Turkey Wild Rice Soup II

⅔ cup uncooked wild rice

2 cups water

6 tablespoons butter

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped celery

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups turkey broth

⅓ cup shredded carrot

2 cups chopped cooked turkey

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

¼ cup chopped slivered almonds

½ teaspoon lemon juice

¾ cup half-and-half cream

Bring the wild rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender but not mushy, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, fluff the rice with a fork, and cook uncovered 5 minutes more. Set the cooked rice aside.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and celery until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook until it turns a pale yellowish-brown color, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the turkey stock until no lumps of flour remain. Stir in the carrot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook, whisking constantly, until the stock is thick and smooth and the carrot is tender, about 2 more minutes.

Stir in the wild rice, turkey, salt, pepper, and almonds. Return to a simmer, and cook 2 more minutes to heat the ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice and half-and-half; bring the soup almost to a boil, and serve hot.