Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Well, the weather finally turned cold here, and this soup has been on my radar since I made it last year. It's so flavorful and hearty! We love how easy it is to swap out different veggies too (although I have to say that I'm partial to the sweet potato). This is all you need to make about 8 servings:

Photo byAli

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced into 1 " pieces
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1- 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 cups whole milk or half and half
• 2 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped, optional
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Sauté the Veggies: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add Base Ingredients: Pour in the vegetable stock, then add wild rice, chicken, mushrooms, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.

Simmer: Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is tender. Add the celery, sweet potato, and carrots during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Finish the Soup: When the rice and veggies are done, stir in the milk or half-and-half and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste. Serve and enjoy!