Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup — The Bowl I Made the Night Everything Changed

The baby kicked. Wednesday night. I was on the couch reading, hand on my belly the way I always rest my hand on my belly now, and something happened. Not the fluttering I'd read about — the 'butterflies' that first-time moms describe. This was a KICK. A definitive, unmistakable, there-is-a-person-inside-me-and-they-just-reminded-me kick. I gasped. Out loud. To no one. In an empty apartment. And then I started crying because the first person I wanted to tell was right there — inside me — and the second person was 7,000 miles away. I called Ryan. It was 2 AM in Okinawa and he answered on the second ring because Marines sleep light and deployment phones don't go to voicemail. 'The baby kicked.' 'What? Really? Right now?' 'RIGHT NOW. It kicked and I felt it and it was — Ryan, there's a PERSON in here.' He was quiet. Then: 'What did it feel like?' 'Like... like someone tapping from the inside. Like a little fist saying hello.' He was crying. I could hear it. Seven thousand miles of ocean between us and I could hear my husband crying because our baby kicked and he wasn't here to feel it. 'I'm sorry I'm not there,' he said. 'Don't. Don't be sorry. You're here. You're on the phone. You're here.' Fourteen minutes. We spent eight of them in silence — not the bad silence of the empty apartment, but the good silence of two people existing together across an ocean, connected by a phone line and a baby who kicks. I called Mom next. She answered on the first ring (she always answers on the first ring; I'm convinced she sleeps with the phone in her hand). 'Mom. The baby kicked.' 'Oh, Rachel.' Her voice went soft — the softest I've ever heard it. 'The first kick. That's — oh, baby. That's the best feeling in the world.' 'When did I first kick?' 'Seventeen weeks. You kicked during your father's deployment. I was eating chicken soup and you kicked and I called the base and they patched me through to your dad's ship and I told him and he cried. Kevin Abernathy cried on a Navy destroyer because his unborn daughter kicked.' Genetics. The Abernathy men cry when babies kick. It's in the DNA. I made Mom's chicken soup tonight. The real one, with noodles and carrots and celery and dill. I ate it with my hand on my belly, waiting for another kick. It came. Twice. Small, insistent, alive. Hello, baby. Your dad cried. Your grandma cried. Your mom cried. You're already so loved.

Mom’s chicken noodle soup is hers — every family has a recipe that belongs to one person, and I’m not ready to share it yet, because some things are still just between us. But this Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup is what I’ve been making in the months since, when I need that same warmth without reaching for something so tender it makes me cry before the onions even hit the pan. It has the same bones: a rich, savory broth, soft vegetables, something hearty to fill you up and settle you down. I made it again last week, hand on my belly, and the baby kicked twice — right on cue.

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)

Instructions

1. Cook the rice. In a medium saucepan, cook the wild rice blend according to package directions. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.
2. Saute the vegetables. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook another 3 minutes until fragrant and the mushrooms begin to release their moisture.
3. Build the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, to eliminate the raw flour taste.
4. Add broth and season. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Add the thyme, rosemary, and smoked paprika. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
5. Finish with rice and cream. Stir in the cooked wild rice and the milk or half-and-half. Simmer on low for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and everything is heated through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
6. Serve. Ladle into bowls, top with fresh parsley, and serve warm with crusty bread if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg