Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs. cooked chicken or turkey pulled or chopped into small pieces (this can be left over chicken or turkey, but if you are preparing it fresh simply boil the chicken in lightly salted water until it is cooked through)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups carrot, diced

2 cups celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 TBPS olive oil

1 ¼ cup soaked raw unsalted cashews (soaked overnight)

8 cups chicken stock, divided

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 TSP dried or fresh thyme

1 TBSP dried or fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Note: Makes about 8 servings. Use gluten free chicken stock to make this soup gluten and dairy free!

Instructions:

1. Combine diced onions, carrots, celery, garlic and olive oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sweat the veggie mixture down until the onions are translucent and the carrots and celery begin to soften slightly. Stir occasionally.
2. While your veggies are cooking down a bit, in a blender or food processor blend soaked cashews and 1 cup of chicken stock on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula. This may take a few minutes.
3. Add cooked chicken (or turkey), rice, 7 cups of chicken stock, thyme, parsley and the cashew cream to your large pot with your veggie mixture. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until rice and veggies are tender. Stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. (because there are so many different chicken stocks out there with different salt contents I suggest that you salt and pepper the soup to your preference by adding small amounts of salt and pepper at a time and taste testing until it’s just the way you like it!) Serve and enjoy!