Northwoods Wild Rice Soup

This is the soup you’ll find in lodges and supper clubs across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and for good reason. Wild rice has a chewy, nutty character that turns a simple cream soup into something with real substance and texture. Combined with cubed chicken and ham, it’s a full meal in a bowl.

A quart of half-and-half forms the base, which sounds indulgent, but the wild rice and vegetables absorb enough of it that the final soup is creamy without being heavy. Chicken broth and a splash of sherry round out the liquid, adding depth and a slight warmth that balances the richness.

The thickening happens at the end with a beurre manié: flour mixed into melted butter, then stirred into the hot soup. This technique avoids the lumps you’d get from sprinkling raw flour directly into liquid. Five to eight minutes of simmering after that, and the soup thickens into a velvety consistency that coats the back of a spoon.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the wild rice separately beforehand. It takes 45-60 minutes on its own and would throw off the soup’s timing if cooked directly in the broth.
• Shred the carrots rather than dicing them. Shredded carrots soften faster and distribute more evenly throughout the soup.
• The butter-flour paste must be worked smooth before adding. Any lumps in the paste become lumps in the soup.
• Stir frequently once the flour paste goes in. The half-and-half can scorch on the bottom if left unattended.

Variations

• Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken for a post-holiday version.
• Swap sherry for dry white wine or skip the alcohol entirely and add an extra cup of chicken broth.
• Stir in a handful of sliced mushrooms with the vegetables for an earthy, woodsy addition.