Dear Jeanne,
This soup is delicious, and I make it when I have some leftover chicken or turkey. However, I would like to cut down on the fat a bit this year. Can you help?
— Angela, Lansing, Mich.
CREAMY CHICKEN,
MUSHROOM AND
WILD RICE SOUP
1 package (6 oz.) Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice; 6 tbsp. butter, divided use; 1 onion, chopped; ½ lb. mushrooms, sliced; 4 tbsp. flour; 5 cups chicken broth; 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 cup cream; ¼ cup sherry.
Cook the rice according to package directions, then melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot, and saute the onion until soft. Add the mushrooms and saute about 2 minutes, then add the flour and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and rice, then add the cream and sherry.
Makes 6 servings.
Dear Angela,
This is a really good use for leftover poultry! Everyone loved it at my house. I didn’t bother to cook the rice first — I just added it to the soup, and it helped to thicken it. I also found a private-label rice mix that had a much lower sodium content.
LIGHT CREAMY CHICKEN,
MUSHROOM AND
WILD RICE SOUP
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tbsp. flour
5 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup basmati-and-wild-rice medley (reduced-sodium)
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey breast, chopped
¼ cup sherry
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Slowly stir in the chicken broth. Add the rice medley, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken or turkey, the sherry and the half-and-half, and bring it to serving temperature.
Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
Original recipe: 502 calories; 32 grams fat; 118 milligrams cholesterol; 1,135 milligrams sodium; 31 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 1 gram fiber.
Revised recipe: 283 calories; 4 grams fat; 46 milligrams cholesterol; 520 milligrams sodium; 32 grams carbohydrates; 30 grams protein; 2 grams fiber.
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