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Creamy mushroom wild rice soup topped with roasted mushrooms, parmesan, and fresh herbs in a white bowl.
Daniel

Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

A hearty, earthy soup with chewy wild rice, three kinds of mushrooms, and a creamy broth that tastes like the forest in a bowl.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 12 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced
  • 0.5 oz dried porcini mushrooms about 1/2 cup, rinsed
  • 1 cup wild rice blend not quick-cooking
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth divided, plus porcini soaking liquid
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce for depth
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy pot
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Ladle

Method
 

Prep
  1. Place dried porcini in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot broth. Let soak 20 minutes until softened. Lift out mushrooms, chop roughly, and reserve soaking liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel to remove grit.
Cook the mushrooms
  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cremini and shiitake in a single layer. Cook undisturbed 4-5 minutes until browned on the bottom, then stir and cook 3 minutes more until deeply golden and reduced by half. Transfer to a bowl.
Build the soup base
  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, onion, and celery. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to color. Add garlic, thyme, and chopped porcini. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add wild rice, 5 cups broth, reserved porcini soaking liquid, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45-50 minutes until rice is tender and split open. Stir occasionally and add remaining 1 cup broth if soup gets too thick.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms and any accumulated juices. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The soup should be creamy but still brothy, with distinct grains of rice.
  2. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Notes

For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter and full-fat coconut milk instead of cream. The soup thickens considerably as it sits; thin with additional broth when reheating. Make the base through step 4 a day ahead, then finish with cream when reheating for the best texture.