Kale and Wild Rice Soup

Everyone seems to have their own recipe for a beans and greens soup. Mine is a little different, with the additions of wild rice and Indian spices. I am most definitely on an Indian spice kick lately - maybe it's the cold winter causing me to dream of warmer climates. I'm thinking an Indian risotto next...

Here I used curly green kale, baby portobello mushrooms, wild rice leftover from the night I made this, and kidney beans that I thawed from my freezer. I never use canned beans - see my tips and tricks page for more info on how I handle convenient beans from dried. I love the spicy aroma of Szechuan pepper, but if you don't have it on hand you can use crushed red chilies or black pepper, depending on how spicy you like your food.

This would be delicious with chicken, vegetable or beef stock. Use whatever suits your fancy - just make sure it is well flavored. If you are using store-bought stock or bouillon, be sure to mind the salt content or look for varieties that do not contain salt.

Kale and Wild Rice Soup

Makes about four to six servings

• 1 onion
• 1 bunch kale
• about 1/2 pound mushrooms
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 cups cooked beans
• 3 cups cooked Lundberg Gourmet Blend of Wild and Whole Grain Brown Rice
• 8 cups stock
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and ground Szechuan pepper

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot. Chop the onion, add to the pan and saute until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Chop the mushrooms into small bite sized pieces and mince the garlic. Add to the pot along with the garam masala, turmeric and cardamom. If the pot is really dry, add in some more oil. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and the spices are fragrant, about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the kale leaves and remove the fibrous stems. Chop or tear into small pieces. Add this to the pot along with the stock. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until the kale is tender to your liking, anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. When the soup is almost done, add in the cooked beans and wild rice, and season to taste with sea salt and Szechuan pepper. Heat the soup just until the beans and rice are hot, then ladle into bowls and serve.

Spiced Wild Rice Bowl

In the winter, I crave hearty one-bowl meals full of vegetables and hearty whole grains and lots of flavor. This was a quick meal I threw together last night before my husband and I attend a meditation class at The Rime Buddhist Center. A perfect grounding meal for a lovely, grounding evening  :)

Wild rice is incredibly expensive, so when I am craving it I usually go with Lundberg Gourmet Blend of Wild and Whole Grain Brown Rice. I get it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods Market and cook it in a rice cooker - if you don't have a rice cooker, follow these instructions: mix four cups of water with two cups of rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit with the lid on for ten minutes before serving. This will make more rice than needed for this recipe, but leftovers are always great for later!

I like to cook a lot of my rice in vegetable broth instead of water because it imparts a lot of flavor, however you can use regular water just as well.

This recipe makes enough for two to have for dinner - double it up if you'd like some leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Spiced Wild Rice Bowl

• 1 onion, chopped
• half of a head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
• about 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• about one cup of thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• sea salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• about 1 and a half cups of cooked wild rice blend
• about half a cup or so of vegetable stock

Heat some olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion, cardamom and turmeric and let cook until the spices are fragrant and the onion is translucent, about five minutes. Add in the cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms and garlic and stir. Add a couple of tablespoons of the vegetable stock and cover. Let cook for five to ten minutes, until the cauliflower and carrots are tender to your liking. Stir in the cooked wild rice and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the dish is dry, add in some more stock - use a light hand at first to ensure the dish doesn't turn soupy.