Soup Season!
It’s winter, which means that it’s officially soup season! I’ve grown up in New York, for all of my life, so I’m familiar with the aggressively cold weather that graces our presence. And you know what? There’s nothing better than a nice hot bowl of soup to warm you up! Today, we have a Creamy Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup!
Mushroom are probably one of my favorite foods. I don’t know why I love them so much, but I’ve loved eating them ever since I was a child. Stuffed mushrooms? Yes, please. Wild mushroom risotto? Heck yes! Truffle pizza? Sign me the f*ck up!
Feelin’ the Fungi
This Creamy Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup is packed with flavor and has a deep earthiness from the mushrooms and mushroom stock. We start by sweating leeks, onions, and garlic. Then we add in white wine, thyme, and bay leaves. All of these ingredients are what we call aromatics. They develop and contribute to the base flavor of the soup, which is why it is so flavorful.
If you have any leftover soup, be aware that the soup will thicken over time. Wild rice is a starch, so it will continue to soak up moisture over time. Because of this, the soup thickens. If you like your soup thick, go ahead and warm up the soup. However, if you want your soup to be thinner, just mix in a little stock or water to loosen it!
A Rough Start
Going off track a little bit, 2020 is off to a rough start. I certainly hope that yours is going much better than mine. I came back to school from winter break to find that my fridge had broken while I was away. All of the food left inside had spoiled, and I had to throw it away. Because I was unaware of this until I came back, I bought refrigerated and frozen food items to bring back to school. Now, I’m stuck with a broken fridge and freezer and foods that needs to be refrigerated and frozen. Do you see my dilemma? Thank god that my dad helped me bring everything in a cooler. So that’s what’s currently keeping all of the food slightly chilled for now.
The fridge company will be coming to replace the fridge in a few days, and who knows what state the food will be in by then. However, I’m determined to save as much food as possible. I’m probably breaking 100 food sanitation rules and may possibly get food poisoning, but I absolutely hate the idea of wasting food.
Recently, I went to the Arcadia Earth Museum, which has exhibits educating people on sustainability and how to clean up our environment. And one way of doing so is by limiting our food waste. Because I just visited the museum, I feel terrible about throwing perfectly good food away as well as wasting my parents money. I already had to toss the spoiled food in my fridge, so I don’t even want to think about having to throw away the new food I brought back with me.
Along with this, I have some major assignments for my classes and some other school complications going on. The problems themselves aren’t that stressful, but all of them occurring at the same time feels like snowflakes accumulating to become a snowstorm. I realize these situations aren’t life threatening and that there are other people in the world that have bigger problems, but I think it’s important to realize that your emotions are valid.
While it can be hard to let go of stress, what keeps me from being in a slump is knowing that this isn’t forever. This is just a time period that isn’t so great. I know it can be hard to think positively when everything sucks. I’ve been guilty of purposefully letting myself fester in anger and frustration. However, I’ve also learned that doing so is draining, and I have to power to change my mindset. This is easier said than done, and something I’m still working on.
Soup Warms the Soul
I was kind of in a rut as to what to write for this post. Don’t get me wrong — I love this soup — but the creative juices were not flowing. I also didn’t want to try to pull something from my ass, and be all happy in this post when I’m not. I feel like every time I give a life update on here it’s always somewhat negative, and I apologize for that. I’m trying to be more optimistic. But it’s like a tradeoff you know? I give you recipes, and you let me vent.
If there was anything that could lift my spirits at this time, it would be this Creamy Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup. And I’m not just saying that! There’s something about soup that’s so comforting and feels like a mother’s hug. This soup brings me back to less stressful times when I was just chillin’ with my dad at home, eating this soup for dinner.
So, if your 2020 is starting off a little shaky, know that you’re not alone. Try to lift your spirits, drink a big ole bowl of soup, and remind yourself that this state you’re in isn’t forever. Don’t let the beginning of the year define the rest of it. Somehow, you’ll come out on top. Hopefully, I will return next week with better news and brighter spirits. Until then, have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon!
Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 oz Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1 oz Dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups Boiling Water
- 1 cup Wild Rice (Uncooked)
- 1 3/4 cup Water
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Leek (1/4 inch dice)
- 1/2 Onion (1/4 inch dice)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
- 8 oz White Mushrooms (Roughly Chopped)
- 8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms (Roughly Chopped)
- 1 1/2 tsp Thyme (Chopped)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup White Wine
- 3 cups Mushroom or Vegetable Stock
- 1/4 cup Mascarpone Cheese (Softened)
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- As Needed Chives for Garnish (Chopped)
- As Needed Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the dried shiitake and porcini mushrooms in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and allow them to rehydrate for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the water, squeezing the excess water out back into the bowl. Reserve the mushroom liquid for later. Roughly chop the shiitake and porcini mushrooms. Set aside.
- In a small pot, add in the rice and 1 3/4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat so that the water is simmering. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the rice has fully cooked. After the rice has cooked, allow the rice to cool. Alternatively, cook the wild rice according to the package instructions.
- Heat a pot over medium heat. Add in the butter and allow it to melt then add in the leek, onion, and garlic. Cook until the leek and onion have turned transparent. Add in the chopped white and baby bella mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are cooked and are no longer releasing moisture.
- Then add in the rehydrated mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Sprinkle the flour onto the mixture and stir until it is evenly distributed. Pour in the white wine and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated. Then pour in the mushroom stock and the reserved mushroom liquid. Do not add in the last few tablespoons of the reserved mushroom liquid because dirt and sediment may have settled at the bottom.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the stock to a boil. Once the stock has boiled, reduce the heat so that it is simmering. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. After the soup has simmered, turn off the heat. Transfer about half of the soup into a blender and blend until it becomes smooth and the mushrooms have been pureed. Pour the mixture back into the soup pot and mix until combined.
- Add in the mascarpone cheese in small spoonfuls and mix until it has melted and been combined. Then add in the heavy cream and wild rice and mix. Taste the soup and season it to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the chopped chives. Enjoy!
