With its striking black grains and firm, nutty bite, wild rice instantly makes any dish more rustic and interesting. I love how the dark grains visually pop against the smooth, white surface of this soup. Meanwhile, deeply browned mushrooms, thyme and sage build woody flavours that are a perfect match for the rice. This is just the soup for a brisk winter’s night.

INGREDIENTS

• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g button mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick – see note
• ¾ tsp cooking salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp finely minced garlic
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into 5mm thick pieces
• 1 celery stalk, chopped into 5mm thick pieces
• 2 tsp finely minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp ground sage (optional)
• 150g (¾ cup) wild rice, uncooked – see note
• 1 litre (4 cups) low-salt chicken stock* (substitute veg stock)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 250 ml (1 cup) thickened cream (substitute milk)
• 100g (1 tightly packed cup) finely grated parmesan

To garnish

• ½ tsp finely minced fresh thyme

METHOD

1. Mushroom topping: Melt half the butter and heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based pot over high heat. Add half the mushrooms with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until the mushrooms turn light golden – initially they will dry out, then go wet and floppy, then start to become golden. When the mushrooms are light golden, add ½ teaspoon of the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until the mushrooms and garlic are golden. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside – these are to top the finished soup.
2. Saute: Melt the remaining butter and heat the remaining oil in the same pan, still on high. Add the onion, remaining garlic, carrot and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms and the thyme and sage (if using) and cook for 4–5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened (they won’t turn golden) and the onion is translucent.
3. Broth and rice: Add the wild rice to the pot and stir for 30 seconds to coat it in the tasty flavours. Add the stock, bay leaves, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then put the lid on and reduce the heat to low so the broth simmers gently.
4. Simmer: Simmer for 30–35 minutes until the rice is just about done – mostly soft but still with a bit of a firm bite in the centre (it will cook more in the next steps).
5. Thicken: While the rice is cooking, whisk the flour with 60ml (¼ cup) of the cream in a bowl until lump-free. Whisk in the remaining cream, then slowly pour the mixture into the soup while stirring.
6. Finish: Cook the soup for another 5 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and the rice is done (but before it becomes super soft and mushy). Add the parmesan and stir it through until melted.
7. Serve: Reheat the mushroom topping (I use the microwave). Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the warmed mushrooms and a pinch of fresh thyme to garnish. Crusty bread for dunking goes down a treat.

Serves 4

NOTES

• I use regular button mushrooms. Swiss brown mushrooms would also be great.
• The black grains of wild rice have a firmer texture and nuttier flavour than regular rice. It’s a little bit gourmet! The best substitute is brown rice, though it doesn’t have as much flavour as wild rice.

• Leftovers: Fridge 3 days, freezer 3 months. Store the rice and vegetables separately from the soup or the rice will bloat overnight. To do this, drain off the liquid using a colander set over a bowl.

This is an edited extract from Tonight by Nagi Maehashi. It will be published by Macmillan Australia on October 15, 2024. RRP $49.99

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