The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

It's cold season, and all over Facebook, statuses are littered with stuffy heads, runny noses and sore throats. Many of us grew up eating Chicken Noodle Soup in these times of crisis, but after I went vegan, well... this stopped being a tradition that I followed. I think Shakespeare said it best in Much Ado About Nothing: "...but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age." (Ed. note: the world must be peopled!)

Well, he wasn't talking about going vegan, but let's move on. With advancements in technology have come vegan chicken products that can used to replace any comforting role Chicken Noodle Soup once played. I prefer wild rice to noodles, but there's a substitution note if you're a more conventional. The only compliant I have with the wild rice is that sinks to the bottom of the bowl, so you can't see it in the picture. That's kind of a superficial complaint though; I feel a little shallow even mentioning it. This recipe is very simple, so you can make it for yourself if your mom, partner... whoever isn't available.

Get well soon!


Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

• 2 Cups Vegan Chicken (Baked & chopped or sliced; we used these guys from May Wah, but there is always Match Vegan Meats, Gardein, Seitan, Morningstar and Light Life.)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Wild Rice (cooked )*
• 5 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegetable (made per instructions on the package)
• 1 Cup Carrots (sliced into coins)
• 1 Cup Celery (sliced)
• 1 Small Red Onion (chopped)
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Oregano (dried)
• 1 Teaspoon Thyme (dried)
• 2 Bay Leaves (dried)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Celery Seed (dried)
• Dash of Black Pepper

Heat oven to 350. In a glass baking dish, toss the defrosted Vegan Chicken and Olive Oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping once to make sure they cook evenly. Once they are brown and a little crispy, remove from the oven. Then let them cool.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining ingredients on a medium heat until they boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.

To serve, slice or chop your Vegan Chicken and then divide into 4-6 servings. It depends how much Vegan Chicken you want in each bowl. Fill your soup bowl 3/4 of the way with Soup and then toss on serving of Vegan Chicken in. Stir.

That easy. Gesundheit!

*Substitute Wild Rice with 1 Cup Uncooked Broken Fettuccine or Medium Sized Pasta. Be sure and checkthe label for eggs; lots of Fettuccine contains eggs.