Wild Rice Soup--a Minnesota Favorite!

I'm back! I have been on a blogging hiatus while I worked on a very special gift for a friend, that I will maybe share later. I am hoping to keep up with the posting through the holidays, but we will see! Life is crazy.

I made this soup for a friend who is a new mother. I chose wild rice soup because it is hearty and delicious and is filled with good proteins from the rice and chicken. It took me a long time to find a recipe that I liked, but I used this Southern Living recipe as a base, and changed it quite a bit. This soup is sure to warm you up this winter!

Ingredients1/2 cup wild rice
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped (optional)
8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1-2 TBS of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of half & half
1 1/2 cooked and cubed chicken
6 cups of chicken broth

1) Cook the wild rice. In a small pot, add 1 cup of water to the rice. Bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat down and let it simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. You may need to add more water. This takes about 45-60 minutes and can be done the day before. Set aside.

2) Heat up a pan and add 1-2 TBS of EVOO. Saute the onions, celery, carrots, parsnips and mushrooms and on medium heat and cook until the onions are golden brown and the mushrooms are no longer steaming. Set aside.

3) In a soup pot, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Let the mixture turn golden brown and bubble a bit, while still whisking it. It should cook for 3-5 minutes. After that, add the half & half, whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. Then slowly add in the chicken broth, still whisking. Keep on whisking, picking up any bits of butter & flour mixture that stick to the bottom of the pan. You should let it come to the point it is almost boiling, but not quite as you do not want any curdling. Keep on whisking it for 6-8 minutes. It should be thicker than a normal soup, but it is not the end of the world if it is not.

4) Add the vegetable mixture and the wild rice and let cook (without boiling) for about 30 minutes.