Mock Chicken Wild Rice Soup

By Cali Mastny

This hearty recipe will warm you up during the winter.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup wild rice (uncooked amount)
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• A bunch of mushrooms
• 1 package of mock chicken or equivalent
• Up to 6 cups of vegetable broth
• Up to 1 box of soy milk (unsweetened)
• Oil
• A few tablespoons of cornstarch
• Salt
• Pepper
• Thyme
• Sage
• Optional: sliced almonds; kale; greens; onion.

Cook wild rice in a small pot. It will probably take close to an hour. Slice celery and mushrooms. Saute them in a larger pot in a little oil until they start to soften. Add mock chicken. Saute for a bit longer to get some flavor out of the mock chicken. Add the broth and soy milk. I usually just add until it makes about the amount I want. Start with about 4-6 cups. Cook until it starts to boil. Mix up a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with some water. Add a little at a time, whisking while adding, until it starts to thicken. If you don't whisk it will end up lumpy. Add more liquid if it gets too thick or if you want more soup. And add more cornstarch mixture if you need to make it thicker. Continue until you get the desired consistency and amount. Add wild rice and spices to taste.

Optional: If you want to add onion, add it in with the celery at the beginning. Sliced almonds can be added pretty much any time. Kale or other greens can be added in near the end.

This should make a medium to large pot of soup, depending on how much liquid you add.