Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup (Printable)
Comforting velvety soup brimming with earthy mushrooms, nutty wild rice, and aromatic herbs—perfect for chilly days.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, button, shiitake), cleaned and sliced
→ Rice
08 - 2/3 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
→ Liquids
09 - 4 cups vegetable broth, gluten-free if needed
10 - 1 cup whole milk or unsweetened plant-based milk
11 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
→ Thickeners and Seasoning
12 - 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular flour
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
→ Optional Garnish
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large soup pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add mushrooms and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until mushrooms are browned and their moisture has evaporated.
04 - Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to create a light paste.
05 - Pour in the vegetable broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add wild rice, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until wild rice is tender.
07 - Remove the bay leaf. Stir in milk and cream. Warm gently over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes until heated through and creamy; do not allow to boil.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of three different mushroom varieties creates layers of flavor that store-bought soups never achieve.
- The wild rice adds a delightful chew that keeps you coming back for another spoonful, transforming an ordinary soup into something you think about days later.
02 -
- Wild rice needs the full cooking time, so dont try to rush it or youll end up with hard, inedible grains that ruin the texture of your soup.
- Adding the dairy too early or letting the soup boil after adding cream can cause curdling, so patience with gentle heat at the end makes all the difference.
03 -
- Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel rather than washing them, which prevents them from absorbing excess water that would dilute their flavor in the soup.
- If youre short on time, soaking the wild rice for 30 minutes before cooking can shave about 10 minutes off the simmering time.