Ted Musgrave’s Spiced Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Nascar Cooks, p. 16

2/3 cup uncooked wild rice

4 cups water

1 (2 ½-ounce) slivered almonds (about ½ cup)

¼ cup butter or margarine

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 (10 ½-ounce) cans chicken broth

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 cups half-and-half

Paprika

Not the most authentic stuff, but it gets the job done.

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine wild rice and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let sit 25 minutes longer. Drain and set aside.

In a small skillet over low heat, cook and stir almonds until lightly toasted; set aside. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and celery and cook 2 minutes. 

One of the best smells in the whole gosh-darn world. 

Sprinkle flour over mixture; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth, cooking and stirring until mixture is somewhat thickened. Stir in curry powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, pepper, Tabasco sauce, and half-and-half. 

So many awesome seasonings!

Heat through. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with almonds and paprika.

That garnish got a little weird, actually.

My Rating: 4/5 "This is a nicely nuanced wild rice soup. The paprika and almonds on top? Those were a weird addition to the flavor and texture and I enjoyed the leftovers more without them. But the soup itself is solid."