Creamy Wild Rice & Parsnip Soup

I jump started my New Year’s resolution to eat healthier and signed up for Door to Door Organics back in November. I now have a delivery of fresh, organic produce show up every single week right on my doorstep. It has been the single best healthy decision I have made for our family in the past few years.

Not only is it an incentive to eat healthier, but to cook more creatively.  I now have an entire box of ticking time bombs of expiring produce to jumpstart my creative recipe juices on a daily basis.  I thank my sister-in-law every day for telling me about this great service.  There are multiple options for box contents, sizes, substitutions, delivery dates, and add-ons like meat, dairy, and bread.  If you want to get a discount off of your first box, e-mail or message me for a code!

Anyhow, this soup idea came about from my plethora of produce and this view. Goliath.  Yes, they have started to name winter snow storms in the Midwest.  It had been snowing off and on all day last Monday, we had utilized every room in the house, plus the backyard, front yard, and driveway to try and blow off steam.  So, soup just sounded easy and delicious for dinner that night.  Big bonus – both kids loved this soup!

 I started with my produce and my fancy new vegetable peeler that I got as a Christmas gift (this Zyliss Peeler is my new favorite – it is sharp and cuts with a nice ribbed texture!). As far as my produce selection goes, I absolutely love parsnips – they are far superior to carrots, if you ask me.  Please, please try them if you have not already!

I dug around in my pantry for some grain or pasta choices and settled on some  Minnesota Wild Rice that I picked up during my last trip to Minneapolis.  I just love the texture and taste of wild rice, which is not actually rice as we know it, but a semi-aquatic grass.

This simmering concoction of vegetables, broth, and bay leaf was the perfect way to end a snowy day. Scratch that.  Almost perfect way to end a snowy day.  I ended it with a bowl of blueberry pie and homemade whipped cream – my contribution to my husband’s family Christmas dinner this year. I decided to go with something out of the ordinary for this time of year and splurge on blueberries.

Creamy Wild Rice & Parsnip Soup

1. In a large pot, sauté 1/2 a diced yellow onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic in 3-4 tablespoons heated olive oil until softened.
2. Add 6 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken) and 1 bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. Meanwhile, start a medium saucepan boiling with water.  Add 6 oz of wild rice and bring to a boil.  Reduce and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Peel and slice into 1/2-inch pieces, 4-5 medium parsnips.  Add to broth.
5. Slice 3 stalks of celery, add to broth.
6. Drain and rinse wild rice.  Add to broth and vegetable mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well.
7. Optional: add 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces.  Stir and return to boil.
8. Simmer on low, covered for 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf before serving.
9. To serve, ladle into bowls and add 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream per bowl, more or less depending on preferences or bowl sizes.  Stir and serve with toasted marbled rye bread.