Preparation

• 1
  First prepare the vegetables. Peel, halve lengthwise and thinly slice the carrot, also slice the celery thinly. Peel the shallots, wash and halve the leek lengthwise and finely slice both. Peel the garlic, then wipe and finely slice the mushrooms.
• 2
  Remove any skin from the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.
• 3
  In a large saucepan, melt the butter with a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the shallot over a gentle heat for 3 minutes, then add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.
• 4
  Add the carrot, celery and leek to the pan, stir and saute for a further 5 minutes.
• 5
  Stir in the sliced mushrooms and saute gently for a further 5 minutes.
• 6
  Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan and cook the chicken pieces for a few minutes on each side, until the chicken is just about cooked through.
• 7
  Stir the cooked chicken into the sauteed vegetables and then sprinkle in the flour. Add the stock gradually, stirring as you do so, until it is all incorporated. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
• 8
  While the soup is simmering, rinse the rice and cook it according to the instructions until it is almost done, then drain and set aside.
• 9
  Stir in the rice and season the soup to taste with salt and black pepper. Gradually stir in the cream and gently heat through but don't allow to boil.
• 10
  Finally, finely chop the parsley leaves and stir into the soup. Serve with a little more parsley sprinkled on the top for garnish.