Mushroom, Leek, & Wild Rice Soup

This is an earthy and elegant soup adapted from Martha Stewart Living. It uses a combination of assorted fresh mushrooms as well as dried mushrooms to give it a rich and complex flavor. I used fresh cremini, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms, but button or chanterelles could also be used. The bunch of beautiful leeks from my CSA share were also part of this lovely dish. I sautéed the leeks in red wine rather than sherry. We ate it with crusty sourdough bread and green salad.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• .25 oz dried porcini or dried portobello mushrooms (for 2 T powder- instructions below)
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces (such as button, cremini, shiitake (stems removed), & chanterelle)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 6 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sherry, Madeira, Port, or red wine
• 6 T light soy sauce
• 2 quarts homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 to 3/4 cup heavy cream or half & half
• 2 T finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and wild rice. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the dried mushroom powder. In a spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse the dried mushrooms to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
3. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and tender, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter; add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 T of mushroom powder; cook 1 minute. Add sherry and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more.
5. Add stock to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, cream (or half & half), and parsley; adjust seasoning, and serve. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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