When a chill is in the air, I can literally eat soup for every single meal. And sometimes I do! I’ve mentioned before, I have my go-to soups that I make on repeat including Paula Deen’s Chicken Noodle, Rachael Ray’s Why-The-Chicken-Crossed-The-Road-Santa-Fe-Tastic Tortilla, Ina Garten’s Tomato Basil, and my own Chicken Corn Chowder. I’ve run into a lot of soup recipes that are just ok, so I tend to keep those 4 on repeat. This one is unique, fun, and simply delicious! And it just may become the 5th one on repeat.
3 tbsps butter
1 large yellow onion - diced
3 sticks celery - diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
4 garlic cloves - minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups apple cider
4 cups chicken stock, plus more for thinner soup
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup wild rice
1 1/2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon sriracha
4 cups spiralized sweet potato
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons corn starch
Breast meat from one rotisserie chicken - meat shredded, skin and bones discarded
1/4 cup minced parsley
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat butter in a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and a heavy dash of salt and pepper. Cook the veggies until softened. Add the garlic and flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in the apple cider and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, rice, liquid smoke, and sriracha and bring to a slight boil. Simmer until rice is cooked - about 35 minutes.
While the soup cooks, make the crispy sweet potatoes. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss together the sweet potato, olive oil, corn starch, and a heavy dash of kosher salt (they should be salty like French fries). Bake for 10 minutes then take out of the oven and toss around. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy. Take out and let sit - they’ll get crispier as they sit. Add the chicken and parsley to the soup and stir until combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top with the crispy sweet potatoes.