Baby, it's cold outside!

I realize it's still summer in the States, but, here in Germany it's not ... and it hasn't been all summer long! Currently, we're on about a 3 month long schedule of cold, dark, dreary, drizzly weather with an occasional peep of the sun. Cold, dark and dreary reminds me of my days in Minneapolis and when I think of Minneapolis I can't help but think of good old Minnesota Wild Rice soup (picture coming as soon as the photographer gets off work). Do you know how hard it is to find wild rice in Germany? I'll be savoring every bite!



Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

1 c. wild rice (uncooked)
2 carrots, finely diced or shredded
2 celery ribs, finely diced ... plus leaves for flavor
1 leek, white part only ... halved and thinly sliced
knob of butter (1-1.5 T)
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1 c. veggie broth
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper

Cook wild rice in 4 parts salted water (4 cups) over med-lo (simmering) heat for 45-60 minutes. Wild rice should pop open and be tender, but the water may not be completely soaked up by the rice. Drain wild rice, reserving a couple of ladles of cooking liquid.

When rice is cooked, prep veggies and sweat in soup pot along with a splash of olive oil on low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Remove veggies from soup pot and temporarily set aside. Melt butter in soup pot until foaming. Add flour to form a roux (thickening agent). Let the butter/flour mixture cook gently for a minute or two (be careful not to burn/brown the butter). Slowly add milk and veggie broth and whisk to combine, turn up heat. Your milk mixture should slowly thicken, season with salt and pepper. Try to keep the heat low enough to prevent boiling. Add back your veggies and drained wild rice and the reserved rice cooking water (if you need a little more liquid). Add a bay leaf to the pot, turn off the heat, put the top on and let soup steep for a bit with the bay leaf. Soup will thicken a little more while cooling. Remove bay leaf before serving.