Chicken Wild Rice Soup

In this recipe, I’ve replaced the toothsome texture of wild rice, a classic component of chicken soup, with chicken cracklings and fried bacon bits. They provide great flavor and add a satisfying texture.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 1½ hours

YIELD: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (or lard or butter-flavored coconut oil if dairy-free)
• ½ cup diced onions
• ½ cup diced celery
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 6 cups chicken bone broth, homemade or store-bought
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (or Kite Hill brand cream cheese style spread if dairy-free), softened
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR CHICKEN CRACKLINGS (FOR CRUNCHY “RICE”)

• ½ pound chicken skin and fat
• ½ teaspoon ghee (or lard if dairy-free)
• 2 tablespoons finely diced onions
• 1 small clove garlic, smashed to a paste or minced
• ½ tablespoon fresh sage leaves or other herb of choice, such as thyme
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 more minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
2. Add the softened cream cheese and whisk until it is fully incorporated and heated through.
3. Add the chicken, fresh thyme, salt, curry powder, dry mustard, dried parsley, and black pepper. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
4. While the soup is simmering, make the crunchy “rice” by preparing the chicken cracklings: Chop the chicken skin into ¼-inch pieces and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Heat the ghee in a medium-sized cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken skin pieces, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until there is a layer of liquid fat in the pan.
5. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set it aside for serving; reserve the bacon fat for another use.
6. After the chicken fat has cooked on low for 12 to 15 minutes, bring the heat back up to medium and uncover the skillet. Cook the chicken skin pieces for an additional 15 minutes, stirring often, until they start to curl up and there is a lot of fat in the pan. Carefully pour the chicken skin pieces and liquid fat through a colander into a jar, saving the chicken fat for later use. Put the drained chicken skin pieces back in the skillet.
7. To the skillet, add the onions, garlic, and sage. Cook over medium heat for another 15 minutes, stirring, until the cracklings are golden brown and crispy. Remove the skillet from the heat and season the cracklings with salt and pepper.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls and stir most of the crunchy “rice” (the prepared cracklings and crispy bacon) into the soup. Sprinkle the remaining “rice” on top as a garnish.

TIP:

• The cracklings can be made up to 3 days ahead. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to add them to the soup, reheat the cracklings in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes or until warmed through.