As close to Panera's recipe as I could get by taste.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- parsley
- 7 cups water
- 2 celery sliced
- 7 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
- 1 box near east long grain and wild rice leave out seasoning packet
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1/2 small yellow onion diced
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- thyme
- Carbohydrate 16.6293216835135 g
- Cholesterol 91.4640958238994 mg
- Fat 18.6030492368467 g
- Fiber 0.915581211275914 g
- Protein 22.3526750524004 g
- Saturated Fat 11.1461071458449 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (495g)
- Sodium 274.308580977275 mg
- Sugar 15.7137404722376 g
- Trans Fat 1.46054815332148 g
- Calories 325 calories
Step-by-step
- Pour water (or chicken stock if using) and bouillon cubes into large stockpot. Set to boiling on stove top.
- Once boiling add rice and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer at least 15 min. (Note: this is not the time recommended on the box.) Stir occasionally to remove stuck rice grains from bottom of pot.
- Cube chicken breasts and cook until almost done in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Remove chicken from heat.
- In the same skillet, add the garlic, stir to heat, add remaining veggies. Cook until Onion is just translucent.
- Add chicken back to the skillet and cook until done.
- Add chicken and veggies to the stockpot and bring the heat up to medium. Not boiling.
- Add milk. This may also work well with half & half. I didn't have any on hand.
- Scrape the cooked bits off the bottom of the skillet and add the butter. After it is melted, slowly incorporate the flour to make a roux.
- Do not brown the roux, but keep it in the 'blonde' stage. Once all the flour is incorporated and the roux is just bubbly, add to the soup to desired thickness. I added all of it and it was perfect.
- TASTE and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Season with Parsley and Thyme.
- Enjoy!
Managing Starch Release
Wild rice expands and sheds starches unpredictably during extended boiling. Simmering the grains for 15 minutes directly in the stockpot releases enough amylose to slightly thicken the base without requiring added cornstarch. Stir the bottom frequently to prevent scorched grains from imparting a bitter taste to the broth.
Controlling the Roux Phase
Adding cold milk directly to a hot pot causes dairy proteins to coagulate and separate. Whisking flour into melted butter in a separate skillet creates a blonde roux that encapsulates the starch granules in fat. Cook this mixture until it turns bubbly and pale gold, ensuring the raw flour flavor vanishes entirely before the dairy enters.
Temperature and Dairy Stability
High heat breaks milk emulsions. Keep the stockpot at a gentle medium heat once the dairy and roux are incorporated, never letting the liquid reach a rolling boil after the milk is added. A heavy-bottomed stockpot diffuses direct burner heat evenly, though a standard Dutch oven functions as an effective alternative if stirred constantly.
