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Tomato and Wild Rice Soup |  | |
The wild rice is cooked separately and combined with the tomatoes toward the end of the recipe, which results in a fresh-tasting soup with distinct flavors.
Makes about 1 gallon
1 cup pure or virgin olive oil
1 large white or red onion or 2 medium leeks (washed well), cut into medium dice
8 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
8 oz. uncooked wild rice
3 qt. water
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
20 large ripe garden tomatoes or 3 28-oz. cans plum tomatoes in their juice
8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
24 to 30 fresh basil leaves
¼ cup sherry vinegar
Herb Cheese Balls (recipe follows) or large shavings of your favorite hard cheese, such as Parmesan, cheddar or morbier, for serving
Heat ½ cup of the oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat. Add the onion or leeks and thyme and sauté a couple of minutes until soft. Add the wild rice and stir to coat. Add 2 quarts of the water, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then turn down and simmer for 45 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and turn the rice out onto a sheet tray to cool.
Remove the core from the fresh tomatoes and cut them into eighths (no need to remove skin or seeds; they are strained out later). If you are using canned plum tomatoes, crush them in their juice.
Heat the remaining oil in a 6-quart pot. Set over high heat. Add the garlic and sauté quickly for 30 seconds. Add half of the basil leaves and the fresh tomatoes or the canned tomatoes and juice. Pour in the remaining 1 quart water. Season with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes for fresh tomatoes, or 15 minutes for canned tomatoes. Remove the tomato mixture from the heat and pour through a coarse strainer held over a large bowl. Puree the pulp in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the pulp back into the bowl with the tomato liquid.
Shred the remaining basil leaves. Combine the basil, tomato mixture, and wild rice in a 4-quart pot and stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add the sherry vinegar, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with Herb Cheese Balls or large shavings of your favorite hard cheese.
Herb Cheese Balls
Makes 16 or more balls
Any soft cheese, such as blue cheese or Boursin, can be substituted for the goat cheese in this recipe. The herbs you use can vary as well--fresh tarragon or cilantro work well.
8 oz. fresh goat cheese
2 bunches fresh dill, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
24 chive stalks, finely chopped
Roll the goat cheese into little balls about the diameter of a quarter. You should have about 16. Combine the chopped dill and chives and roll the balls in the herb mixture.
Planning ahead: The wild rice-onion-thyme mixture call be cooked well in advance and frozen in sealable plastic bags until needed. The tomato mixture can be cooked up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Assemble the soup no more than a few hours before serving if possible. If you leave the rice in the soup any longer, it will absorb too much liquid, become mushy, and make the soup too thick.
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