Creamy Turkey (or Chicken!) and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup Uncooked Wild Rice (I Prefer The Whole Grain Style, Not The Cracked)
• ½ cups Unsalted Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 2 stalks Celery, Chopped
• 2 whole Carrots, Sliced Into 1/4" Thick Coins
• 8 ounces, weight Button Mushrooms, Sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme (or 1/2 Teaspoon Dried)
• ¼ cups Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley (or 2 Teaspoon Dried)
• 4 cups Cooked And Coarsely Shredded Turkey Or Chicken (smoked Meat Is Especially Nice In This Soup)
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

First off, you’ll want to get your wild rice cooking, so it’s ready to add to the finished soup. Prepare according to the package instructions. (It takes a while; the instructions on my bag says to cook it for 55 minutes.)

The remainder of the recipe can be made in one stock pot. Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir well and saute until the onion is transparent and softened. Blend in flour, cooking until it bubbles a bit. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly.

Turn up the heat a bit and bring the soup to a low boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat slightly and add the cooked wild rice, half-and-half, soy sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and turkey or chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes or until thoroughly warmed. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and taste test to see if it needs more salt and pepper.

Serve with crackers or warm bread.