January 25-31,2009

Last week I made a 17 pound bone-in ham so I could use the left overs for soup this week. Wild rice is harvested in northern Minnesota and is one of my favorite dishes. I found a recipe for wild rice soup in the paper but I didn't want to add the cream , sherry or the almonds so I change the recipe almost every time I make it. The wild rice absorbs a lot of the broth even when you add it cooked. This is one of my favorite soups and I usually make it a couple times a year.

Wild Rice Soup

½ cup butter
2 onions, chopped
½ cup flour
8 cups chicken broth
5 carrots diced
Salt to taste
2 cups wild rice
3 cups ham diced

Melt the butter in a stock pot and then add onions, stirring until soft approximately 8-10 minutes on medium high heat. Add flour and stir a few minutes until the flour coats the onions and forms a film on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and when it reaches a boil, turn down the heat and add the diced carrots. After the carrots are cooked through, add the cooked wild rice and ham. Adjust the seasoning and serve.