I combined wild mushrooms and wild rice into this soup and if this doesn't call for a wild weeknight, I don't know what does. Mushroom soup is good for the soul in case you missed the memo.
To say that I risked my life for this soup is well...kind of the truth. I turned 30 one month ago and since I've gone to urgent care 3 times. Clearly my brain is emulating Benjamin Button and I am becoming less and less capable of taking care of myself. Does this happen to everyone when they turn 30? First, I sliced my finger badly cutting cilantro. Got stiches, it was no big deal, and now I feel like a true chef with a battle wound. Next week, blood was coming out of an area it shouldn't have and I don't want to talk about that anymore. Third, I was on my death bed Thanksgiving morning and wanted to make sure I didn't have the dreaded c word. I didn't.
Well in the process of making this soup, I almost blew up my entire building because I inadvertently left my burner on over night. The fact that I didn't realize this is alarming to say the least. Yes, I left the burner on, in the rare stage where it just emits gas, without lighting the flame. So theoretically, if I decided to light a candle, or turn on one of those other burners, my entire complex would have blown up. At least, that is what I thought when I Googled this issue. Full of fear, I packed Niles into his cat carrier, grabbed my keys, and sat in my car while I debated calling 911. Thankfully, I was able to instead call the gas company, avoid 9 fire trucks coming to my apartment, and quickly learned that my home wasn't going to explode. Lesson learned folks. Make sure your burners are turned off to avoid the unnecessary headache. Was the soup worth it? You bet.
I doubled the wild in this soup by using wild mushrooms along with dried porcinis and wild rice. I've never felt so alive. If you just have regular button mushrooms that is totally fine. My favorite part about this soup is the porcinis. I like to use the same liquid used to "rehydrate" the porcinis in the soup for extra flavor.
1Wild Mushroom and Rice Soup Ingredients:
Wild Rice:
1 cup wild rice blend
6 cups water
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
Wild Mushroom Soup:
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 cups wild mushrooms sliced (or whatever mushrooms you have on hand)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp salt
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1. In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil. Add in rice, garlic, thyme, butter, and salt. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the rice is tender (about 35 - 40 minutes). Discard the thyme and garlic clove. Strain the rice and set aside.
2. In heat proof bowl pour 2 cups of boiling water over porcinis so they are fully submerged. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add in mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook mushrooms undisturbed for five minutes.
4. Add in shallots, tomato paste, and garlic. Stir to mix with mushrooms and continue cooking mushrooms for another 2 minutes. Drain the porcini mushrooms, saving the broth, and add to the pan.
5. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes or until the flour turns golden brown. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and reserved porcini mushroom liquid.
6. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, stir in the rice. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Wild Rice:
1 cup wild rice blend
6 cups water
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
Wild Mushroom Soup:
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 cups wild mushrooms sliced (or whatever mushrooms you have on hand)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp salt
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1. In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil. Add in rice, garlic, thyme, butter, and salt. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the rice is tender (about 35 - 40 minutes). Discard the thyme and garlic clove. Strain the rice and set aside.
2. In heat proof bowl pour 2 cups of boiling water over porcinis so they are fully submerged. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add in mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook mushrooms undisturbed for five minutes.
4. Add in shallots, tomato paste, and garlic. Stir to mix with mushrooms and continue cooking mushrooms for another 2 minutes. Drain the porcini mushrooms, saving the broth, and add to the pan.
5. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes or until the flour turns golden brown. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and reserved porcini mushroom liquid.
6. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, stir in the rice. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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