Hearty Winter Soup With Wild Rice

The other afternoon I decided to make soup for dinner, but when I took out one of my soup recipes, I realized that I didn't have all the ingredients it called for. So, what did I do? Well, I did just what you would probably do - I improvised.

This turned out to be a really earthy, hearty soup, one both my husband and I really enjoyed, so I jotted down the changes and decided to share it with you. You'll notice one pretty unusual combination - the fact that I used canned chicken but beef broth. Why? Because when I went to the refrigerator, there was a new box of Kitchen Basics beef broth sitting there, opened, and I wanted to use it up.

Another thing you'll notice about this soup is that it has a contribution from a couple aliens, at least they may be alien to some of you. Are you acquainted with Rutabaga?  Have you met the fragrant Parsnip? Or have you seen it in the produce department and quickly moved to the other side of the street aisle and averted your eyes.

 The Humble Rutabaga

The Impertinent Parsnip

that grows the loooooongest root. When you get them at the store, that long root has been cut off.

Oh stop! You can't possibly know that you don't like rutabaga or parsnips until you've tasted them.  :-) So c'mon, give it a try. This is a great recipe that will make you want MORE. I promise!

Let's get started:

HEARTY WINTER SOUP

With Rutabaga, Parsnip, and Wild Rice

1 Qt. Kitchen Basics Beef Broth

1 13 oz. can chicken breast, drained

4 cans of Petite Diced Tomatoes or 1 Qt. home-canned tomatoes

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3 ribs of celery, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 med. jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 med. parsnips, pared and diced

4 carrots, pared and diced

1 med. rutabaga, pared and cut into small chunks

1/2 c. wild rice

1 t. cumin

1 t. coriander

1 t. black pepper

1 t. salt

Cayenne to taste

Stir all ingredients, except rice, together in a large stockpot. I have an amazing Martha Stewart pot that I'll have to write a blog post about. I can leave anything on the stove to simmer and it absolutely NEVER sticks. Great pot!  Bring just to a boil, then turn down to very low and cover. Simmer for a couple hours. Then throw in the wild rice and give it a stir before putting the lid on again.  Let simmer another hour.

Once you've added the wild rice, this tends to get more stew-like, so you may want to add a little extra broth.

Serve with a good, coarse, dark bread and Real Wisconsin Cheese! (unless you're from England. In that case, I'd recommend that you visit the Wensleydale Creamery and purchase 'one of each' after tasting all those amazing samples.) I know I should be ashamed. I think my Wisconsin cheese loyalty ends at the Yorkshire border.

P.S. If it makes you cringe to combine beef broth and chicken, it's okay if you use chicken broth, but I can't guarantee that it will be as good as this was. The flavor was really robust and earthy. I felt like I was eating a recipe from 'the old country,' that I should tie my babushka a little tighter, button up my sweater, and build a fire in the stove. 

Oh wait. I do have a fire in the stove.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

and Tasty Tuesdays

and Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods

and Tuesdays at the Table