When the temperature outside gets cooler, we like to unwind and stay warm with a homemade meal. Nothing beats the winter blues like a nice, warm bowl of soup. It can turn any normal day into a soup-er great one!
This season, we partnered with Michelle Miller of Sunkissed Kitchen to create a soup perfect for chilly days. This recipe is sure to keep you feeling warm and full even on the coldest days.
Soup season is one of the best parts of the colder days. There are so many great combinations you can throw into your soup pot, and it’s easy to make a meal to feed your family dinner with several lunches left over.
Plus, you can pack in lots of veggies! This soup uses pseudo-grains, wild rice, along with sweet butternut squash, to give it an earthy flavor and lots of interesting texture. This recipe also includes shredded Lacinato kale. It retains its texture and doesn’t break down in soups, so the leftovers are just as good as the soup is on day 1.
What are some of your favorite foods to make when the temperature drops? Share your dishes with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok by tagging us and using #SharpHome!
What You’ll Need for this Fall Soup:
- Avocado Oil
- Garlic
- Shallots (or use yellow onion)
- Herbs (I love to use fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary. Dried is fine too!)
- Chicken Broth (an organic carton is fine, homemade is the best!)
- Wild Rice (order online if you can’t find it in your store!)
- Butternut Squash (many stores sell it pre-chopped!)
- A Roasted Chicken (remove the meat from the bones)
- Lacinato Kale
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Step 1: In a large soup pot or dutch oven, add avocado oil, garlic, and shallots. Saute at setting 5 (medium heat) for 7-10 minutes, until softened.
Step 2: Add the herbs, wild rice, butternut squash, and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then set the Sharp Induction Cooktop to setting 4 (medium-low heat), and then set the timer for 40 minutes. Cover the pot and allow to simmer.
Step 3: Season the soup with salt and pepper. I also like to use a powdered vegetable bouillon to add more flavor to soup broths when using a carton of chicken stock. Add the shredded chicken and kale, and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Add the pastured heavy whipping cream, and stir in while bringing the soup back up to temperature. Remove soup from heat and serve.
The Luxury of Perfectly Calibrated Cooking
A few years ago, I received my first Sharp Induction Cooktop. I had never cooked on induction before, and it has changed my view on kitchen appliances!
If you’re still thinking gas ranges are best, it’s probably because you haven’t had the luxury of an induction cooktop.
One of my favorite features is the perfectly calibrated settings. I know exactly how long and on what setting to cook my eggs perfectly every time, and when I set a soup to simmer, I know it will stay at a perfect simmer for as long as I need it to.
This Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup simmer for 40 minutes so the rice and butternut squash soften perfectly. Once the soup is up to a low boil, I set the burner on “4” and use the built-in timer to set it to cook for 40 minutes. If I get busy, it doesn’t matter. The burner will turn off and when I come to check on the soup, it will be ready for me to turn on and finish.
The simmer enhancer feature (which sends slow pulses of heat through the cook wear) prevents burning when cooking with milk or cream, so it’s perfect for keeping a creamy soup warm without scalding.
Visit Sunkissed Kitchen for the full recipe.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP
This soup is perfect for chilly weather! A Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, with butternut squash and kale, makes a perfect fall combo.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary), finely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken shredded, from a pre-cooked whole chicken
- 3 cups Lacinato kale shredded
- 2/3 cup pastured heavy whipping cream
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, add avocado oil, garlic and shallots. Saute at setting 5 (medium heat) for 7-10 minutes, until softened.
Add the herbs, wild rice, butternut squash, and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then set the Sharp Induction Cooktop to setting 4 (medium low heat), and then set the timer for 40 minutes. Cover the pot and allow to simmer.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. I also like to use a powdered vegetable bouillon to add more flavor to soup broths when using a cartoned chicken stock. Add the shredded chicken and kale, and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the pastured heavy whipping cream, and stir in while bringing the soup back up to temperature. Remove soup from heat and serve.
