- 16 ounces sliced white button or baby bella mushrooms, wiped of excess dirt with a damp towel
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce (divided)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (sub brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon plus pinch sea salt
- 4 ounces uncooked pancetta (sub bacon)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil (plus 1 teaspoon olive oil)
- 1 medium vidalia/sweet onion, diced into 1/4" pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed 20 seconds and drained
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken or veggie stock
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/2 cup half and half (sub canned coconut milk)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper.
Add 8 ounces (half) of your mushrooms to the baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, maple syrup and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spread in an even layer and roast for 35-40 minutes, until they look caramelized (reduced, crispy browned edges).
- While mushrooms are roasting, heat a large soup or stock pot to medium heat and add pancetta (Make sure your pot has a lid!). Cook, stirring constantly, until pancetta is browned and crispy. Scoop pancetta into a separate bowl, keeping fat in the pot.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, along with remaining mushrooms and diced onion. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until veggies are softened and golden-brown, approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Turn heat to medium-low and add minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, onion powder, thyme, remaining teaspoon Worcestershire and pepper. Stir constantly for 30 seconds.
- Add wild rice, stock, 3 cups water and molasses.. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving lid ajar a few inches. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until rice is tender but still has some bite. Stir in half and half.
- Taste and add salt as you like. Simmer another 5 minutes, then serve with roasted mushrooms and pancetta on top!
Leftover soup will keep tightly sealed in the fridge up to 5 days or frozen 3 months.
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If you've never tried wild rice, I highly recommend starting with this soup. Roasting the mushrooms in advance and starting with a base of cooked pancetta adds incredible richness to a very easy dish. While the result is more of a stew with it's stick-to-your-ribs heartiness, it still feels nourishing. In fact, I found myself craving leftovers (which get better with time!) when I was a bit under the weather.
