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Delicious and filling Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
This soup is nutty, rich and filling with fantastic mushroom flavor.
It’s hard to beat a comforting bowl of soup on a chilly day. Vegetarian Wild Rice Mushroom Soup does just that by warming your belly with earthy mushrooms and hearty, chewy wild rice. Our soup is very filling and incrediblyย flavored with two kinds of mushrooms, wine, shallots and plenty of nutty wild rice.
Ingredients needed to make Wild Rice Mushroom Soup:
For the wild rice:
- salt
- garlic clove
- fresh thyme sprigs
- water
- wild rice or use a wild rice blend
For the soup base:
- dried porcini mushrooms
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- fresh mushrooms – any kind will do in this soup. I usually select whichever small mushroom looks best such as Cremini, button or white, and Baby Bella.
- shallots or a small leek – we often make this soup with either one, or even a small sweet onion.
- garlic
- tomato paste
- all-purpose flour
- vegetable broth –ย use low-sodium or salt free
- dry white wine
- heavy cream or half and half
- soy sauce
For the parsley butter (optional):
- unsalted butter
- salt
- ground black pepper
- fresh parsley leaves
What is wild rice?
Wild rice is actually a semi-aquatic grassย grown and cultivated in the Great Lakes region of the United States.ย It contains an impressive amount of several key nutrients, including protein, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. Wild rice contains more protein than other types of rice, but has the same amount of fiber as brown rice.
You can find wild rice with other rice and grains, or in the bulk bins of your local grocery store. It’s also available from Amazon, of course.
Where to find dried porcini mushrooms in the grocery store:
Most well stocked grocery stores and even Walmart carry dried porcini mushrooms. They are often found in a small clear plastic clamshell container in 1/2-ounce portions.
However, each store may stock them in different departments. Save yourself a little time hunting and gathering and ask the customer service representative at your store where to find dried mushrooms.
I usually find dried porcini mushrooms in the Italian specialty section with the capers and pasta. Dried mushrooms might also be in the produce section with the garlic, onions or the fresh mushrooms. Finally, check in the canned vegetable aisle where you find canned mushrooms.
Porcini mushrooms are worth the effort!
How to make Wild Rice Mushroom Soup:
- First, prepare the wild rice. Combine salt, thyme, garlic and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the wild rice. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and garlic, and drain the rice. Set aside.
- Place the dried porcini in a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup. Cover with boiling water and set aside to soften.
- Next, brown the mushrooms in a stainless soup pot or light colored (inside) Dutch oven. I like to use a light colored pot because I’m able to see the browned bits on the bottom and better tell when they’re done. Add the garlic, shallots and tomato paste. Sautรฉ briefly then add the chopped, softened porcini.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook until a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot.
- Next, pour the wine over the vegetables and deglaze the bottom, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the vegetable broth and porcini soaking liquid to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, make the parsley butter if using.
- Stir in the wild rice and cook for 10 minutes more. Finally, remove from the heat and add the cream and soy sauce.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of parsley butter and a hunk of crusty Artisan bread.
If stored for several days the rice will eventually soak up some of the liquid. This is not a bad thing however, and only makes the soup thicker and more stew-like. Add a splash of additional vegetable broth to thin, if preferred.
TIPS for making a deeply flavored, golden hued soup
The first few steps of this recipe are easy but critical to building the best flavor. If you don’t cook the mushrooms properly they’ll end up gray and therefore their full potential for flavor will be diminished.
- First, spread the mushrooms out in the hot butter and olive oil. Even though all the mushrooms will not fit in a single layer, most of them will be browned properly. Cook undisturbed until the moisture is released and evaporated, and the mushrooms are dark brown on the bottom. This step takes 8 to 10 minutes.
- Next, and most importantly, cook the floured vegetables until a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot. This is just like making amazingย gravyย by starting with a dark roux.
- Finally, deglaze the pot with white wine, then scrape up all those flavorful browned bits.
These simple little steps build flavor, and as a result, make a big difference in the finished soup.
Shortcuts:
For example you can purchase pre-sliced, pre-cleaned fresh mushrooms to speed the prep time.
Also, plan ahead and cook the wild rice then refrigerate until needed.
Finally, you can buy a pre-cooked wild rice product like thisย Cultivated Wild Rice Pouch sold at Target stores. Simply open the pouch and then add it to the soup!
Earthy, hearty and seriously comforting, this Wild Rice Mushroom Soup is for mushroom lovers!
We love both wild rice and mushrooms and incorporate them into our recipes every chance we get. In other words, if you’re a mushroom love too, try these amazing recipes!
Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce is our most popular recipe year after year. Serve over wild rice, mashed potatoes or noodles for an incredible meal the whole family will love. And, all our readers say you should double the sauce, it’s that good.
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole is another personal favorite of mine and I bet it will be one of yours, too!
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup is anotherย hearty soup with a nutty bite from the wild rice and a wonderful, flavor packed broth.
And finally,ย Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf is a deliciously filling side dish that goes great with just about any meal. Enjoy!
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Letโs be cooking friends! If you make our recipe please feel free to leave a comment on this post. Iโm sure your experience and insights will help all our readers, and it helps me too. Also, if youโre onย Pinterestย feel free to leave a comment and photo there if you have one!
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Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
For the wild rice:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 1 clove garlic peeled and cut in half
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend (6 ounces)
For the soup:
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces small fresh mushrooms sliced (cleaned of dirt, tough stems removed)
- 2 large shallots diced (or 1 small leek)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine (8 ounces)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock (32 ounces)
- ยฝ cup heavy cream (4 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
For the parsley butter:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3 tablespoons parsley leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
To prepare the wild rice:
- Combine the salt, thyme sprig, clove of garlic and 6 cups cold water in a medium, heavy bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the wild rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low but maintain a steady boil. Cover and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove the thyme stems and garlic clove and discard. Drain the rice through a fine mesh strainer. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
To prepare the soup:
- While the wild rice is cooking prepare the remaining ingredients. Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a 2-cup heat-proof measuring cup. Carefully pour 1 ยฝ cups boiling water over the mushrooms, stir and set aside to soften about 15 minutes. Remove the porcini from the hot water using a slotted spoon reserving the soaking liquid. Chop the porcini and set aside.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms (not porcini) and stir to coat. Distribute the mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pot. (not all mushrooms will be touching the bottom.) Cook the mushrooms, undisturbed, until the moisture is released, then evaporates and they turn a deep golden brown about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until crusty bits start to form on the bottom of the pot, another 10 minutes.
- Add the shallots, minced garlic and tomato paste to the mushrooms. Cook stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots start to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Stir the chopped porcini to the soup pot. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and shallot. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour sticks to the bottom of the pot and turns golden brown. This fond is essential to building flavor. Slowly add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add the vegetable broth and reserved porcini liquid pouring slowly to leave any grit behind. Discard the dirt and grit. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked wild rice to the soup and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream and soy sauce. Stir until combined. Serve immediately with a dollop of parsley butter on each bowl, if using.
For the parsley butter:
- Combine 4 tablespoons very soft butter, chopped parsley, black pepper and sea salt in a small bowl. Serve each bowl of soup with a spoonful of parsley butter on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Originally published September 2015, updated February 2021
MK
This soup was hearty, earthy, and delicious! I added some cooked chicken and used chicken broth to add some protein and it was a delight! The tomato paste and soy sauce were brilliant adds ๐
Tricia Buice
Yeah! Thanks so much for the feedback. We agree completely – it is so earthy and hearty. Perfect for these cold fall nights. I love your addition of chicken and chicken broth – I bet that really adds so rich flavor to this soup – going to have to try that! Thanks again.
george carroll
I love soup and this is my favorite
Tricia Buice
Thanks George – I appreciate the feedback ๐
george carroll
None better. This soup is an absolute delightful dish.
George
Tricia Buice
Yeah!!!
Lauren
Made this today and it is beyond amazing!! I used mushroom broth and since I’m vegan, I subbed heavy cream for soy creamer. it is delicious!!! Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Lauren! I love feedback and your changes sound perfect. Have a wonderful week!
Alice
Hello Tricia, and thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! In North Italy, where I’m from, it’s already cold enough for me to grab the ingredients and make this beauty. One tiny question: is this recipe freezer-friendly as far as you know? Thank you so much!
Tricia Buice
Hi Alice! I am so excited you are going to try this recipe. We LOVE it! I am sorry but have not tried freezing the soup. I wonder if the mushrooms will retain their texture so that would be my only concern. I would love to hear how it turns out for you and if you freeze it with success. I would love to visit Italy one day – I bet you have wonderful memories of home. Thanks so much and good luck!
Sheena @ Tea and Biscuits
I’ve not had mushroom soup in a very long time, but I love it and need to try it again, your recipe looks great! Hope you’re safe from the floodwaters where you are!
Tricia Buice
The hurricane missed us, thank goodness, but we still received several inches of rain. It was a good weekend to stay inside and get some things done. Hope you had a lovely weekend and thanks!
Betty
Perfect for this cold rainy weekend! This is a good weekend to be inside looking out, with a big pot of this soup bubbling away on the stove. ๐
Tricia Buice
You bet Betty! It has been a cold and dreary weekend and soup is always a favorite on days like these. Hope you are having a great year!
Pam
Your soup looks really delicious, Tricia! We love mushroom soup and this one would be perfect for the weather, or any time! Thanks for the good recipe!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Pam – it is a keeper!
Mandy
Tricia what a fabulous soup! I reckon I would make oxtail as comfort food if were were stuck inside with horrid weather.
Have a super weekend.
๐ Mandy xo
Tricia Buice
I’ve never had oxtail soup but have always wondered about it. Hope you have a super weekend and thanks!
Gerlinde
This looks like a rich filling tasty soup for a rainy day.
Tricia Buice
Absolutely perfect for a rainy day Gerlinde! Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you have a very nice weekend.
Susan
Oh my goodness, I want to make this ASAP! It looks so good and the list of ingredients sound wonderful. We went from a mild September to blustery and chilly the past few days. Definitely soup weather! I hope you don’t get all of that rain – yikes!
Tricia Buice
Funny how the weather changes so fast Susan. Hope you have a great, and beautiful, weekend! I know you will love this soup ๐
Monique
That does look so earthy..fallish..and delicious.Take care..
Let me see..Osso Bucco on creamy mashed potatoes w/ a gremolata..fondue..spaguetti and meatballs..
Tricia Buice
I like your menu Monique – and I know it would be beautiful!
cheri
Hi Tricia, your soup looks like heaven in a bowl, wild rice and mushrooms is one of my favorites. We just got back into Phoenix and it is 104 today, oh how I wish it was cool enough to prepare a bowl of this. Good-luck weathering the storm 4 inches seems like alot of moisture. Take care!!!!
Tricia Buice
I bet the heat makes it feel like summer – glad you got home okay ๐ Have a wonderful weekend.
Abbe @ This is How I Cook
This soup just screams fall. I adore wild rice and mushrooms. I would want total comfort food in a hurricane. As long as I had electricity. Or a camping stove. Are you worried?
Tricia Buice
That it does Abbe! Looks like the hurricane is taking a right and heading out to sea. We are however, getting plenty of rain, wind and cold. Feels like fall! Have a wonderful weekend.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I desperately need this! So satisfying, delicious and healthy as well, Tricia.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Angie – it is so good and satisfying. Hope you give it a try – have a lovely weekend!
Monica
This soup would be a fabulous centerpiece for any meal. It’s so hearty and satisfying, I think that bread on the side is just the right accompaniment and all I’d need. I’m absolutely thinking soup right now…weather is dark and dreary but not too wet thus far. Hope you have a cozy warm weekend inside, enjoying some of this wonderful soup or something else equally delicious you’ve whipped up!
Tricia Buice
You too Monica – it is a cold rainy weekend for sure ๐
Larry
looks delicious Tricia – should make great hurricane food. I like the close up shot.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Larry!
Bonnie
Fall and mushroom soup have a natural affinity as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been following your weather as my hometown of Roanoke, VA is in the path and being rather had hit. Hope all will be well for–well, all!!
Best,
Bonnie
Tricia Buice
We are having some rain today Bonnie – and I am sure Roanoke is too. Looks like the hurricane took a right and spared us all a direct hi. Have a great weekend!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
I have a packet of wild rice in the cupboard and I would love to try this soup — this feels like the perfect fall dish!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Sue – it is a wonderful, rich delicious treat! Have a wonderful weekend.
Chris Scheuer
Oh my gosh Tricia, we’re having the same rain and I want this on my weekend menu. It looks amazing and sounds even better than amazing when I look at the recipe. This would be a big hit at my house!
Tricia Buice
Looks like you are going to get a lot of rain this weekend! Thank goodness we all missed a direct hit from the hurricane. This is a wonderful soup – hope you give it a try!
Beth Napper
I made this recipe on the weekend and it didn’t turn out as expected. It lacks flavor and ended up not creamy as the photo indicates.
Tricia Buice
I am so sorry you feel the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. I’m not sure why your experience was completely opposite to ours. I made it exactly as written and you can see the photo results. I do however, really appreciate your feedback and will test this recipe again at my earliest convenience. We LOVE it and enjoyed the earthy flavor from all the mushrooms and rice. Thanks for letting me know and I hope you will not let this experience taint your willingness to try other recipes we have shared. Hope you have a great week and thanks again for taking the time to provide feedback.