Roasted mushroom and Wild Rice Chicken Soup

It's March and we had a long string of beautiful warm weather. Then yesterday winter re-visited and I was depressed. It was cold and rainy so I needed soup. Kids even liked it!

Butter

1 pound chicken

1 1/2 cups dry wild rice blend

4 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6-7 cups chicken stock

Thyme (2T fresh or 2t dried)

Sage (1T fresh or 1t dried)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 pounds mushrooms, roughly chopped or sliced

Rosemary

4 garlic cloves, smashed

Zest from 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet lightly coated with olive oil, combine 6 T butter (sliced), mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

2. In a large soup pot, melt 2 T butter. Add carrots, celery, onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened and caramelized. Stir in the broth, chicken, thyme, sage. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Remove chicken and let cool enough to shred. While shredding chicken, pour rice into soup pot and cook for 15 minutes. Replace shredded chicken and add the mushrooms and their drippings to the pot. Stir in cream and parmesan and cook over medium heat until warmed through, about ten minutes.