Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• Fresh parsley (2 tablespoons, chopped)
• Heavy cream (1/2 cup)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Bay leaf (1)
• Thyme (1 teaspoon)
• Vegetable broth (4 cups)
• Wild rice (1 cup, uncooked)
• Mushrooms (8 ounces, sliced)
• Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
• Onion (1 medium, diced)
• Butter (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the wild rice, vegetable broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
5. Remove the bay leaf from the pot.
6. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend about half of the soup until smooth. This will help thicken the soup while still leaving some texture.
7. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh parsley.