Join KindChef Alexa to make a Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup (based on this Gimme Some Oven recipe).
This KindSoup favorite is “loaded up with lots of my favorite fresh seasonal produce, from sweet potatoes to kale, mushrooms, carrots, celery and onions. It’s made nice and hearty with the addition of wild rice, which just so happens to be lower in calories and higher in protein than many other rices. But best of all, it is made with the most irresistible broth, seasoned with garlic and “the bays,” as I call them, and made creamy with either the addition of coconut milk, cream or a roux-based cream sauce.” – Gimme Some Oven
After completing your soup, freeze and label it for donation, then drop off at one of our participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or anyplace that you prefer, when convenient. Finally, report on where you shared your KindSoup and spread the word: Post a picture or two of you and your soups on social media with #DoKindWorks and tag us @DoKindWorks.
Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- butter or olive oil for sauteing veggies
- 12 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 2 cups uncooked wild rice, or 1.5 cups wild rice blend (cooks faster than pure wild rice) or regular rice of your choice. Lundberg Farms has a good wild rice blend, available often at Giant, Safeway etc.
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 2 large (about 2 pounds) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 small white onions, peeled and diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
- 4 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Generously cover the bottom of your soup pot with 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 in all the base ingredients: the vegetable or chicken 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 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. You can add additional broth if the soup is too thick from the rice.
- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy! To package for freezing, cool the soup, then carefully ladle into containers. Label as described below. Indicate on the label that the soup has coconut milk (a potential allergen).
*Alternate cream sauce recipe: In place of the coconut milk, you can either add half and half. Or you can make a cream sauce by melting 6 tablespoons of butter in a (separate) saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking in 1/2 cup flour for one minute, and then whisking in 3 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.
** The recipe uses 100% wild rice, but cooking time may vary if you use a wild rice blend or a different type of rice.
Health and Safety Information
In order to protect the the quality of our KindSoup program, we ask that volunteers conscientiously observe the following guidelines:
- Start with clean hands and wash again frequently as needed throughout the cooking process.
- Start with clean kitchen surfaces and utensils (antibacterial wipes do a great job).
- Keep longer hair tied back.
- Follow other common sense procedures, such as never returning a tasting spoon to the pot!
Thank you for maintaining a high cleanliness standard for our KindSoup donations!
How to Donate Your KindSoup
Seal containers with a tight lid and freeze. Label each container with: date prepared, your first name and last initial, “Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup ” and common allergens (such as nuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, vegan or vegetarian as appropriate) – which we will discuss on the call. When convenient, drop containers of frozen soup off at one of the following participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or a place that you prefer.
- Rainbow Community Development Center 12120 Tech Road, Silver Spring (this takes you to the rear parking lot and loading dock – there is usually a large RAINBOW truck parked here): Drop-off Monday-Friday 10am-1pm.
- Goods for Good 5830 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015: Drop-off Monday-Friday 10am-4pm.
- Embry Rucker Shelter 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, 703-437-1975. (Leave donations on the table around the back): Drop off anytime!
- Cordell Place 4715 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD, 240-316-5994. (Please knock on the main door and let staff know you are a KindWorks volunteer delivering soup, casserole, and/or banana bread. If no staff member is available, call 240-316-5994 for assistance. Street parking is available; if parking is limited, call ahead to arrange a curbside handoff with a staff member): Drop off anytime—the center is staffed 24/7.
Here are some options for donating outside the DC area:
- NYC Community Fridges located throughout New York City.
- Bread and Roses 58 Newbury St., Lawrence, Mass., 978-681-8768. Drop off Mondays-Thursdays, 10 am-4 pm.
- The Bristol Lodge 27 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass., 781-893-0108. Drop off Mondays-Fridays, 9am-6pm.
- Community Refrigerators located in Los Angeles
See you in the KindSoup kitchen!
Learn more about this KindWorks program
