My workplace hosted a chili and soup cookoff, and the soup I prepared won the soup category! The recipe is below, and it can easily be prepared gluten-free if desired.

Chicken with Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
2 quarts chicken stock (store bought or homemade)
1 head of garlic
Olive oil
Butter
1 cup wild rice cooked in 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups cooked white rice
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 parsnip (optional)
1 teaspoon Marjoram (fresh or dry)
1 teaspoon Thyme (fresh or dry)
1 teaspoon Lemon Thyme (optional)
1/4 cup all-purpose or GF flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (carefully remove any bits of gristle or small bones)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into small oven-safe dish. Cut head of garlic across the middle/equator. Place cut side down of garlic halves into oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes until garlic is soft. Set aside to cool. Remove garlic cloves from husk.

While garlic is baking, chop celery, carrot, medium onion, and optional parsnip finely, or process into small pieces in a food processor.

In large, heavy pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil olive and 2 tablespoons of butter. Once butter is melted, add chopped vegetables and sauté stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-10 minutes until onions appear translucent. Add marjoram, thyme, optional lemon thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and stir. Add flour and stir until you cannot see the flour anymore.

Add chicken stock. Stir well. Heat to a simmer (small bubbles), stirring occasionally. Add cooked white rice and stir. Bring back up to a simmer.

Ladle a cup of the soup into a blender. Add the roasted garlic cloves and heavy cream. Blend together until smooth. If you want your soup to be thicker, ladle more soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture back into the pot.

Once desired thickness is achieved, add the cooked wild rice, chicken, and fresh parsley and mix well. Bring back to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Your soup is now ready to serve!