Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Earthy flavors, texture rich and flavor packed Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup is super cozy and so satisfying. Share with a big salad and Multigrain Sourdough Bread for dunking! This recipe is vegetarian but can be made dairy free. [ VIDEO in recipe card ]

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 it’s 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 – look for it in bulk bins for best value
• Yellow Onion
• Celery
• Garlic – fresh
• Dry White Wine – I use dry Vermouth
• Crimini Mushrooms – aka baby bella
• Veggie Stock – I like Better than Bouillon veggie paste. 
• Heavy Cream – or, unsweetened homemade cashew milk

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
• Cabbage and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms