By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon
Serves 6
2 cups finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced carrot
1 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups turkey or chicken stock, or a combination
2 finely minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 yellow potato, finely diced
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking wild rice, or 1-1/2 cups wild rice cooked according to package instructions
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a 5-quart Dutch oven in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of the sage and stir well. When the vegetables are soft, add 1/2 cup stock and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Pour in the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Add the remaining sage and the potato, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are becoming tender.
3. If using quick cooking wild rice, add it now, cover the pot and cook for a further 15–20 minutes until the rice is tender.
4. Bring the soup to a low bubble (not boiling, but bubbling). Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and whisk a few at a time into the soup adding more as it melts. Don’t worry if it looks odd and separated at some point, just keep whisking away until the soup is smooth and creamy. Stir in the diced turkey (and cooked wild rice if that is what you are using) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Because of the potatoes and rice, you may need to be generous with the salt.
5. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be gently reheated until warm.
For the Croutons: Cut leftover dressing into cubes or rough pieces. Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium high heat and toast the cubes until brown and crispy.
