Creamy Wild Rice And Mushroom Soup

By Christy Rost

Ingredients:

2		tablespoons olive oil
2		cups peeled and diced carrots
1 ½		cups diced celery
1		medium chopped onion
1		pound sliced mushrooms
3		tablespoons flour
2 ½		quarts homemade chicken stock or lowfat canned chicken br
¾		cup uncooked wild rice
1		cup heavy cream or half-and-half
		salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1		tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat a large stockpot over medium heat, add olive oil, and swirl to coat bottom of pot. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté vegetables 5 minutes until softened. Gently stir in the mushrooms and sauté 2 more minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually pour in a small amount of chicken stock, stirring gently to loosen the flour from the bottom of the stockpot. As the mixture thickens, add additional stock, stirring well. When the mixture is smooth and thick, pour in the remaining chicken broth.

Raise the heat to medium-high, cover, and bring the soup to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in wild rice, and simmer 1 hour.

After 1 hour, stir in half-and-half and check soup for seasonings. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Correct seasonings and stir in chopped parsley; cook 5 minutes.

Recipe serves 8.