Tuesday’s Soup Vierling Saloon’s Cream of Chicken Soup with Wild Rice

 

Midwest Living is an excellent resource for visiting places in the Midwest.  One of the features I have always appreciated is the recipes from inns or restaurants they print every so often.  In 1993 I picked up probably THE stellar issue with 12 soup recipes from Michigan’s North Country.  Yep and I still have it.

I have used so many recipes from this issue that I’m afraid this baby is going to fall apart or disintegrate soon.  The recipe I’m going to share today I have modified to take out the fat as well as I use “other” like type ingredients. 

The Vierling Saloon is located in Marquette, Michigan.  It’s still in existence.  It’s a brewery now.

Vierling Saloon’s Cream of Chicken Soup with Wild Rice

• 8 ounces uncooked wild rice (1 1/3 cups)  [I use 2 Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice original recipe – rice only OR 2  bags of Success Brown Rice]
• 1 3 to 3 ½ pound broiler-fryer chicken cut up (short version a deli roasted chicken)
• 4 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 Tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules (I use 2 cubes)
• ¾ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk (I use skim)
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• For the short version
• 1  32 ounce and 1- 14.5 ounce can of Swanson Chicken Broth 99% fat free 1/3 less sodium

Cooking instructions for the ORIGINAL VERSION

Cook wild rice according to directions.  Drain of any liquid.

In a 6 qt Dutch oven, combine the chicken and 7 cups of water.  Bring to boiling.  Reduce the heat.  Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or till chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth and let stand till cool enough to handle.  Skim fat from broth.  Strain and reserve broth.  Remove chicken meat from the bones.  Cut into bite sized pieces. 

In the same Dutch oven, cook mushrooms till tender.  Add onion and celery.  Cover and cook till tender.  Return the broth to the Dutch oven. 

Add the partially cooked wild rice to chicken broth.  Stir in the bouillon granules, white pepper and ½ teaspoon salt.  Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in flour till smooth.  Add milk.  Cook and stir till bubbly.  Add to the soup mixture. 

Add the chicken and wine and heat through.  Makes 8 main-dish servings.

SHORTENED VERSION, MINE

In your Dutch oven sauté the mushrooms, celery and onions till tender.  Add 2 Swanson 100% Natural Chicken Broth to the vegetables. 

In the meantime, cut your roasted chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.  This can be done when you first get your chicken at the beginning of your week. 

Add the rice (Uncle Bens Wild rice – only the rice or add the Success Rice).  Stir in the bouillon, white pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt.  Bring to boiling then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

In a small sauce pan use only ¼ cup flour and 2 Tablespoons of butter.  Make a roux out of it.  Add 1 cup of milk and stir till you have a sauce.  Add only one more cup of milk and stir till blended. It will be MUCH thinner than the original recipe.  Stir into soup mixture and add the remaining milk to the soup.

Add the chicken and wine.  Heat through.  My version cuts out most of the fat but leaves you with a lot of flavor.