Creamy Winter Soup

After our delicious Christmas of starch and meat... and sweets... my body was craving some vegetables. I also want to get a greater variety of vegetables into my diet. This is something I typically forget to do in the winter months. During the summer, it's so easy; I just stop by my local farmer's market and go wild. We have some wonderful local producers who remember to provide many types of vegetables. I actually have been complimented by a couple (patting myself on the back here) for my "adventurous" selections. Once it was for simply buying rainbow colored carrots (which are so superior to the simple orange ones) and beets. Another time it was for buying kohlrabi, turnips, and possibly rutabaga.

During the winter, I tend to eat a lot of cheese, mushrooms, bread, squash, potatoes and meat. I think that this is mostly natural - those are the items that would have been available... I think... back in the day. But seeing as I have more opportunity to purchase other items year round, I should take advantage of it (to an extent - I still avoid buying fresh tomatoes in the winter since they rarely taste as good as the summer ones. Why torture myself with sub-par tomatoes?) I didn't avoid starch completely with this recipe, but I made sure to add some other nutritious vegetables to make me feel better about it.

Creamy Winter Soup

1/4 c wild rice
2 large red potatoes, cut in quarters lengthwise and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
2 tbsp butter or oil
1 small onion, chopped small
salt
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
12 cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 c reserved wild rice water
1 c reserved potato water
5 c water
2 tsp chicken Better than Bouillon
1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into pieces and washed well
1/4 c half and half
1 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp paprika

Place wild rice in a pan with plenty of water (about 4 cups).
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
When rice is done, drain over a measuring cup to reserve 1 cup of the water.
Place potatoes in a large soup pot with water to cover.
Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes over a measuring cup to reserve 1 cup of the water.
Dry out the soup pot, then put over medium-high heat.
Add butter or oil to pan and heat.
When butter is hot, reduce heat to medium and add onion and sprinkle with salt.
Cook onion, stirring, until browned (be careful not to burn the onion).
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Pour in reserved wild rice and potato water and 5 cups water.
Add chicken bouillon and stir.
Add kale and bring soup to a simmer.
Cook until kale is almost tender.
Add potatoes, cooked wild rice, half and half, milk, salt and pepper, dill weed and paprika.
Heat over medium-low heat until flavors are well blended.
Serve hot.