Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
By Celeste RogersPublished on November 26, 2012
Time
2¼ hours, plus 20 minutes resting
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed4 ¼ cups water 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, mincedSalt and pepper ¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 cup wild rice 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick1 onion, chopped fine1 teaspoon tomato paste ⅔ cup dry sherry 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth1 tablespoon soy sauce ¼ cup cornstarch ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup minced fresh chives ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Before You Begin
White mushrooms can be substituted for the cremini mushrooms in this wild rice and mushroom soup recipe. We use a spice grinder to process the dried shiitake mushrooms, but a blender also works. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. To make this dish gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse ¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms. Grind mushrooms in spice grinder until finely ground (you should have about 3 tablespoons).
- Bring 4 cups water, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf, 1 peeled garlic clove, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add 1 cup wild rice and return to boil. Cover saucepan, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is tender, 35 to 50 minutes.
- Strain rice through fine-mesh strainer set in 4-cup liquid measuring cup; discard thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to reserved cooking liquid to measure 3 cups.
- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick, 1 finely chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes.
- Add ⅔ cup dry sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced and pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add ground shiitake mushrooms, reserved rice cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until onion and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Whisk ¼ cup cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup minced chives, and ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Time
2¼ hours, plus 20 minutes restingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
4 ¼ cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup wild rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
⅔ cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup minced fresh chives
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
4 ¼ cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup wild rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
⅔ cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup minced fresh chives
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
4 ¼ cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup wild rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
⅔ cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup minced fresh chives
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We kept the focus on the wild rice and mushrooms by selecting ingredients that amplified the nutty, earthy, umami-rich flavor profile we were after. Simmering the wild rice with baking soda decreased the cook time and brought out more robust flavor. We used the excess simmering liquid as a bouillon, infusing the entire soup with wild rice flavor. Fresh cremini mushrooms and ground dried shiitakes provided a winning combination of meaty texture and flavor. A final addition of cornstarch helped suspend the dense rice and gave our soup a velvety texture.
Before You Begin
White mushrooms can be substituted for the cremini mushrooms in this wild rice and mushroom soup recipe. We use a spice grinder to process the dried shiitake mushrooms, but a blender also works. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. To make this dish gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse ¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms. Grind mushrooms in spice grinder until finely ground (you should have about 3 tablespoons).
- Bring 4 cups water, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf, 1 peeled garlic clove, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add 1 cup wild rice and return to boil. Cover saucepan, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is tender, 35 to 50 minutes.
- Strain rice through fine-mesh strainer set in 4-cup liquid measuring cup; discard thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to reserved cooking liquid to measure 3 cups.
- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick, 1 finely chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes.
- Add ⅔ cup dry sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced and pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add ground shiitake mushrooms, reserved rice cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until onion and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Whisk ¼ cup cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup minced chives, and ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
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