Mid-Winter Soup

Contributed by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

SERVINGS: 8 FIRST-COURSE OR 4 MAIN-COURSE

•VEGETARIAN

This vegetarian soup is almost a stew—thick, satisfying comfort food for winter. If you like, you could also use 3 cups of leftover cooked Wehani Rice, Black Thai Sticky Rice or brown rice in this soup. Add the rice shortly before serving—just long enough to heat it through.

slideshow Warming Soup Recipes

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup raw Wehani Rice, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups homemade vegetable stock or water
1 pound waxy potatoes, such as red bliss or Yukon Gold, cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Soak the porcini in the boiling water until softened. Drain, reserving the liquid; chop the mushrooms.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir briefly. Add the rice, bay leaves, pepper, stock and the reserved porcini soaking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes and carrots and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the rice and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the salt and simmer for a few minutes more. Ladle the soup into bowls and pass the cheese and parsley at the table.

Suggested Pairing

Pair with an earthy California Pinot Noir.

Mid-Winter Soup

Suggested Pairing

Ratings

Average Rating

Comments

Add a Comment