Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Yes, that is steam rising off the top.

I adapted this recipe from Robert Landolphi's Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook.  The only change to make this soup gluten filled or gluten free is the kind of broth you use.  I, obviously, used gluten free.

This soup is really easy to make, especially because I take the lazy route.  I buy pre-sliced mushrooms, pre-diced veggies, and pre-minced garlic.  The Mirepoix mix of onions, celery, and carrots from Trader Joe's is just about the best thing you can buy.  For $2.99 you don't have to cry while chopping onions, have left over celery in your fridge for weeks, or dice those tricky round carrots.  If you go this route, don't worry about measuring them out - just dump this container in, that's what I did.

4 cups (gluten free) chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
4 tablespoons butter
10-12 ounces sliced mushrooms (whichever kind you'd like)
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 teaspoons of the pre-minced stuff)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1tsp dried thyme
2 medium or 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, combine 2 cups of the stock and the rice.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

While this is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes.  Put them aside.

In the same large pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and thyme for about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, remaining stock, and cup of water.  If you have another cup of stock and want to use that instead of water, great, but the broth I buy comes in a carton of 4 cups.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.  Add the mushrooms back in.

If you like your soup blended, blend it now.  If you like it more chunky, don't blend.  I stuck my immersion blender right in the pot and blended just a little.

Add the cooked rice and salt and pepper to taste.  I hate when people say "salt and pepper to taste", what does that even mean?  Well, I have no idea, so I just shook in a bunch of each and it turned out just fine.  Simmer over low heat for another 15 minutes.  Enjoy!