My family has a tradition of making a big pot of soup for Christmas Eve dinner. We always eat at my parents’ house Christmas Eve, so I always enjoy playing the part of hostess for the night.

One of my all-time favorite recipes for a classic holiday soup is my mother-in-law’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup. We cook pretty much the same thing every year. I actually made it the other day, after not having it for the past few years. To be honest, I didn’t even think to take pictures of it.

So last week, when I was making my Smothered Chicken Soup, I realized that the two soups are pretty much the same, except the chicken soup uses rice instead of the rice in the other. Why mess with a good thing? I figured I should make the soup again, but use my own rice. I didn’t have any wild rice on hand, but I had some regular rice, and I decided that it wouldn’t hurt if I just used that. I was right! I love this soup and it’s pretty much the same thing, just missing the wild rice.

But I’m not sure if I should tell Mike, or keep it to myself. I won’t make it exactly the same every year, but every time I make it it tastes just about the same. Bonus? It’s really a pretty easy recipe, too. The main thing? Get a good chicken stock. I’ve used the store brand in a pinch, but homemade is best. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced fennel (optional)
• 1/4 cup diced red pepper
• 1/4 cup diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup diced yellow pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, fennel, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook until vegetables are soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Add chicken broth, water, chicken and heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes).
3. Add parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, chives, and green onions. Stir until well combined.
4. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot.