Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
• 3 cups water (for the rice)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie works great)
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Steps

1. Cook the wild rice: bring the rice and 3 cups water to a boil, cover, and simmer 45–55 minutes until the grains split and are tender. Drain any extra water.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook 6–8 minutes until softened.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more, until they release their liquid. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
5. Slowly whisk in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Stir in the cooked wild rice, chicken and cream. Heat through over low heat without boiling. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Tip: Like most soups, it’s even better the next day. Thin it with a splash of broth when reheating.