Courtesy of the West household, this recipe is for soup lovers who think wild rice counts as rugged, outdoorsy food and believe anything simmered long enough is basically therapy for the senses.

It’s cozy, comforting, and just fancy enough to feel intentional, even if you mostly dumped things into a pot and hoped for the best. Wild rice does the heavy lifting here — nutty, hearty, and pretending it’s not absolutely soaking up butter, cream, or broth like a sponge with a college degree.

You can keep it wholesome and virtuous or go full “cold weather survival mode” with extra richness and zero regrets. Let it bubble, stir occasionally like you know what you’re doing, and call it homemade magic…because everyone deserves a soup that feels far more impressive than the effort required.

Quick Wild Rice Soup

The ingredients:

• 2 cups wild rice, cooked
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 stick of butter (add more if you are Southern)
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1/2 cup or grated carrots
• 1/2 cup diced ham (triple amount if Garland is coming over)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup half-n-half
• Slivered almonds to taste, parsley
• 2 ounces dry sherry (have bottle ready for “garnish”)

The magic:

1. Sample the sherry for quality assurance. Still good? Let’s move on…
2. Melt butter and onion; blend in flour and broth
3. Bring roux to boil, then turn down; keep stirring while taking another sip of sherry
4. Add rice, carrots, ham and salt; simmer for about 5 minutes
5. Blend in half-n-half and whatever is left of the sherry
6. Reduce heat; simmer to desired temperature (a small glass of sherry is usually enough time)
7. Add salt and pepper to taste; garnish with parsley
8. Serve with fresh baked, crusty bread
9. Extra credit for the overachievers in the audience: While enjoying, cleanse palate periodically with sherry