1cupuncooked wild ricerinsed (I used Trader Joe’s; do not use a wild rice ‘blend’ or a quick-cook version)
64ounces8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (chicken broth may be substituted)
3bay leaves
1cuphalf-and-half or heavy cream
2 to 3tablespoonsfresh Italian flat-leaf or regular parsleyfinely minced
1tablespoonlemon juiceoptional (brightens up the flavor)
pinchsugaroptional and to taste (balances acidity and rounds out the flavor)
Instructions
To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir nearly continuously.
Evenly sprinkle the flour, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir nearly continuously.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, pepper, rice, broth, bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Allow soup to boil fairly rapidly for about 30 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced by nearly half. Stir intermittently, making sure to scrape up rice that will have a tendency to stick to the bottom.
Turn the heat to medium low, cover, and allow soup to simmer covered for about 25 minutes, or until rice is as done as desired. Note – Wild rice has much more chewiness than other rice and even when it’s done it’s very ‘al dente’.
Uncover, add the cream, stir to combine, and allow soup to simmer gently uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. After adding the cream, don’t allow soup to boil too aggressively because the cream can ‘break’. The soup will thicken as it cools and I find that as the leftover soup sits in the fridge, the rice continues to absorb the liquid over a few days so don’t worry if it looks a little brothy at this point.
Remove the bay leaves, add the parsley, and stir to combine.
Taste soup and optionally add the lemon juice, optional sugar, additional salt, pepper, etc. as desired. Amount of salt will vary based on how salty the brand of vegetable broth used is and personal preference. Serve immediately.
Notes
*Wild Rice - Make sure you use real wild rice. Not a wild rice blend, not a quick-cooking wild rice, but real wild rice.Storage - Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.