Boundary Waters Wild Rice Soup

This recipe is from "The Marshall Fields Cookbook" (2006). It's so good!

Here's some info on wild rice. It's really popular in Minnesota. I forget that it's not so common in other parts of the country:
"Wild Rice, Minnesota's State Grain, is almost as old as history itself. This highly nutritious grain is not actually rice, but an annual water-grass seed, "zizania aquatica". Naturally abundant in the cold rivers and lakes of Minnesota and Canada, wild rice was the staple in the diet of the Chippewa and Sioux Indians, native to this region.

Even today, the wild rice grown on Minnesota state waters is regulated and must be harvested in the traditional Indian way. That means one must first purchase a license, then harvest wild rice during state regulated seasons. The rice must be harvested from a canoe, utilizing only a pole for power and two rice beater sticks as flails to knock the mature seeds into the bottom of the boat."

Wild rice has a wonderful, nutty flavor and a chewy texture. Enjoy!

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 small leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced.
  • 3/4 cup diced carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
  • 1/2 roasted chicken, meat chopped (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (garnish)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the leek, mushrooms, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the rice, chicken meat, cream, sherry, salt, pepper, parsley, and thyme and cook for 5 minutes, until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Garnish with the almonds and serve hot. (To store, allow soup to cool to room temperature, cover and refridgerate up to 3 days.)

Serves 4-6


Copyright © July 3, 2008