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Cream of Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Time1 hour
YieldsServes 12
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1

Bring 2 cups of salted water to boil in a saucepan. Add the rice and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender but still has some bite to it, 35 to 40 minutes. It will not absorb all the water. Drain.

2

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the flour and blend well. Cook, stirring, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful it doesn’t brown.

3

Heat 6 cups of the chicken stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour mixture until smooth. Strain the mixture.

4

Wipe the pan clean and heat over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in the pimentos, bay leaf and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5

Add the stock mixture and wild rice to the pot. Simmer over medium-low heat, 20 to 30 minutes, adding more stock if the soup becomes dry. Stir in the half-and-half and heat to serving temperature. The soup will be thick. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving.