Today I am not feeling the best, I suspect it is only a cold but never the less it is a soup day. After washing my hands thoroughly I starting making Wild Rice Soup which I absolutely love. It is a recipe given to me by my grandmother and I have completely fallen in love with it. All you need is light creme(2 cups), chicken broth (3 cups) rosemary(to taste), carrots(1 large carrot or 4 baby carrots), celery(2 stalks), onions ( 1 small onion or 3 Tb) and flour (1/2 cup to thicken). Vegetable oil or olive oil (2 Tb) ,whichever you prefer, is also used along with butter (1 Tb). And who could forget the star of the show, wild rice (1/3 cup).
I frequently use my cast iron pot while cooking on the stove top because it is versitle, heats evenly, and I can use it to store the finished product after I am done. If you do not have a pot like this any stock pot will do, just be sure it has a cover. If a stock pot is not present you can use a sauce pan but I recommend you cut the recipe in half so the pot does not become overfilled. You also will need a saute pan for the veggies, it does not have to be non-stick because the butter will help prevent sticking but non-stick is always helpful.
Put 1 qt of water, oil and rice into your pot and bring it to a boil. After reaching the boiling point cover and simmer for 30 min. Meanwhile I chop the veggies to get them ready to saute in the 1/2 cup of melted butter now in your saute pan. When the 15 min is left on the clock start the veggies (it looks like they are drowning in butter but dont worry, they're not ;) ) With 2 min on the clock add the flour and stir to thicken the veggies but do not let them burn!
When the 30 min are up stir in the veggies, if they look like that are chunky in the mixture use a wire wisk to break it up otherwise you may have white clumps floating around in your soup. Bring to a boil once again and let the soup thicken up, if it doesn't you can add some more flour but remember to add a little at a time, you can always add more but you cant take it out if it is too much. Another tip on adding flour or corn starch to a hot soup is dissolve the flour or corn starch with a small amount of cold water on the side then add to soup, this will prevent it from clumping once added. Corn starch WILL clump if you do not dissolve in cold water first, so this has to be done. Once it is boiling add the creme, rosemary, and pepper ( freshly ground gives it a nice touch). Once you added all the ingredients let it simmer for 20 min, this helps it thicken more but be sure you dont let the creme burn.
Let cool for a few more minutes after you remove it from heat then it will be ready to serve! This particular recipe will serve at least 5 people if not more. Only two people live here so it is a perfect way to have one meal always prepared when you are on the run. I haven't tried freezing it yet for future use but I am sure it can be done. The soup I made today will last us probable 3 days if eaten everyday but do not keep it past 7 days. It may no be good for you to eat if kept for a long period of time even if it is refrigerated.
On the side I also made risotto, I loosely used a recipe from my Betty Crocker Italian cookbook but every recipe varies so I recommend you find one that appeals to your own taste buds.
The lesson learned for today; variety is the spice of life! (Ich liebe Sie Mutter!)
Wow! That sounds really good. I should try it some time. How long does it take to make from start to finish?
ReplyDeleteIt really depends on how good you are at chopping the veggies. From start to finish it takes about 1 hour because the rice also needs to cook and then you need to work through the steps and then let it cool. If you want to make it after work some day start right away then it can be done in about an hour. If the natives are restless serve some french bread with dipping sauce or cheese and crackers to hold them over.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip is if you have any chicken breast as leftovers (and their flavor is not overpowering) tear them up with your fingers and put them into the finish product. You may want to warm them before adding them into the soup so they are hot right away.