Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

I’m sorry I’ve been cooking for a LONG time and I’m at a point where I can instinctively look at a recipe and know where I can trim off extra fat/calories. This recipe is great as is and deserves 5 stars but for kicks you can read what changes I made. I didn’t cook the wild rice in all that water — don’t understand why you would do that. I cooked it with two cups of water for 45 mins with a little salt. I used half of the called for pancetta also and the flavor still came through. After I added the wine and broth I threw in some sprigs of fresh thyme. Who doesn’t love fresh thyme? It’s my favorite herb. I didn’t use heavy cream but opted for mascarpone instead. I used about half a cup of that. It’s perfect for this. I added it at the very end and let it dissolve before I served up the first bowl then chopped up some fresh parsley for a fresh garnish. I didn’t do the butter and parsley dollop. I had pieces of toasted baguette with butter so I didn’t want to add even more butter to my diet. Other than these simple changes I did everything else as the recipe is written. I LOVED this soup and the fam raved and said “You have to make it again Mom.” Will do.

I made this last night for my Purdue small group Bible study and they all loved it!  I couldn't find any dried mushrooms at the store so I left them out and I had baby portobello mushrooms on hand so I used those.  I also used bacon instead of pancetta and then skimmed the fat particles off of the top of the soup during step 7.  For the white wine I used Cream Sherry as it's my favorite wine with which to cook.  During step 5 I allowed the mushrooms to cook for quite a long time so that they'd develop a nice concentrated flavor.

A satisfying meal in a bowl. I used bacon and it gave it a smoky flavor. I don't know the taste of pancetta which may be milder and a different taste. I agree that the parsley butter is a must. And you only need a little of it in the bowl. I also used dried parsley. So good.

delicious soup!!!! I sprinkled it with Parmesan cheese.. wow! very good!

Everyone in my family (except me) hates mushrooms, but my family LOVED this soup and requested that we add it to our menu rotation. My substitutions: 4-oz button mushrooms and 8-oz oyster mushrooms; instead of the parsley butter, I just added parsley flakes and the black pepper at the end with the heavy cream (that last cuts 4 TB of butter from the recipe). Next time, I think I will cook the pancetta a bit more, render a lot of the fat, since it softens a lot when it sits in the liquid, and it can get a flabby texture. And/or I might reserve a bit to cook until crispy and sprinkle on top when plating.

This is yummy! However, it seems like the original recipe is a heart attack in a cooking pot. I heavily modified this into a vegan version and it was DELICIOUS! I cooked the mushrooms and leeks in olive oil instead of butter. I left out the bacon. I skipped the parsley butter. I added more leeks for flavor, and I used MimicCreme Unsweetened Almond & Cashew Cream instead of cow milk cream. If you prefer wheat free, use arrowroot at the very last step when it's not boiling hot to substitute for a thickening agent. Mmmmm! Give this altered version a try if you're watching your fat and cholesterol intake or you are vegan. If you prefer wheat free, use arrowroot at the very last step when it's not boiling hot to substitute for a thickening agent.

My husband came across and made this for me and it was unbelievable! He used the bacon instead of the pancetta and it was delicious. He did the parsley butter the first time, but didn't used it the second time, and I thought it was still just as good. This is definately one of my favorite soups and it will be made again and again.

Unbelievable! So delish. This will be a new winter standard for us. I used a few substitutions. Cornstarch instead of flour (gluten free), bacon instead of the other pork product. The parsley butter is a MUST. Changes the entire dish. Fabulous. I used up my leftover wild rice from thanksgiving - just tossed it in! And the bacon bits from Hormel. Super easy!

This soup is delicious!!! I have made it several times now and everyone loves it. It's easiest if you prepare/chop everything ahead of time, that way it is all ready to go when it needs to be thrown in. I wish it were a bit lower in fat and next time I make it I may try using half and half.