Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

• ½ pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded1.5 pound
• ½ pounds bacon, cooked and crumbled, grease reserved1.5 pound
• rinsed wild rice1 cup
• ½ cup green onions (or add sauteed garlic/onion)0.5 cup
• cans cream of chicken soup (my mom uses chicken broth with less water)3
• cans water↗5
• bacon grease↗5 tablespoon
• butter↗2 tablespoon
• salt + 1/2 teaspoon pepper (more to taste)1.5 teaspoon
• ¾ cup flour0.75 cup
• half and half↗2 cup
• milk↗3 cup
• additional water, milk, or broth for thinning

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Prep the chicken and bacon.

2. 2

   Whisk the cream of chicken soup and water together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the green onions and wild rice and cook, covered, for 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to soak in pan, covered, for up to 1 hour (this is optional – just makes the consistency of the rice a little softer). There should still be a little bit of liquid in the pan at this point.

3. 3

   In a large saucepan or skillet, melt the bacon grease and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the flour and salt and pepper and stir until a thick paste forms. Cook for 1 minute. Add the half and half and milk. Whisk until smooth and thick – about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the creamy mixture to the rice pan. Add the chicken and bacon and continue to cook over very low heat for at least 8 hours. You can also transfer the soup to a slow cooker and just keep it on low. Adjust the consistency to your preferences by adding more milk or water and whisking until smooth.