This is a lovely soup. It is thick, rich, creamy and hardy soup. It is nice enough for the fanciest of dinner parties for first course. This is a soup that is better the next day, making it even better to prepare ahead. We all love it.
Wild Rice Soup
1/2 stick butter
1 small sweet onion chopped fine
2 celery stalks chopped fine
1 carrot chopped fine
4 oz ham chopped fine ~ I use a local Patak Gypsy Ham or any good lean smoked ham
1 cup of wild rice
1/3 cup white rice
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a large heavy sauce/soup pot add onion, celery, carrot and ham. Saute until vegetables are tender about 10 minutes on a low heat. Add rices stir to coat about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bay leaf and simmer on a very low flame for about 1 hour until the wild rice is tender. Remove bay leaf and discard. Mix in the heavy cream. Puree about 2 cups of soup and return to mixture.
I place the 2 cups of soup in food processor and process the mixture until it becomes a thick paste and then return it to soup pot.
I return to the soup to the heat, stir and simmer on low for another 20 minutes or so until it gets heated through out and thickens. For family meal will serve with chicken salad sandwiches or home made bread and salad. Season with salt and pepper.
