Big Bird and Wild Rice Soup

Winter is here, I’ve got leftover turkey in my freezer, and I’m craving my favorite soup:

Big Bird and Wild Rice Soup

Isn’t a healthy family supposed to eat low fat? Not if they’re eating good fat! The low fat diet phenomenon has been proven to be a huge flop, and yet Americans continue to buy into it. Stores continue to overflow with products that boast claims of little or no fat, while they’re hiding a dirty little secret: many of them are stuffed to the gills with processed sugar, sodium, and other unnatural ingredients. Check out the article, The problem with low fat alternatives for more reasons to avoid low fat packaged foods.

Those of us who grew up in the 80’s were completely indoctrinated with a fear of fat. We were told that if we ate fat of any kind, we’d be fat. Even now, after I’ve read a ton of information on the benefits of good fats in moderation, I still catch my breath sometimes when I reach for whole milk instead of skim.

Of course, not all fats are good for us. We should avoid damaged fats as much as possible. Damaged fats, such as hydrogenated oils (trans fats), margarine, and vegetable oils aren’t able to be recognized or metabolized by our bodies. They contribute not only to weight gain, but also to inflammation, heart attack, and stroke (Maximized Living Nutrition Plans, 16).

Natural is almost always better, so go with organic butter and whole milk. Think organic is too expensive? Grocery stores are beginning to come out with their own store-brand organic items, such as butter and milk, which are much more affordable than the name-brand organic items. More and more people are insisting on healthier foods, and grocery stores are responding, offering increasingly competitive products and prices for this ever growing market.

So anyway, on to the recipe already! Yes, it is full fat, and yes, I consider it healthy, if eaten in moderation, because it’s made from minimally processed, natural foods. Of course, if you eat four bowls of it at 8:00 p.m., that’s another story.

I got the recipe from an old church cookbook, and made just a couple of small changes.

Big Bird and Wild Rice Soupby Jean Baker

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups pulled pieces of cooked turkey
2 tsp. onion powder
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cups of shredded carrots
1 stick of butter
½ cup whole white wheat flour
4 cups turkey broth
2 cups half and half
Parsley, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium to large saucepan, then sauté the celery and carrots in the melted butter until the celery is transparent. Blend in flour and cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is bubbly (don’t let it brown). Using a wire whisk, blend in turkey broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add cooked wild rice, half and half, and turkey. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 20 minutes; do not boil. Garnish with parsley before serving.