2/20/14 ChefElla's Mock Creamy Wild Rice Soup

CHEFELLA'S MOCK CREAMY WILD RICE SOUP

I love wild rice soup.  If you have never eaten it before you should really try it.  It is so creamy and rich and flavorful that I could eat it every day.  But I know that it is not good to eat rich food every day, so I decided to make a recipe that I could eat more often.  My wild rice soup is a mock (fake) wild rice soup because it does not have cream, butter, or flour in it.  The soup still tastes creamy and rich and the best part is that you will not be able to tell the difference between my soup and the real one.
If you do not know what wild rice is, it is actually not a rice, but the grain of a particular type of grass.  It cooks like rice and has a nutty flavor.  If you like it you can cook and eat it just like rice.
ChefElla.

For this recipe you will need to use a knife and the stove.  If you are not allowed to use a knife or the stove by yourself you can have a grown up help.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups and spoons, a knife, a cutting board, a medium stock
     pot, a small bowl, a mesh strainer, a blender, a peeler and a wooden or plastic spoon.

ChefElla's Mock Creamy Wild Rice Soup (This recipe will make 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:
1 Lb.      Chicken Breast or Tenders, cut into bite size pieces
               -Remember kids like ChefElla have little mouths, so the pieces should be small for a kid, not
               small for a mom or dad.
3/4 cup   Carrot, cut into bite sized pieces (3 - 4 small carrots)

1    cup   White Onion, cut into bite sized pieces (1/2 medium to large onion)
3/4 cup   Celery, cut into bite sized pieces (3 medium celery stalk)
               -Wash celery stalk.  Cut brown ends off of celery.  Cut celery in half lengthwise.  Cut each
               half of celery lengthwise again.  You can continue to do this until the pieces are as thin as you
               want them.  Chop the celery stalks into small pieces.  The thinner the celery is cut, the smaller
               the pieces will be when you chop them.

6 cups     Chicken Stock
1 cup      Wild Rice, Raw
2 cups     Cauliflower, Raw (8oz)
1 tsp       Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp    Black Pepper
1/4 tsp    Garlic Powder
2 tsp       Kitchen Bouquet
               -You can use other browning liquids like Maggi seasoning, but they can have MSG in them.
               If you do not like MSG or if you have an allergy to it, just use Kitchen Bouquet.
2 Tbl        Olive Oil

3. Cook your wild rice according to the directions on the package (generally the ratio is 1 to 4.  This
    means that for every 1 cup of rice you will need to cook it in 4 cups of water.
4. Cut your carrots (peel carrots with your peeler before cutting), celery and onions.  Set aside in your
    bowl.  Cut your chicken into small pieces.
5. When the rice is done strain it through your mesh strainer.  Return your pot to the stove and heat on
    medium high heat.  Add two cups of chicken stock, cauliflower and 1 cup of cooked wild rice to
    your pot.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Put cauliflower, wild rice and stock into you blender and puree (mix on a high speed until it is a
    paste).
7. Return the pot to the stove and turn on medium.  When hot add 2 Tbl. olive oil.  Add carrots, onion
    and celery.  Spread the vegetables evenly on the bottom of the pan.  Let the vegetables sweat on the
    bottom of the pan for 3-4 minutes  without stirring (sweating is when the vegetables cook on a lower
    heat so that they do not become brown but still cook).  The onions will begin to look clear.  Turn the
    pot onto high heat and add the chicken.  Mix the chicken into the vegetables.  Stir every 45 seconds
    to a  minute until all of the chicken is white in color.
8. Add the spices, kitchen bouquet, wild rice, cauliflower puree and stock to the pan.
9. Bring the soup to a boil, turn to low heat and serve.

Top your soup with crackers, serve with bread, or whatever else you can think of.  

Enjoy.

- ChefElla