Still hanging on to the ‘Super Bowl’ theme with the wild rice soup recipe. If you happen to have my first cookbook, ‘Simply Yours’, you may think you have this recipe already. Nope, this one was written in the fall of 2017. I featured it at the culinary school this fall and received many nice compliments.
This bounty can be served as a cup size opener to a dinner or as the main entrée. If this was the main attraction I would probably accompany the soup with some type of open-faced sandwich or bruschetta. A tray of vegetables and an easy dessert would be a great entertaining meal.
For those who dislike mushrooms, it is just fine to omit them, especially if kids are eating the dish. I can also see using finely diced beef instead of chicken for the soup. Earlier this year I had trouble getting 100% wild rice. Now it is back on the shelves in full force. Once when I was in a bind I used a combination of rice, including wild. It came in a big clear plastic container at the store. I even considered using red rice but realized I just didn’t care for red rice at all.
Wild rice is extremely low in starch so rinsing the wild isn’t exactly mandatory. Most other rice types I rinse to remove as much additional starch as possible.
Remember once the rice is washed you cannot put it in a plastic bag and throw it in the refrigerator. Once during bad weather, I had my rice washed before my last demo for the day. Unfortunately, the class was not held, so we had to cook the rice anyway!
The carrot is my personal choice for a pop of color in the recipe. There’s no reason why it couldn’t be switched out to red pepper, should you choose. My first rice soups were not as rich in flavor as this one happens to be. The dry sherry is a very nice partnership for the dish. You could use a dry white wine, however, the flavor will be much more subtle.
This past weekend had me in Platte City doing a ‘Super Bowl’ class. I left my guys at home and took my friend, P.J. with me. I miss everyone, but it’s good to get away now and then. The Platte City/Kansas City folks had a beautiful weekend too. No snow, no freezing rain!
Let me give one more tip on purchasing wild rice in the regular grocery store. The label you most frequently find is the ‘Reese’ brand. It’s a very small box that contains between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of dry wild rice.
Next week the boys hold down the fort again as I travel out to McPherson, Kansas, for another ‘Super Bowl Class’. This one is sold out and I’m looking forward to shopping time at the Cook’s Nook.
Enjoy, enjoy. Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Wild Rice Soup
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 small onion, diced fine
1 red pepper, finely diced
6-8 ounces chopped mushrooms of choice
2/3 cup wild rice
2/3 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
1 cup additional chicken stock
1 cup finely diced cooked chicken or turkey breast
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon savory spice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 cup additional sherry
1 cup heavy cream
Optional: Shredded smoked Gouda or green onions for garnish
Over medium heat place, a large sauté pan or Dutch oven. Melt butter in a pan of choice and add all vegetables, cooking until tender. Add rice and sauté until white rice is translucent. Add sherry and reduce before adding 6 cups of chicken stock. Bring mixture to a boil, lower to a simmer, cooking for an additional 20-25 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid during a large portion of the cooking time. When rice is tender make a slurry with the 1/4 cup of flour and add an additional 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend into the dish, cooking until thickened.
Add diced chicken, and all spices & horseradish. Gradually add 1/4 cup of sherry and continue stirring. Lastly, add 1 cup of heavy cream and cook until heated through.
After cooling the soup firms up substantially. For reheating use chicken stock or additional cream. Yields approximately 7 cups of hearty soup. Should yield 5-7 portions.
Debbie Dance Uhrig
