More Warming Fall Soups

By Jeff Woodward

CREAMY WILD RICE SOUP WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 /2 lb. sliced mushrooms
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 /3 cup wild rice, washed and strained
• 5 cups chicken or mushroom broth
• 1 /2 cup raw cashew pieces
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• sea salt and tamari sauce to taste

1. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the sesame oil for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to the mushrooms, cover the pan with its lid, and simmer the mushrooms for 15 minutes.
2. Put the broth into a pressure cooker with the garlic and wild rice. Bring the pressure cooker to full pressure over high heat, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes. When the cooking time is up release the pressure and remove the lid.
3. Put the cashews in a blender with 2 cups of wild rice soup broth (take as little of the wild rice as possible). Puree the cashews in a blender until smooth on high speed. Return the cashew puree to the soup.
4. Saute the shiitake mushrooms in the sesame oil until they wilt. Add them to the soup just before serving.
5. Season the soup with salt and tamari soy sauce to taste. Serves four.

CARROTS WITH CUMIN AND CILANTRO

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp butter
• 4 carrots, matchstick cut
• 1 /2 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of sea salt
• 3 T chopped cilantro

1. Warm the oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds. Stir for 10 seconds on medium-high heat to pop them.
2. Add the butter (optional) and the carrots to the mustard seeds. Cover and tur n the heat to simmer. Cook the car rots for 3 minutes on simmer.
3. Remove the lid and add the cumin and salt. Stir the seasonings in for a minute then add the chopped cilantro. Serves two people.