Yam and Wild Rice Soup with Cranberries
Yield: 6 servings

Caramelized onions and festive yams balance the tangy flavors of dried cranberries, while native wild rice gives this soup an earthy charactor. It's like Thanksgiving in a cup! Do not cook the wild rice directly into the soup, as it will turn the broth grey and murky.

2 tablespoons butter (olive oil is okay, but butter makes it richer)
1 yellow onion, diced small
1 celery rib, diced small
2 generous cups small-diced peeled yams or sweet potatoes (about 2 small)
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warmed
2 cups cooked native wild rice (about 3/4 cup dry)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup whole milk or soy milk
1/4 cup apple cider
1-2 teaspoons salt (check sodium content of stock)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the butter over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onions, celery and yams. Saute for 3 minutes, until just tender. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are a rich caramel color.

Sprinkle the flour into the vegetables and stir until incorporated. Slowly add the warm stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until the soup has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cranberries; simmer for 10 minutes, until the cranberries are soft and plump.

Stir in the milk and apple cider. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Stir. Taste for flavor, adding more salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the flavors start to pop out.

Serve warm.

©2007 Copyright Alison Anton - All rights reserved.