Q: There is a great meat market and deli on LaVista Road at Oak Grove Road that serves delicious salads and soups. They have a chicken and wild rice soup that I would love to have the recipe for.

-- Margaret Dolvin, Decatur

A: Oak Grove Market not only offers custom-cut meats but also provides a wide selection of cooked foods, including complete meals, soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts to eat in or take out. Mark Maughon, co-owner of the market, was happy to scale down this soup so you can enjoy it at home.

-- Jeanne Besser, for the Journal-Constitution

SOUP

Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

Makes 6 servings Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

Because wild rice takes about an hour to cook, allow time to prepare it before making the soup, or make the soup with leftovers from the night before.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup half-and-half

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a pot, cover chicken with broth and water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. Skim off any scum that appears on the surface and discard. Remove chicken from broth, let cool slightly and cut into bite-size cubes. Reserve broth.

In a stockpot, melt butter. Add celery, carrot, onion and green pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Add wild rice, chicken and reserved broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half-and-half, almonds and parsley. Cook just until hot. Do not boil.

Per serving: 273 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 20 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams fat, 47 milligrams cholesterol, 719 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us what you're looking for and perhaps we can help you get it. If we succeed, we'll have the recipe tested and adapted for the home kitchen, if necessary. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, along with address and phone number, to: Mail: Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. E-mail: menu@ajc.com. Fax: 404-526-5509.