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Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup Recipe

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Steven
This wild rice and mushroom soup recipe is earthy, creamy, deeply savory, and surprisingly simple to pull together from scratch. The wild rice holds its chew beautifully in broth, the caramelized mushrooms bring a rich umami depth, and a splash of heavy cream at the end ties everything into a velvety, comforting finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 bowls
Calories 310 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot - At least 6-quart/5.7L capacity
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Fine-mesh strainer - For straining the dried mushroom soaking liquid
  • Ladle

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup wild rice - 185g, uncooked, pure wild rice not a blend, rinsed
  • 1 oz dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms - 28g
  • 2 cups boiling water - 480ml, for rehydrating dried mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil - 30ml
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - 28g
  • 1 yellow onion - medium, about 1 cup or 150g, diced
  • 3 celery stalks - about 1 cup or 100g, sliced
  • 2 carrots - medium, about 1 cup or 130g, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 lb cremini or baby portobello mushrooms - 450g, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry or dry white wine - 30ml
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce - 15ml, use gluten-free if needed
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth - 1.4L
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano - or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - 120ml
  • salt - to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper - to taste

For Garnish

  • fresh chives - chopped
  • fresh parsley - chopped

Instructions
 

  • Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Soak 20-30 minutes until soft. Remove mushrooms, squeeze excess liquid back into bowl, and chop roughly. Strain soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel, reserving the liquid.
  • Rinse wild rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water, stirring to release debris and excess starch. Drain completely and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced cremini mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until deeply browned. Stir and cook 3-4 minutes more until liquid evaporates. Season with salt, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the same pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook 7-9 minutes until onion is soft and vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic, thyme, and oregano; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Increase heat to medium-high and pour in sherry or wine. Scrape up all browned bits from the pot bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until wine mostly evaporates, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add rinsed wild rice and stir to coat. Pour in strained mushroom soaking liquid, broth, and soy sauce. Return caramelized cremini and chopped rehydrated mushrooms to the pot. Add bay leaf and stir. Bring to a full boil over high heat.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wild rice has burst open and is tender with a pleasant chew. Check at 45 minutes and continue in 5-minute increments if needed.
  • Remove and discard bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Simmer gently 5 minutes without boiling to warm through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives or parsley.

Notes

  • Caramelize your mushrooms properly for deep, meaty umami flavor. Resist the urge to stir them too soon.
  • Do not skip the dried mushrooms; the soaking liquid acts as a homemade mushroom stock that transforms the broth.
  • Strain the mushroom soaking liquid carefully through a paper towel-lined fine-mesh strainer to remove grit and sand.
  • Use pure wild rice, not a blend. Most grocery store "wild rice" boxes are blends of white rice and a small percentage of actual wild rice.
  • Add cream at the very end off the boil to prevent curdling. Reduce heat to low before stirring it in.
  • The soup thickens as it sits as wild rice releases starch. Stir in a splash of broth or water when reheating if too thick.
  • For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • For a dairy-free version, omit butter, use all olive oil, and replace cream with full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream.
  • To freeze, leave out the cream. Freeze soup for up to 3 months, then add cream when reheating.
  • Stir in 2 cups of baby spinach or kale in the last 5 minutes of simmering for added color and nutrition.
Keyword comfort food, creamy soup, mushroom soup, one pot meal, wild rice soup