Anyway, that said, I have been doing some mega catching up over the past two years on every epic curry opportunity I have missed over the past decade. And without a doubt, much of that is happening in the soup world. I love a good curried soup. Especially simple ones like this one.
It’s all of the goodness of traditional chicken and wild rice soup. But instead of cream, I went with coconut milk. And instead of Italian seasonings, it’s curry for the win.
It’s easy to make, nice and creamy, perfectly (and fairly lightly) spiced, naturally gluten-free, and mmm mmm good. Perfect for warming you up on a chilly day, whether that’s in south Texas or northern Canada. It’ll do.
6-8 SERVINGS
CURRIED CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP
This Curried Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe is easy to make, nice and creamy, perfectly (and fairly lightly) spiced, naturally gluten-free, and mmm mmm good.
PREP: 10 MINS COOK: 45 MINS TOTAL: 55 MINS
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 teaspoons curry powder*
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (**see note below)
optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes, shredded coconut
Begin by cooking your wild rice. Stir together the wild rice and 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan until combined. Cover and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer (covered) for 40-45 minutes until the rice is cooked and tender. Strain out any extra water, and remove from heat.
While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a (separate) large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock, chicken, curry powder, bay leaf, cumin, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Stir in the coconut milk until combined. Continue to cook until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially with a lid, and let the mixture simmer until the rice is ready.
Once the rice is cooked, stir it into the soup until combined. Remove the bay leaf. Then taste the soup, and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
Serve warm, topped with optional garnishes if desired.
*I tried a few different curry powders when testing this soup, and I actually loved classic ol' McCormick curry powder best. But go with whatever brand you love.