Name: Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter (divided); 1 lb mushrooms (thinly sliced, I like cremini/baby bellas); 3 cloves garlic (pressed or minced); salt and pepper; 2 small carrots (finely chopped (~1 cup)); 2 ribs celery (thinly sliced); 1 large shallot or small onion (chopped); 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 cup Wild Blend Rice (Lundberg Farms recommended); 6 cups chicken stock or broth; 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don't need to eat GF); 1 cup milk (any kind)

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup is the definition of comfort food! You will go back for bowl and after bowl of this hearty yet healthy soup.

creamy mushroom and wild rice soup in a bowl with crostini

“Perfect for a fall or winter night. It’s satisfying and the perfect type of creamy, with being overly heavy. Try it!”

– Laura

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This past weekend was filled with all the meaty meats! My husband slapped no less than 15lbs of whole chickens onto the smoker for college game day on Saturday, and on Sunday I made slow-braised beef tacos which made enough to feed a small army.

Translation: I’m in need of something hearty yet healthy, and most definitely meat free. Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup fits the bill!

overhead photo of a bowl of wild rice mushroom soup with crostini and a side salad

Meatless + Creamy Soup

I wish I could deliver a big bowl of this thick and creamy wild rice soup to you because it is so, so delicious! It tastes like a bowl of soup you’d get from a local deli or cafe, is packed with vegetables and healthy whole grains, and reheats like a dream.

Make a big pot on the weekend then scoop into individual containers for healthy, easy lunches all week long.

Creamy Yet No Cream Needed

A base of deeply caramelized garlicky mushrooms and sauteed vegetables are simmered with rich chicken stock and a wild rice-brown rice blend, then thickened slightly with a combination of milk and flour.

Rich and creamy but there isn’t a drop of cream in sight – I’ve made this mushroom soup with 2%, skim, and unsweetened almond milk with perfectly delicious results.

What Kind of Mushrooms to Use

I like using cremini mushrooms, also called “baby bella” mushrooms, in this wild rice mushroom soup because they caramelize beautifully and the sliced brown caps look pretty bobbing in each bowl, but white button mushrooms work just as well too.

Fun fact: Cremini mushrooms are just the slightly older “teenager” version of white button mushrooms! Truly you can use whatever type of mushrooms you like, or even a blend. Shiitake mushrooms would be delicious.

I like to serve each bowl with a fresh side salad and crispy crostini, gluten free flatbread, or gluten free focaccia to soak up all the rich broth. Ready to dive in?

bowl of thick and cozy creamy wild rice mushroom soup

Serve with Gluten Free Focaccia

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Saute the mushrooms.

Start by melting butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat – I like my big bubba 7.25 quart Dutch Oven so the mushrooms don’t become over crowded.

Once melted, add sliced mushrooms then saute until they release their liquid, the liquid cooks off, and the mushrooms start to turn golden brown, 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and plenty of salt then continue to saute until the mushrooms turn deep golden brown and are slightly dry/tacky.

garlic butter mushrooms sauteing in a soup pot

Scoop the mushrooms into a bowl or plate then set aside (and try not to eat them all)!

Step 2: Saute the vegetables.

Turn the heat down to medium then melt a bit more butter in the pot and add chopped carrots, celery, and shallots or onion. Season with salt, pepper, and dried thyme then saute until the vegetables become tender, 8-10 minutes.

Recipe Tip

I tend to get impatient waiting for carrots, especially, to soften, so I often add a glug of broth then place a lid on top of the pot for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking, which speeds up the softening process.

fresh vegetables sauting in butter in a soup pot

Step 3: Add a wild-brown rice blend.

Once the vegetables are tender, add a wild-brown rice blend to the pot, along with the cooked mushrooms.

a cup of wild rice being added to a pot of soup

As always, I choose Lundberg brand rice for all my rice-related needs. Please note that this is a brown rice wild rice BLEND vs being straight wild rice, or straight brown rice.

Step 4: Simmer the soup.

Add chicken stock then turn the heat up to high to bring to a boil, place a lid on top, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer until the rice is tender, 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Thicken the soup.

Last step is to stream in milk (any kind – I like 2%) thickened with a bit of gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don’t need to eat GF) then stir and simmer for 10 more minutes.

creamy wild rice and mushroom soup in a soup pot

Let the Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup sit off the heat for 20 minutes or so to thicken and cool – truly you can taste the flavor SO much better when it’s not screaming hot! – then add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Scoop into bowls then serve with a side salad or crispy crostini. I hope you LOVE this cozy, hearty soup recipe – enjoy!

a spoon taking a bit of wild rice mushroom soup

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