Chicken Vegetable and Brown Rice Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

You’ll need:
1-1/2 cups precooked brown rice (set aside)
1-1/2 cups leftover chicken, diced
3 Tbsp. canola oil
6 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup onions, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
14 oz. fat free chicken broth
1-1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
Salt and pepper (optional)

Add canola oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven and set heat to medium-high.

Melt 3 Tbsp. of butter in heated canola oil. Add diced onions, diced celery and sliced carrots and saute, stirring continually, until veggies are fork tender and onions become transparent. Add diced mushrooms and stir for about 2-3 minutes, until thoroughly mixed and mushrooms are browning.

Slowly stir in chicken broth and cook on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add and stir in chicken, precooked brown rice and dried parsley flakes. Stir vigorously, slowly adding in milk, 3 Tbsp. butter and flour. (Note: You can make a rue first, by whisking together flour with 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and stir into soup, but slowly adding the flour to the warm soup mixture, stirring the soup continuously ,works just as well.)

Add salt and pepper to desired taste. Cook on low heat, while stirring for about 15-20 minutes, until soup is thickened to a “creamy” consistency. Add (optional) salt* and pepper to desired taste.

​*Karen’s Note: For a lower sodium recipe, do not add salt to brown rice or soup and use a low sodium chicken broth.

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