The weather in Singapore has been very temperamental these days; raining like crazy one minute, then the sun is shining the next, and all within the hour, it is kind of insane. However, one of the constants this week has been the frigid cold. It is soooo freakin’ freezing out there. Rain always makes me want to make soup. All I want to do is curl up in a blanket with a big bowl of steaming hot soup. I figured it was time. A hearty soup is always welcome around here and y’all like a hearty soup anyway, right?
You know I am always looking for easy weeknight recipes to brown bag for lunch, and this one is one of my favorites so far. Black rice, if you’re not familiar with it, is a glutinous rice which makes it perfect for risottos. It cooks up purple rather than black and tastes nutty and quite delicious. It is also a nutritional star — much healthier than white and even its brown counterparts. It’s packed with antioxidants and ounce for ounce it has more protein and more iron.
Believe it or not, this soup was not meant to be purple. The beautifully vibrant colour just kinda snuck in one day during recipe testing. It was biting cold at the moment and all I wanted was a hearty, warming mushroom soup for a long lazy supper. So naturally I headed over to our local veg shop and half an hour later a soup was bubbling away on our gas stove.
And since I’m all about quick n’ simple (yet delicious!) food, it had to be a one pot meal.
The soup hit just the right spot. Rich, cozy and perfect for chilly evenings As always I wrote down the recipe while creating it (#foodbloggerhabits) and made it again the next week to tweak flavours and take photos.
I know you want to hate me. But you do not hate me because this is going to blowyamind. The flavour of this soup, thanks to the mushrooms was so, so, so, so good. And think about how much wild rice soup I’ve had in my lifetime. I feel very qualified to tell you that this right here is how it’s done. This is a yummy, earthy, middle-of-winter wild rice soup. The texture of wild black rice is such that it’s almost like a party in your mouth. It is fibrous, soft but firm, and fluffs up quite a lot.
I’ve never had rice in soup before, so I was really interested in it. This soup is definitely perfect for the upcoming cold season. It is warm, comforting, filled with fibre and is so filling. To say I loved this soup would be an understatement. I loved using mushrooms to “beef up” the soup, and they added such a delicious umami flavour to the soup itself. The rice is delicious in every bite and adds a beautiful texture. Plus, it’s so pretty, right?!
I think soups are a great way to eat your veggies, but that doesn’t mean that every recipe needs to have kale and spinach and broccoli. Mushrooms may be brown but that doesn’t mean they aren’t as healthful as a bowl full of swiss chard. This soup is hearty and so creamy. It will keep you full for hours. I haven’t had anything so satisfying in a long time. I love the combination of the black rice and mushrooms. It gives it some oomph and wonderful texture.
Mushrooms are one of the rare vegetable sources of vitamin D and can actually be a substantial source of iron. It also contains selenium, an essential trace mineral important for cognitive function and various immune-boosting antioxidants. Basically, brown is the new green. Black rice is packed with antioxidants and protein, is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It is, in fact, a superfood. So next time you feel like you’re lacking a little green, remember to eat the rest of the rainbow. It certainly can’t hurt!
But forget about all that for a moment and think of this: isn’t it a little special eating something that — if you were born a few centuries ago – you could have only eaten if you happened to be the emperor of china? True story. So if you feel just a little blue blooded after making this incredible dish….Well, you could always go to London and look up the queen. Ciao.
IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! 🙂
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