Earthy flavors, texture rich and flavor packed Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup is super cozy and so satisfying. Share with a big salad and crusty sourdough for dunking! This recipe is vegetarian but can be made dairy free.
Table of Contents
Comforting Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
Two of the most comforting and earthy flavors are included in this recipe: wild rice and mushrooms. Paired with simple flavor builders like garlic, celery and onion, this recipe is on regular rotation once the temperatures dip. Paired with a big salad and crusty bread for dippin’ this soup is hearty and satisfying.
What is Wild Rice?
Wild rice is a seed of the native North American semi-aquatic marsh grass.Three varieties that grow naturally are found in the Great Lakes, gulf coast and central Texas regions. As its popularity increased over time, commercial cultivation made it widely available. Here in the U.S., wild rice is mostly grown commercially in paddy fields in California and Minnesota (DrWeil.com and Whole Grain Council).
Wild rice has an earthy, almost smoky flavor, is chewy and lends a distinct textural experience to any recipe is enjoyed in.
Ingredients for Vegetarian Wild Rice Soup
Look for long grain wild rice in the bulk bins for best value. Here’s what you’ll need to make this wild rice mushroom soup recipe:
- Long Grain Wild Rice
- Yellow Onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Dry White Wine – I use dry Vermouth
- Crimini Mushrooms
- Veggie Stock
- Heavy Cream – or use homemade cashew milk/cream
Lemon, thyme and parsley are optional, but I find a quick squeeze of lemon brightens the soup and thyme adds to the flavor mix!
How to Make Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
Start with cooking the wild rice first, separate from the soup pot, to maximize time spent on vegetable prep and cooking, since wild rice takes about 50 minutes to cook. Once the remaining ingredients are ready in the soup pot, the rice is done cooking and then can be dropped in with the other ingredients. In summary, here’s how to make this vegetarian wild rice soup (see recipe card for full details):
- First, put the wild rice on to cook.
- Second, saute the onion and celery.
- Third, deglaze the pan with white wine then, cook the mushrooms and garlic with the onion and celery.
- Next, pour in the veggie broth and simmer.
- Last, add the cooked wild rice and cream. Warm through.
A squeeze of lemon brightens the soup, but is optional. Garnish with thyme or parsley and plenty of ground black pepper for a totally comforting and satisfying soup. Don’t forget the crusty bread!
A Few Recipe Notes
- Look for long grain wild rice in the bulk bins where available for best value.
- Share with your favorite bread, like seedy sourdough bread, gluten free sourdough or soft dinner rolls for sopping up the rich broth.
- Dairy Free? Yes please! Omit the cream and add unsweetened homemade cashew milk! It’s thicker and richer than store bought plant milks, so it’s an ideal stand in for cream in this recipe.
- Avoid a broken broth! Adding cream directly to the soup pot can lead to a broken broth. To avoid this, simply temper the cream first by adding a bit of hot broth to the cold cream, then pouring the mixture into the soup.
- For meal prep, the rice can be cooked and frozen up to two weeks in advance. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Hearty Soup Recipes to Love
- Smoky White Bean and Wheat Berry Stew
- Tuscan Chickpea Tomato Soup
- Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Stew
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
the recipe
Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
Cook the Rice:
- 1/2 C (100g) Long Grain Wild Rice
- 3 1/2 C (825g) Water
Make the Soup:
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil or butter
- 1 1/4 C (155g) Yellow Onion diced small, about one small onion
- 3/4 C (100g) Celery chopped small, about two ribs
- 2 Fat Cloves of Garlic minced, about 2-3 tsp
- 1/2 C (115g) Dry White Wine I like dry Vermouth
- 1 lb (455g) Cremini Mushrooms
- 5 C (1.2kg) Vegetable Broth
- 2/3 C (145g) Heavy Cream *see note for dairy free
- Squeeze of Lemon optional
- Salt to Taste
For Serving:
- Fresh Thyme or Parsley
- Fresh Black Pepper
Instructions
Cook the Rice:
- In a medium sauce pan bring the water and a heavy pinch of salt to a boil. Meanwhile rinse the rice. Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes. When done, the rice will be chewy yet tender with many grains split open. Drain any remaining water and set aside.
Make the Soup:
- While the rice is cooking, in a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil or melt the butter on medium heat. Saute' the onions and celery for 8-10 minutes, until softened and the onions start to turn brown. Meanwhile, trim and dice the mushrooms, medium.
- Add the wine to the celery and onions and cook until there's about 2 Tbs. left, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pot. Cook mushrooms on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until mushrooms have shrunk and almost all their juices have cooked off.
- Pour the veggie broth into the pot and gently simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn heat to lowest setting. Transfer the cooked wild rice to the soup pot, stir. Measure the cream in a spouted measuring cup and transfer 1/2 C soup broth to the cream. Stir. (This tempers the cream and helps prevent breaking once added to the soup). Transfer the cream mixture to the soup. Stir and warm though on lowest heat, about 5 minutes (do not boil or simmer as this could lead to the broth breaking/curdling).
- Remove from heat. Give the soup a squeeze of lemon juice, about 1/4 of a lemon (optional). Taste for salt and add a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and/or parsley if desired.
To Store:
- Store in a lidded container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
