Cream of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

Super delicious and cozy, Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup is loaded with hearty nutrient-rich ingredients that you will love!

I love that cooler weather warmly welcomes some of my favorite things with open arms -- sweaters and UGG boots, and soups and stews. 😉

This gluten-free and vegetarian wild rice soup is a go-to at my house. It's incredibly delicious, good for you, and it's very versatile so you can easily make it vegan or add a protein like shredded chicken.

The Ingredients

_{*Note that not all of the ingredients are pictured.}

• onion - Choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• carrots - Look for firm, plump carrots, preferably without little roots on the bottom.
• celery - Select bunches of stalks that are tightly packed and crisp.
• fresh oregano, rosemary and thyme - Choose perky, bright green bunches of fresh herbs.
• wild rice - Wild rice is a long grain black rice with a slightly earthier and nuttier flavor than brown rice. (Cooked wild rice is lighter in color as the grains split open as they simmer -- you'll see both dark and light grains.) You should be able to find it at most grocery stores. Substitutions: Brown rice or brown Basmati rice are the best substitutes for wild rice. A wild rice blend is also okay. * Please note that with substitutions the cooking times be different. *
• vegetable stock or broth - Preferably low-sodium. Substitute: If keeping it vegetarian isn't important for you, you can use chicken broth or stock instead if you prefer.
• sherry - Ideally use dry or medium sherry. It adds a wonderful nut-like sweet flavor to the soup. Substitutions: You can substitute the sherry with Vermouth or white wine, or it can be omitted.
• button or crimini mushrooms - Choose mushrooms with thick caps that are curled under, and avoid those that look wet, slimy, or shriveled. You can use one or the other, or a mix of both is great. Substitutions: Portobellos, Shiitakes and Oyster mushrooms are also good substitutes.
• heavy cream - Not too much -- just enough to add some richness and body to the soup. Substitute: The cream can be substituted with half and half, though the soup will be slightly lighter. (I don't recommend coconut milk or almond milk here because it'll change the flavor.)
• Kosher salt - If you use table salt, use half the amount.
• black pepper- Preferably freshly ground.

(See recipe card below for quantities.)

How to Make it

- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, carrots, onion and celery to a large Dutch oven or soup pot (approx. 5 quart). Place it over medium-low heat and stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. 



- Add the rosemary, thyme and oregano and stir. Cook until it's aromatic, about 30 seconds. Then add the rinsed wild rice and mix to coat all of the grains with the oil and vegetables.


Recipe Tip: If your vegetable stock is especially dark, you can mix it 1 to 1 with water. This isn't necessary, but it will provide a slightly lighter texture.

- Add the stock, sherry and salt and mix to blend. Over high heat bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low, cover and gently simmer until the rice is cooked, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 


- While the soup is simmering, coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with the remaining olive oil and place it over high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stirring from time to time, cook until they’ve shrunk quite a bit and are golden brown, about 10 minutes. (This is the same method I typically use for cooking Oyster mushrooms, shiitakes and portobellos.)

Recipe Tip: If your sliced mushrooms are on the large side, slice them in half so you have bite-sized pieces.

- At about the 1 hour mark, add the sautéed mushrooms to the soup and simmer for about 10 more minutes. 

Stir in the cream and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper (and more salt if necessary). If the soup is more stew-like than you'd like, add more stock. 



Recipe Tip: It's possible that the amount of liquid in your soup will vary, depending on your particular pot, how high the heat is, etc. So once the rice has fully cooked, add more stock if you'd like to.

Recipe Tip: If the soup sits for a while before it's served, or if it's stored beforehand (see Making it Ahead below), the rice will likely continue to absorb some of the liquid. It will become more like a mushroom wild rice stew. You might love it this way (I do!), but to bring it back to a true soup, add more stock.

Variations

• You can use any combination of the fresh herbs -- however, if you only use rosemary, use 1 to 2 tablespoons rather than 3 because its flavor is stronger. Tarragon is also delicious with mushrooms. If you use it, add it towards the end of the cooking time instead of mixing it in with the vegetables before adding the rice.
• Vegan version. Just make it dairy-free and omit the cream. (You might also like this creamy mushroom soup without cream.)
• Adding other veggies. This recipe is also great with peas, spinach or both.
• Want to add a protein? Wild rice mushroom soup is great with chicken. It's very easy to add shredded Rotisserie chicken.

Other Cozy Vegetarian Soups

• Creamy Parsnip Soup
• Potato Chestnut Soup
• Coconut Spiced Carrot Soup
• Chicken Vegetable Soup with Rice
• Creamy Basil Cauliflower Soup
• Ginger Coconut Lemongrass Soup

Serving Suggestions

• This soup is really a meal in and of itself, but of course bread is always excellent with soup to soak up any extra flavorful broth at the bottom of the bowl.
• If you want to keep the meal vegetarian and add another dish, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls with Phyllo would be perfect.
• There are two vegetarian eaters in my house, so I often make the soup as it's written below, and serve shredded chicken on the side for those who want to add it.

Making it Ahead

• You can make Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice soup ahead, however as I mentioned in the Recipe Tips above, the longer the soup sits, the more the rice will absorb the liquid. For this reason, I prefer to serve it right after it's made.
• You can make it up to a couple of days ahead and when you're ready to serve, add as much vegetable stock as you'd like to make it more soupy. (Amounts will vary.) OR, it's also fantastic and more stew-like without out adding the additional stock.
• Whether you make it ahead or are storing leftovers, it should be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container and reheated on the stove.

I hope you love this comforting creamy wild rice soup recipe as much as my family and I do.