Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup

Soup is one of my favorite foods (probably second only to rice). And not only do I love eating soup, I love making soup. I rarely follow recipes exactly, so soup has a special place in my heart because it's so forgiving. A soup recipe calls for carrots, and you don't have carrots? Add corn, celery, bell pepper, potatoes . . . and it will still be delicious. This soup is no different, so feel free to substitute away! Using rice rather than pasta earned it bonus points and the unique combination of spices made every bite really flavorful. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did :)

Let me preface this photograph by assuring you that although it looks like alien stew, it tastes really, really good. Pinky swear.

This recipe is inspired by this one from Janssen and this one from Joy. 

Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup • 1/2 cup wild rice • 1 cup water • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil • 1/2 cup celery, chopped • 1/4 cup flour • 5 cups vegetable broth • 1 cup corn • 1/2 cup carrots, chopped • 1 cup potatoes, chopped (2 medium size) • 1 cup kale, chopped (I cut it up with my kitchen scissors) • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric • 1 teaspoon mustard powder • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 - 2 teaspoons onion powder • 1/3 cup slivered almonds (I used raw) • 1 cup half and half (substitute almond milk to make it vegan) Instructions In a small pot, bring the rice and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. In a separate pot, cook butter/oil and celery. Saute for 2-3 minutes (or longer if you don't want crunchy celery). Add flour and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 2 cups vegetable broth and stir until the flour dissolves and there are no lumps. Add the remaining broth, corn, carrots, potatoes, and kale. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Add spices and almonds. Simmer the soup until the rice is finished cooking, then add it. Pour in half and half, then simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes, until thick. Break out the ladle and enjoy!

Warning: Several pieces of kale escaped my second round with the scissors and inadvertently went into the soup in long, thin strips. So when I tried to scoop them up with my spoon, they'd fall off the side. And when I finally did catch one, I'd get slapped in the chin trying to slurp it down. NO FUN. So save yourself the hassle and chop your kale better than I did ;)


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