Warm up with this comforting fall soup of sweet and seasonal squash, hearty mushrooms, and nutty wild rice. The ingredients in this recipe are especially beneficial for nourishing qi and draining excess fluids in Fall body types.
Serves 6
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onions (about 1 small onion)
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, such as button, brown, or crimini (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash (about 1 small squash)
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 quarts low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
2 packed cups kale (about 2 handfuls), large stems removed and leaves chopped
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add butternut squash, carrots, broth, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once soup has come to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add cooked wild rice, celery and kale, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems before serving. Add salt or additional water to taste.
Suggested substitutions and additions:
Chicken – add leftover roasted, shredded chicken for the last 5 minutes of simmering. Or add raw chicken with the butternut squash, then remove cooked chicken, shred, and add to the pot before serving.
Spinach or other leafy greens can be substituted for kale.
Quinoa can be substituted for wild rice.
For a thicker soup, take some of the cooked butternut squash, carrots, and broth out of the pot before the wild rice is added – purée the softened vegetables in a blender or with an immersion blender, then add the purée back into the pot to finish cooking.