butter bean soup with mushrooms and wild rice

Susan V. does it again. Made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous. I didn't have the soy sauce on hand so I used 1/2 tbsp of Worcheschire sauce, which gave it a nice hidden tangy flavor. I used a combination of button and portobello mushrooms because it was cheaper at the grocery store, and I used the butter beans, not lima beans.

• 2 medium onions, diced
  
• 2 ribs celery, diced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 6 cups water
  
• 1 pound speckled butter beans or Fordhook lima beans, fresh or frozen
  
• 6 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1/4 cup wild rice
  
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, or 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
  
• 1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (see note above)

Heat a large non-stick pot. Add the onions, and saute until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent sticking, if necessary.) Add the celery and garlic, and cook for another two minutes.

Add the water and butter beans and bring to a boil. Add all remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans and wild rice are both done, 45-55 minutes. If necessary, thin soup with water as it is cooking, according to taste. Just before serving, about 1/2 cup of the beans may be mashed or blended to make the broth thicker.

Full credit to the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (picture and nutritional information on her blog).