It’s almost fall and with that comes stews, soups, crockpots and rich comfort foods. The average American gains 6-10 pounds during this rich and celebratory season. I used to tell clients that they were doing well if they maintained their weight during the fall season. If you’re one step ahead, you can by pass the holiday weight gain and maintain, or even lose weight! This recipe is one you should keep in your back pocket for weeks when you’d like something rich and creamy without overdoing it on the carbohydrates. It’s also an easy recipe to alter; decrease the rice for a creamy low carb dish, or keep it the same for a moderate carbohydrate dish.
Bulletproof and Paleo options
If you’re strict on the paleo diet, you can choose to cut out the rice completely and toss in some extra filling vegetables. If you’re strictly bulletproof, you can add some apple cider vinegar into the recipe (no more then 1-2 tablespoons) to add the acid affect to create a resistant starch. If you are following Dave’s guidelines completely, he recommends eating the rice cold. So, it may be in your best interest to keep the rice out, eat it cold and enjoy your soup without it or with it on the side.
*If you aren’t using the seasoning packet from “Rice a Roni,” you may need to add additional salt and all natural bouillon.
OPTIONAL INFO for Thickening Recipes: How to use Xanthan gum instead of flour
When adding xanthan (zan-than) gum to a recipe, use about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour. Blend it evenly into your dry ingredients before mixing.
A standard ratio is 0.1% to 0.3% for thin sauces and 0.3% to 1% for thick sauces. The higher the amount of xanthan gum used the thicker the sauce will be. Be careful though because xanthan gum can start to take on a weird mouthfeel at higher percentages.
*This will keep the soup lower in carbs. I would opt to use 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
Copycat Panera Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken boiled and shredded
1/2 cup of carrots chopped (or you can buy these already shredded)
1/2 cup of chopped celery
3 garlic cloves or 3 frozen squares (thawed)
1 medium onion or 1/2 cup of green onions (Chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of dried Oregano (optional)
1 Scallion
32 ounces (or 4 cups) of Chicken Bone Broth
1/2 cup of flour of your choice (if your are GF, Paleo, or BP use a different thickener such as sweet rice flour, gluten free flour, or tapioca flour)
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (optional)
1 box of Rice a Roni OR 1 cup of the rice of your choice
1 tsp of olive oil or XCT oil (MCT oil)
2 cups of high quality coconut milk
2 cups of water
*If you’re not using Rice a Roni – Add in some additional all natural chicken bouillon.
Instructions for Panera Chicken and Rice Soup
1.) In a large soup pot, add in your celery, carrots and onion with your choice of oil. Simmer the over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2.) Add in garlic cloves, water, bone broth, and only 1 cup of your milk.
3.) Next, add in pepper (optional), dried oregano, bay leaf, and chicken. Mix until combined. Allow your soup to simmer for roughly 15 minutes over medium heat.
4.) In a bowl, whisk together the last cup of milk, with your thickener (flour). Add into your soup mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined.
5.) Place long grain rice (or Rice a Roni with seasoning packet) into the soup and mix until combined. If you aren’t using Rice a Roni, test the soup and add additional bouillon and salt. Simmer soup for 20 more minutes or until the rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Adria
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