Soothing Lemon Ginger Ham and Wild Rice Soup: Your Ultimate Comfort for Cold & Flu Season
When the chill sets in, or more often, when the unwelcome sniffles, coughs, and general malaise arrive, there’s nothing quite as comforting and restorative as a warm bowl of homemade soup. This Soothing Lemon Ginger Ham and Wild Rice Soup is more than just a meal; it’s a gentle embrace for your body and soul. Crafted with the vibrant zing of fresh ginger and the bright, uplifting notes of lemon, complemented by savory, smoky ham and the hearty, satisfying texture of wild rice, this soup strikes the perfect balance between deeply comforting and surprisingly light. It’s the ideal remedy for those days when you’re feeling under the weather, offering a nourishing boost when you need it most. Prepare to discover your new go-to recipe for seasonal relief and pure culinary contentment, designed to banish the blues and bring warmth to your table.
Oh, hello there, and a very Happy New Year to you! As we gracefully ease back into our routines after a little festive break, my mind is buzzing with so many new ideas and experiences to share. But clearly, I can’t unveil them all at once. So, I’ve decided to start with something truly special, a dish that brings a deep sense of calm and warmth: a smooth, exquisitely comforting soup. It’s tailor-made for the winter months, offering a delicious escape from the everyday and a welcome hug in a bowl, regardless of what the weather outside might be doing.
You see, my grand plan was to introduce this incredible Lemon Ginger Ham and Wild Rice Soup to you amidst the dreary backdrop of debilitating cold, relentless snow, slushy streets, and perhaps a touch of seasonal despair. Imagine coming home from a frosty, unforgiving day, cheeks rosy from the wind, to a steaming bowl of this wholesome goodness – pure bliss and an instant mood lifter, right? That was the vision.
… but then reality, specifically Florida reality, kicked in. Today, it was a balmy 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Living in Florida means I’ve learned not to expect traditional winter weather. While I absolutely adore the sunshine and mild temperatures for most of the year, especially when others are battling blizzards, there’s a part of me that deeply yearns for a proper, crisp chill. Just a little cool breeze in the air, please! Especially right now, after indulging in all the wonderful holiday treats, I might be carrying an extra 10 pounds of “holiday happiness.” Bathing suit weather is simply out of the question for my current state of comfort. I crave layers – cozy sweaters, warm scarves, and yes, hearty, soul-warming soups. It’s a mental thing, a deep-seated seasonal craving for warmth and coziness that transcends the actual thermometer reading. There’s a psychological need for comfort food, even if the climate isn’t dictating it.
However, these mild Florida autumns and winters, as outwardly delightful as they can be, often bring an unwelcome guest to my family: severe and persistent allergies. And when you combine excessive allergies with the inevitable cold and flu season, it frequently escalates into less-than-pleasant conditions like pneumonia, bronchitis, and other “awesome stuff,” as I wryly like to call it. So, despite my deep affection for our sunny climate, it undeniably has its drawbacks, particularly for my asthmatic family members who are especially vulnerable during these times. It’s during these challenging periods that practical, comforting, and health-boosting remedies become not just desirable, but absolutely essential for our well-being.
This is precisely where the magic of soothing lemon and ginger comes into play. Think of it as your favorite immune-boosting lemon ginger tea, but transformed into a rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying soup. This combination isn’t just incredibly delicious; it truly helps alleviate symptoms, calms the digestive system, and provides genuine comfort when you’re feeling your worst. Boy, does it help!
Let’s talk in more detail about *this* specific soup. This Lemon Ginger Ham and Wild Rice Soup is nothing short of delicious, a true revelation that has become a staple in my home. The initial spark for this delightful pot of gold was, quite clearly, a simple cup of Bigelow lemon ginger tea. The thought of those bright, zesty, and warming flavors together, combined with their renowned soothing properties, sparked an intriguing idea: “ginger and lemon… hmmm, what if I could capture this essence in a hearty, comforting soup?” It was a moment of genuine culinary inspiration, born out of a desire for something both effective and deeply satisfying.
And can I be completely honest with you, dear reader? I am generally not a “soup fan.” You won’t typically find me exclaiming, “Oh, I’d love a bowl of liquid for dinner!” That thought rarely, if ever, crosses my mind. My preference leans heavily towards dishes with more texture and substance. Yet, when I saw that lemon ginger tea, and knowing how much my family suffers during this particular time of year with all the seasonal ailments, my mind started drifting towards the idea of creating a soup. All the while, my inner voice, the one that usually dictates my culinary choices, was still protesting, “But you don’t like soup!” It was a classic internal debate, a veritable culinary tug-of-war between my usual preferences and my family’s needs for warmth and nourishment.
Then, a crucial memory surfaced, clarifying my conflicted feelings: my family absolutely *loves* soup, especially when they’re feeling unwell. And, while I may not be fond of clear broth soups that often leave me feeling unsatisfied, I do have a profound appreciation for hearty chowders, creamy bisques, and other rich, substantial variations. The challenge, however, lay in the fact that when you’re truly sick, a thick, heavy chowder might be too much for a delicate stomach. The idea of something overly dense when your system is unsettled just doesn’t appeal. This was proving to be a surprisingly difficult culinary puzzle to solve! How could I create something that offered the comforting texture and richness I desired, yet remained light enough for a sensitive stomach and truly lived up to the “soothing” promise?
(Apologies for playing out my entire inner monologue for you again, which, let’s be real, I actually rather enjoy doing. It’s part of the creative process, after all, to explore all the possibilities and dilemmas!)
The ultimate answer, the culinary breakthrough that reconciled my preferences with my family’s needs, was to craft a broth-based soup that incorporated a touch of richness in two key stages. First, by starting with a small roux at the beginning of the cooking process. This subtle addition, a mixture of butter and flour, provides a foundational thickening and a foundational creaminess without making the soup overly heavy or dense. It’s a classic technique that adds body and depth. Second, by stirring in a generous splash of rich heavy cream towards the very end of the cooking time. This two-step approach completely transformed the soup. The result is a beautifully blended texture that is both comforting and light on the palate, avoiding the heaviness of a full-bodied chowder while still offering that satisfying, luxurious mouthfeel that makes it feel like a truly special dish. It was a game-changer, achieving the perfect balance I had been searching for.
This recipe is also a fantastic and practical way to utilize that leftover ham! I still had a good amount of delicious, smoky ham lingering in my freezer from Thanksgiving, so naturally, I put it to excellent use in this dish. But even if you don’t have holiday leftovers, simply purchase some quality pre-cooked ham, dice it, and you’re good to go. The ease of preparation, combined with its incredible flavor, makes it an ideal weeknight meal or a comforting weekend project. Regardless of its origin, you absolutely *must* make this soup. The delightful saltiness and umami of the ham, combined with a medley of simple, fresh aromatic vegetables like sweet onion and crisp celery, and the earthy, subtly nutty chew of wild rice, creates an unexpectedly good soup. The layers of flavor were genuinely mind-blowing; each spoonful offers a harmonious blend of savory, bright, and hearty notes that truly surprised me with its depth and deliciousness. It’s far more than the sum of its humble parts.
I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved this soup, especially given my prior reservations about the category. This recipe truly changed my perception of what a “sick day” or “winter comfort” soup could be, elevating it from a simple necessity to a truly anticipated culinary experience. Truly, thank you, soup, for proving me wrong and providing such delightful nourishment.
So, here it is, dear friends – a truly new, innovative, and incredibly delicious bowl of love. It’s healthy for the soul, warming for the heart, and deeply nourishing for the body. This soup isn’t just about satisfying hunger; it’s about providing profound comfort, promoting healing, and offering a moment of pure, unadulterated enjoyment during any season, but especially when you need a little extra tender loving care. It’s a culinary hug in a bowl, designed to make you feel better from the inside out, replenishing your spirits and your strength with every spoonful.
Soothing Lemon Ginger Ham and Wild Rice Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 large stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
- 6 cups Chicken Stock
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups diced ham
- ½ cup uncooked wild rice
- ½ cup heavy cream
- garnish: chopped chives
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a pot on high heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Saute the veggies until softened. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
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Add the chicken stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the ginger, lemon zest, ham, and wild rice. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.
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Add the cream with another pinch of salt, and cook, uncovered, another 30 minutes to thicken just a bit and blend flavors. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt as necessary. Serve with chopped chives sprinkled on top.
~✿♥✿~
Oh heyy! What comforting dishes do you use to deal with the cold season? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and lemme know.