I think that I’ve spoken more than once on here about my crummy diet.  This diet is one for health and not (necessarily) one that will help with weight reduction, etc.  When I first started, I’d have to admit that I was feeling sort of deprived.  I missed sugar, I missed flour, I was a lunatic dreaming about peanut butter.

All of that faded significantly when I ran across the recipe for this soup.

This recipe is adapted from one of Heidi Swansons’ recipes.  Sadly, I don’t remember the specific cookbook….maybe it was Super Natural Cooking.  Have y’all been to Heidi’s site?  I think that every food lover on the internet has probably visited over there — but, just in case you haven’t — please visit her beautiful blog and recipe site, at www.101cookbooks.com.  She is a wonderful photographer in addition to all of the artistry that she employs in putting together her simply wonderful recipes.  Check out her cookbooks, too.  They are probably at your library.

But back to the soup.

This soup has most of my favorite things in it — so it is a winner all around for me.  I love curry.  I love coconut milk.  I love coconut oil.  I love wild rice.  I love red curry paste and tamari and sweet potatoes.  So, when all of these loves come together in one soup then I’m a very happy girl.

 

 

Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons

• 1 cup rinsed wild rice (not wild rice mix!  You should have only the black rice grains and nothing else…it won’t work with a blend.)
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 4 cups of water, divided (you may need more)
• 1 1/2 T. red curry paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 T. curry powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. sweeetner (stick with something mild like natural cane sugar or agave nectar)
• 1 T. tamari or soy sauce
• Cubed roasted (in coconut oil, seasoned with salt and pepper) sweet potatoes for garnish.  (I usually do 3 pounds or so, but that’s just to save time making more later and it provides extra — for snacking! :))

In a Dutch oven, melt the coconut oil over low medium heat.  Add the onion when the pan has warmed and saute until soft but not browned.  Add the garlic and saute for about a minute more.  Add the red curry paste and stir until it is very well distributed.  Then, add the rice and stir so that it is mixed with the aromatics.  Now, add 3 cups of the water and bring to a low boil and immediately reduce the heat to keep the rice simmering gently.  Wild rice takes a range of time to cook, this usually takes at least 40 minutes for me.  I partially cover the pan and check the rice periodically, stirring and adding extra water (usually a cup or so, total) until the rice grains split and show their pale interiors and are tender.  At this point, add the additional reserved cup of water, the coconut milk (shake the can before opening), the salt, sweetener, the tamari, the curry powder.  Stir it all together and let it cook another 10 or so minutes over low heat so that the flavors can meld.  Serve topped with the sweet potatoes and a squirt of fresh lime juice, if you have it.

 

Happy Thursday, y’all!