Wild Rice Chicken Chowder

A Quick and Easy Dinner Soup Recipe

My Wild Rice Chicken Chowder is a quick and easy dinner soup recipe that starts with a packaged soup mix and gets even more fabulous with a few simple additions...

I love to buy soup mixes, you know those kinds in large foil pouches that you can get for a few bucks? We love soup, but starting from scratch can take a bit more than an hour. So, if you use one of these mixes to jumpstart your process, you can usually have hot, delicious soup ready to serve in 30 to 45 minutes. I usually buy the Bear Creek brand of soup mixes (great broccoli cheese variety!), but this time I got a different brand on sale. The name escapes me at the moment, but they had this wild rice soup that whetted my palate when I saw it.

From there, I just started throwing in things I found in my kitchen. The result was something truly delish!

Wild Rice Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:

1 packet wild rice soup mix
2 small chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped
7 or 8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen corn

Handful of chopped fresh basil
Other ingredients as specified on soup packet

Directions:

Prepare soup using the directions on the packet. Then, add the chopped chicken, vegetables and seasonings and allow to cook until everything is tender, cooked through and hot. That's all there is to it!

We really loved this soup, both the night I made it and afterwards for lunch. The flavors just seemed to get better and better. It'd be good served with a nice green salad and/or crusty rolls or French bread.

Variations

Use a different mix of vegetables, such as broccoli and/or cauliflower
Add some white wine for a slightly French flair
Substitute leftover roast chicken or baked ham
Swap out some of the water for half and half or milk, for a richer, creamier soup (and fattier)
Use different seasonings, such as thyme or rosemary