Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

It's barely October and not cool yet, but I am ready for autumn!

Unfortunately, Florida still finds itself in the throes of a very active hurricane season. I am shipping out tomorrow with a search & rescue (SAR) team in response to Hurricane Milton, a historic Category 5 barreling its way toward Tampa with 180mph winds. Having grown up in austere conditions on the Amazon and also worked in government before and in missions, I can say... this disaster response client continues to resonate with my soul.

A direct hit on Tampa is likely to be devastating, and I spent the day doing a variety of things to channel my nervous energy—buying the right pants for SAR (are there right pants?), learning to set up a Starlink, wrapping up projects for other clients and—best of all—cooking this Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup in the slow cooker.

Knowing this would center me, I actually prepped it the night before so the flavors could infuse. Then, at 5am, I took it out of the fridge and hit Low Heat. Twelve hours later, the house smelled amazing and I got to enjoy something very comforting with my dad before heading out and toward the storm.

I started from a recipe on the internet and added all sorts of things. If you make it, I hope this meal brings you comfort in the way it brought some to me today.

CREAMY CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken tenders

• 32 ounces roasted chicken broth

• Four 10.5 cans of cream of potato soup

• 3 carrots, sliced into rounds

• 3 celery, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thin

• 2 onions chopped

• 4 tbsp butter

• Several cloves of garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup wild rice

• Fresh sage, rosemary and thyme

• Salt & pepper

• 2 cups, heavy whipping cream

The evening before, combine the broth, soup, and salt & pepper in the slow cooker. Add the chicken. Sauté the onions in the butter until translucent, then add the garlic until fragrant and stir in the carrots and celery, sautéing just a little longer. Pour into the slower cooker and stir to incorporate. Add the fresh sage, rosemary and thyme in a clump into the mix, then cover and put the slow cooker's inner container into the fridge to marinade overnight.

Next morning: take out, and hit low heat on the slow cooker. Let cook for 8 to 12 hours. Take out the clump of fresh herbs. The last hour or two, add the wild rice. At the end, stir in the heavy whipping cream. Adjust salt & pepper to taste.

SERVE WITH

Sourdough bread. I cheat and buy the "Bake at Home" sourdough loaves from Publix. You can find them in the bakery section. Fourteen minutes in the oven—easy!