Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 pound raw chicken breasts , cut into small, bite-sized pieces*
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning**
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
1 small onion , diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium leek , chopped, light green and white parts only
2 ribs celery , diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium carrot , diced or thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup half and half
Juice from one lemon
Salt and black pepper

Prepare the rice according to package directions in a small to medium pot (generally speaking, a ratio of 1:3 rice to water; cook covered at an active simmer for about 40 minutes, until the rice resembles a hot dog bun). You can prepare the rice ahead of time and refrigerate, or cook it simultaneous to the soup. Wild rice usually takes about 40 minutes or so, and absorbs a lot of liquid, so it’s usually better to prepare the rice separately.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium until the surface of the fat shimmers. Toss the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning and add to the pot. Saute the chicken pieces, stirring frequently, until they’re cooked through. Remove to a bowl. Don’t wipe out the pot.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil or butter to the pot, and dump in the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots. Let the vegetables cook for 10 minutes, until they soften. Covering with a lid helps things along.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and add the garlic, mustard, and another teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Stir well. The mixture will be quite pasty. Let the rawness of the flour cook off for a minute or two.

Add about a 1/2 cup of the broth and a 1/4 cup of the half and half to the pot, and stir to full incorporate into the vegetable mixture (which will still be thick but should smooth out little). Then add the remaining broth to the pot, along with another teaspoon of the poultry seasoning, mixing well. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the soup to an active boil, and then reduce slightly to maintain a good, bubbly simmer. Cook the soup for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You’ll notice that the soup thickens as it cooks.

Add the half and half, plus one tablespoon lemon juice. Let the soup come back up to bubbling, then turn off the heat. Add the cooked chicken and wild rice to the pot. Carefully taste the soup (it’s hot!), and add salt and black pepper as needed. If the flavor needs a little brightening, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.

If you have time, let the soup rest over just warm heat for a half hour or so, to let it thicken further.