Add all of the ingredients except the heavy cream to the pot. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook covered for 40 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and stir in the heavy cream.
Remove the thyme bundle from the soup and discard (it should just be the stems by the end).
Taste to make sure the salt level is to your liking.*

Notes

It's hard to determine if the salt level is sufficient while the soup is still very hot. To avoid over-salting, take some soup out with a ladle into a small bowl and allow it to fully cool before tasting is the salt is sufficient. If more salt is needed, add a quarter of a teaspoon at a time, repeating the taste test each time.

Nutrition