Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Recipe from Maria Dowd

Maria followed this recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/#tasty-recipes-60115

 
Ingredients:
 
6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup uncooked 100% wild rice
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (or see cream sauce option below*)
2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
Fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
 
Directions
 
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Method:
 
Combine base ingredients. Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.  Stir briefly to combine.
 
Pressure cook. Cover and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest and naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.  Then carefully open the vent and quick release the remaining pressure.  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.
 
Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
 
Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
 
Stove Top Method:
 
Sauté the veggies. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
 
Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
 
Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
 
Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
 
Notes:
 
Alternate cream sauce recipe: In place of the coconut milk, you can either add 1 1/2 cups half and half.  Or you can make a cream sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a (separate) saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking in 1/4 cup flour for one minute, and then whisking in 1 1/2 cups milk until the mixture is smooth.  Let the sauce cook until it nearly reaches a simmer, at which point it will thicken, then remove from heat and add the sauce to the soup once the rice has completely cooked.
 

 

Sweet Potato Wedges with Farro and Tahini

Recipe from Maria Dowd

This is a recipe from Maria’s cookbook: Love and Lemons Every Day: More than 100 Bright, Plant-Forward Recipes for Every Meal by Jeanine Donofrio.  She did not make it with the sweet potatoes.

See the following link for a photo of the recipe:
https://www.parentscanada.com/food/sweet-potato-wedges-with-farro-and-tahini-recipe/
 
Ingredients
 
1 medium sweet potato, halved lengthwise and cut into 12 wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
 
Lemon tahini dressing

1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 
Herbed farro

2 cups cooked farro or soft wheat berries (see tip below)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups baby arugula
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato wedges on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss to coat, then spread the wedges on the baking sheet with a little space between each one. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

Make the farro: In a large bowl, toss the farro with the olive oil, salt, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, chives, cayenne, arugula, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Arrange the farro salad on a platter and top with the roasted sweet potatoes. Drizzle with the tahini dressing. Serve with lemon wedges and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Tip

For farro: 1 cup dry + pot of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 to 40 minutes for farro and soft wheat berries, 45 to 60 minutes for hard wheat berries, or until tender. Add more water if necessary. Drain excess water.