Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

We lived in Minnesota for six years and during that time I ate and made numerous wild rice soups.  I love wild rice and its chewy texture.  I happened on this recipe some time ago and never got around to making it....what a shame.....I think it's my favorite.  And the greatest part of this recipe is that it is virtually guilt-free!  You use non-fat half-and-half and it is still incredibly rich! 

I will tell you, this recipe makes alot!  I wish I could say how many servings but I had a bit of an accident this morning.  I had left it on the porch last night to chill (it was in the 30's last night) and when I was bringing it in this morning, I slipped on a mat we have and dropped that pot!  Luckily it landed upright, but I still lost a lot when it dropped (Nellie cleaned it up for me, though!)  But I'm going to guess that it makes a good 10-12 servings.  But it is my understanding that this freezes well, so if you love wild rice soup like I do, make the entire recipe and freeze what you don't use for a cold, snowy day down the road.

With a nice crusty baguette or some artisan bread, this is a meal in itself.  It would also be a fantastic home for leftover turkey this weekend.

CREAMY CHICKEN and WILD RICE SOUP (10-12 servings?)

1/2 cup butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or about 1/2 to 3/4 pound cooked chicken or turkey, cubed or shredded)
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup AP flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds, optional
2 cups non-fat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won't believe how delicious this is with the non-fat variety)

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, celery, corn, uncooked chicken and carrots and saute for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through (if you are using cooked chicken, add it after this next step).  Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 more minutes.

Add flour and stir well.  Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.

Add the cooked rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, and black pepper.  Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half.  Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.   The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.  Garnish with almonds.