Mushroom Wild Rice Soup Recipe

This mushroom wild rice soup recipe starts with one pound of cremini mushrooms browned in two batches until the bottom of the pot turns dark and sticky. That browned layer becomes the savory base of the broth.

Wild rice carries the rest of the soup. The grains simmer right in the pot for about 50 minutes, long enough to split open and curl.

Two things usually go wrong with this soup. Crowded mushrooms steam into pale, rubbery slices, and rice added too late stays hard.

This version avoids both by cooking the mushrooms in batches and the rice from the start. A quick flour roux and one cup of heavy cream make the broth thick and silky.

A splash of lemon juice at the end keeps the cream from tasting heavy. The recipe serves six, uses one pot, and takes about 1 hour 50 minutes.

Quick Recipe Summary
Prep Time	20 minutes
Cook Time	1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time	1 hour 50 minutes
Servings	6 servings (about 1½ cups each)
Difficulty Level	Easy

For another take on wild rice soup, see Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe.

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Why You’ll Love This Mushroom Wild Rice Soup Recipe

The recipe is built around technique instead of shortcuts. Each choice below solves a specific problem.

• One pot: Browning, sautéing, and simmering all happen in a single Dutch oven, so cleanup is one pot, one cutting board, and a few measuring spoons.
• Deep mushroom flavor: Cooking one pound of cremini mushrooms in two batches browns them instead of steaming them, which adds roasted, savory depth.
• Chewy wild rice: ¾ cup of wild rice simmers for 45 to 55 minutes in the broth, so every grain splits open and still keeps a pleasant bite.
• Creamy without being heavy: A flour roux does most of the thickening, and 1 cup of heavy cream goes in at the very end.
• Six full servings: Each bowl is about 1½ cups, enough to serve as a main course with bread on the side.
• Easy to adapt: Vegetable broth keeps it meatless, and the variations below cover dairy-free, chicken, and slow cooker versions.
• Reheats well: A splash of extra broth brings leftovers back to a creamy, spoonable texture.

You might also enjoy: Turkey Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Wild rice is the one ingredient worth shopping carefully for. Choose 100 percent wild rice, not a blend, because blends cook at different speeds and change the texture of the soup.

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, divided (1 tablespoon for the second mushroom batch, 2 tablespoons for the vegetables)
• 1 pound (450 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and divided into 2 equal batches of 8 ounces (225 g)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup / 130 g)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (about ¾ cup / 90 g)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry (or dry white wine)
• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• ¾ cup (125 g) wild rice, 100 percent wild rice, rinsed well
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
• ½ medium lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Read Also: Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Kitchen Equipment Needed

This soup needs very little equipment, but a heavy pot makes a real difference. Thin pots scorch the browned bits on the bottom instead of building flavor.

• 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven with a lid: A heavy base holds steady heat for browning mushrooms and gentle simmering.
• Chef’s knife: For slicing mushrooms evenly and dicing the onion, carrots, and celery.
• Cutting board: A large board keeps two batches of sliced mushrooms from spilling over.
• Fine-mesh strainer: Rinses the wild rice without losing any grains down the drain.
• Whisk: Blends the broth into the roux without lumps.
• Soup ladle: Makes serving clean and portions even.
• Wooden spoon: For stirring and scraping up the browned bits.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Wild rice and flour both need accurate measuring.
• Large bowl or rimmed plate: Holds the browned mushrooms while the vegetables cook.
• Mushroom brush (optional): Cleans cremini mushrooms without soaking them in water.
• Immersion blender (optional): Used only if you want a thicker, smoother broth.

A related recipe worth bookmarking is the Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe.

Recommended Products for This Recipe

These are my personal recommendations, chosen because each one solves a specific problem I ran into while testing this soup. None of them are required, but they make the result more consistent.

1. Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Mushrooms release a lot of water, and a thin pot loses heat the moment they hit it. An enameled cast iron pot holds its temperature, so the liquid cooks off fast and the mushrooms brown instead of stewing.

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2. Hand-Harvested Wild Rice

Cheap wild rice blends often mix in brown or white rice, and those grains turn soft long before the wild rice is ready. A bag of hand-harvested 100 percent wild rice gives every grain the same cook time and the same chew.

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3. Mushroom Cleaning Brush

Rinsing cremini mushrooms under water makes them soak up moisture, which slows browning. A soft-bristled brush removes dirt and leaves the caps dry, so they hit the pan ready to sear.

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4. Braun Immersion Blender

Some people like this soup brothy, and others want it thicker and smoother. A few pulses with an immersion blender blends a portion of the soup right in the pot, with no ladling into a countertop blender.

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5. Pyrex Glass Food Storage Containers

Wild rice soup thickens in the fridge, and it reheats best in a container that can go straight into the microwave. Glass containers do not hold onto odors or stain, which matters with mushrooms and garlic.

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You might also enjoy: Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Recipe

Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

Follow these steps and you will end up with tender, split grains of wild rice in a creamy broth with a deeply browned base.

1. Prep the Ingredients

• Place the wild rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds, then set it aside to drain.
• Slice the cremini mushrooms ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and divide them into two equal piles of 8 ounces (225 g) each.
• Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into small, even pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide so they soften at the same rate.
• Mince the garlic, strip the thyme leaves from their stems, and chop the parsley.
• Measure the flour, sherry, and broth, and halve the lemon so everything is within reach before the pot gets hot.

2. Brown the First Batch of Mushrooms

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, until the oil shimmers.
• Add the first pile of mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for 2 minutes so the bottoms can sear.
• Stir, then continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the liquid has evaporated and the edges are deep golden brown.
• Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, then transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl or rimmed plate.

3. Brown the Second Batch of Mushrooms

• Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same pot and let it melt and foam.
• Add the second pile of mushrooms and repeat the process: 2 minutes undisturbed, then 5 to 6 minutes of stirring until browned and dry.
• Sprinkle with another ¼ teaspoon of salt and transfer to the bowl with the first batch.
• Do not wipe out the pot. The dark bits on the bottom are the flavor base for the soup.

4. Cook the Vegetables

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the onion turns translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
• Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant.

5. Make the Roux and Deglaze

• Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the mixture looks pasty and the raw flour smell is gone.
• Pour in the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift every browned bit.
• Cook for about 1 minute, until the sherry has almost completely evaporated.

6. Add the Broth and Wild Rice

• Switch to a whisk and pour in the broth about 1 cup at a time, whisking after each addition so the roux dissolves without lumps.
• Add the rinsed wild rice, the bay leaf, the browned mushrooms along with any juices left in the bowl, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and the black pepper.
• Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and set the lid slightly ajar so steam can escape and the soup does not boil over.

7. Simmer Until the Rice Is Tender

• Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot so the rice and roux do not stick.
• Start checking at 45 minutes. The rice is ready when most grains have split open and curled, and the texture is tender with a slight chew.
• If the soup becomes too thick while simmering, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) of broth or water.
• If the rice is still firm, keep simmering in 5-minute increments, adding a splash of broth if needed.

8. Finish with Cream and Lemon

• Remove and discard the bay leaf, then reduce the heat to low.
• Stir in the room-temperature heavy cream and heat gently for about 5 minutes, until the soup is hot throughout. Do not let it boil.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

9. Serve

• Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley.
• Serve right away, while the rice still has its best texture.

Read Also: Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Tips for The Best Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

Small technique details matter more than ingredients in this soup. These tips cover the places where most batches go wrong.

• Brown the mushrooms in two batches. I ruined my first batch by dumping all the mushrooms into the pot at once, and they steamed in their own liquid until they were gray and soft. Two batches in a hot pan fixed it completely.
• Do not salt the mushrooms early. Wait until they have started to brown before adding salt, since early salt pulls out water and slows the browning.
• Rinse the rice. A 30-second rinse removes dust and loose hulls, which can otherwise make the broth cloudy.
• Trust the split grains, not the timer. Packages vary, so I check for curled, open grains starting at 45 minutes instead of waiting for a fixed number.
• Keep the simmer low. A hard boil breaks the grains apart and can scorch the roux on the bottom of the pot.
• Warm the cream first. I set the cream on the counter as soon as the rice starts to simmer, because cold cream drops the temperature of the soup and slows the final heating.
• Add the lemon last. Lemon juice added earlier can dull in a long simmer, and it can also curdle cream if the soup is too hot.
• Thicken on demand. To make the broth smoother, pulse an immersion blender in the pot 3 or 4 times, leaving most of the rice and mushrooms whole.
• Season at the end. The rice absorbs salt as it cooks, so the final taste test tells you more than the early seasoning does.

For another soup built on a chewy grain, see Beef Barley Soup Recipe.

What to Serve with Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

This soup is filling enough to be dinner on its own. A few simple sides add something crisp or something to dip.

• Dinner Rolls: Soft and buttery, they soak up the last of the creamy broth.
• Sourdough Focaccia: The olive oil crust holds up well against a thick soup.
• Homemade Biscuits: Flaky layers make a comforting match for earthy mushrooms.
• Healthy Cornbread: A lightly sweet wedge balances the savory broth.
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon: The crisp, salty edges add contrast to the creamy texture.
• Maple Glazed Carrots: A touch of sweetness rounds out the meal.
• Grilled cheese sandwiches: Sharp cheddar on toasted bread is a classic soup partner.
• A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette: The acidity cuts through the cream.
• A glass of dry white wine, such as Chardonnay: Its crisp finish works with the sherry in the soup.
• Mulled Apple Cider: A warm, spiced drink for a cold evening.
• Apple Crisp: A warm dessert with a crunchy topping finishes the meal.
• Poached Pear: A lighter dessert option after a rich bowl of soup.

For a similar soup with a very different flavor, try: Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Variations of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

The base recipe is flexible once you understand how the roux, broth, and rice work together. These swaps keep the texture right.

• Dairy-free and vegan: Use 3 tablespoons of olive oil instead of the butter, vegetable broth, and 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream instead of the heavy cream.
• Chicken and mushroom: Stir in 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken when you add the cream, and use chicken broth.
• Turkey and mushroom: Use 2 cups of shredded cooked turkey the same way, which works well with leftover roasted turkey.
• Mixed mushrooms: Replace half the cremini with sliced shiitake caps (stems removed) or oyster mushrooms for a more layered flavor.
• Bacon topping: Cook 4 slices of bacon until crisp, crumble them over each bowl, and use the rendered fat in place of the olive oil.
• Leafy greens: Stir in 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach or kale during the last 5 minutes of simmering, before the cream goes in.
• Gluten-free: Skip the flour and thicken with a slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water, stirred in after the rice is tender and simmered for 2 minutes.
• Slow cooker: Brown the mushrooms and cook the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything except the cream and lemon to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3½ to 4 hours, then stir in the cream and lemon.
• Instant Pot: Sauté the mushrooms and vegetables using the sauté function, skip the flour, and cook the rice with 5 cups of broth on high pressure for 28 to 30 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Stir in the cream, lemon, and a cornstarch slurry if you want it thicker.

Read Also: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Storage and Reheating

Wild rice soup stores well, but it needs a little care when reheating. The rice keeps absorbing liquid as it sits.

• Refrigerator: Cool the soup to room temperature within 2 hours, then store it in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: For the best texture, freeze portions before adding the cream and freeze for up to 3 months. Stir in the cream while reheating.
• Freezing with cream: If the cream is already in, the soup can still be frozen, but it may separate slightly. Whisk it well as it warms.
• Thawing: Move frozen soup to the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Stovetop reheating: Warm over medium-low heat, stirring often, and add ¼ to ½ cup (60 to 120 ml) of broth per serving to loosen the soup.
• Microwave reheating: Heat in 90-second intervals, stirring between each, and add a splash of broth or water first.
• Avoid boiling: High heat can make the cream look grainy and turn the rice mushy.

Wild rice keeps drinking broth in the fridge, so day-two soup is closer to a stew than a soup. I keep an extra cup of broth on hand specifically for reheating, and it brings the texture back every time.

More soups that reheat well include Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe.

Nutritional Facts

The values below are approximate and calculated from standard ingredient data for one serving (about 1½ cups). Actual numbers vary with the brands and broth you use.

Nutrition per Serving (1 of 6)
Calories	360 kcal
Carbohydrates	31 g
Protein	9 g
Total Fat	23 g
Saturated Fat	13 g
Fiber	3 g
Sugar	5 g
Sodium	590 mg
Cholesterol	70 mg

For a lighter soup from the same family, try: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Health Benefits of Key Ingredients

Most of the ingredients in this soup are whole foods that bring real nutrients to the bowl. Here is what each main ingredient contributes.

• Wild rice: It is the seed of an aquatic grass, not true rice, and it contains more protein than most common rice varieties. It also provides fiber, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins.
• Cremini mushrooms: They are low in calories and contain B vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin, along with potassium and selenium.
• Carrots: They are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A for eye and skin health.
• Celery: It adds potassium and vitamin K, plus water and crunch that soften into the broth.
• Onion: It contains sulfur compounds and a prebiotic fiber called inulin that feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
• Garlic: It supplies sulfur compounds that give it its aroma, and it adds flavor without adding salt.
• Thyme: It contributes small amounts of vitamin K and iron, along with aromatic oils that deepen the broth.
• Olive oil: It is high in monounsaturated fat, which is considered a heart-friendly fat.
• Lemon juice: It adds vitamin C and the acidity that brightens the whole pot.
• Heavy cream and butter: They give the soup its richness but also add saturated fat, so a side salad or roasted vegetables helps balance the meal.

Read Also: Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe

FAQs About Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

1. How long does wild rice take to cook in soup?

Wild rice usually needs 45 to 60 minutes of simmering. It is done when most grains have split open and the texture is tender with a slight chew.

2. Can I use a wild rice blend instead of 100 percent wild rice?

You can, but the timing changes. Blends often contain brown or long-grain rice that cooks in 30 to 45 minutes, so check the package and start testing early.

3. Why is my wild rice soup too thick?

Wild rice absorbs broth as it cooks and as it sits. Stir in warm broth, a quarter cup at a time, until the soup reaches the thickness you like.

4. What are the best mushrooms for wild rice soup?

Cremini mushrooms are the best choice because they have more flavor than white button mushrooms and hold their shape. You can swap in shiitake caps or oyster mushrooms for half of them to add depth.

5. Can I make mushroom wild rice soup dairy-free?

Yes. Use olive oil in place of the butter, vegetable broth, and full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream in place of the heavy cream.

6. Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes. The flavor improves overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently with extra broth and add the lemon juice right before serving.

7. Is wild rice actually rice?

No. Wild rice is the seed of an aquatic grass native to North America. It is related to rice only in the loosest sense, and it has a chewier texture and nuttier flavor.

8. Why did my cream curdle in the soup?

Cream can curdle if the soup is boiling or if acid goes in while the pot is too hot. Lower the heat before adding the cream, keep it at a gentle warm temperature, and add the lemon juice at the very end.

For another comforting bowl, try: Lentil Soup Recipe

Final Thoughts

This mushroom wild rice soup rewards patience more than skill. Brown the mushrooms well, let the rice simmer until it splits, and the pot does the rest.

Make a batch this weekend and keep leftovers for the week ahead. If you try it, leave a comment with your favorite variation or share it with someone who needs a warm bowl.

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