Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup
This Forest Foraged- Pacific Northwest wild mushroom soup is bursting with vegetables, fungi, and antioxidant rich wild rice.
Ingredients in Creamy wild mushroom and rice soup:
fresh ingredients-
- leeks
- celelry
- carrots
- onions
- garlic
- oyster, baby portobello, chanterelle mushrooms
- fresh thyme
- heavy cream
- unsalted butter
pantry ingredients-
- chicken or vegetable stock
- dry white wine
- wild rice
- salt & pepper
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- immersion blender
- heavy dutch oven or soup pot
- sharp knife
- measuring cups, spoons
- lagre bowl
- soup bowls- buy my favorite HERE
Common Questions about this recipe:
The fat content and proteins in heavy cream are what make this soup so rich. If you cannot tolerate lactose, coconut milk or soy milk might be the best alternative.
Yes- but keep in mind, rice that is microwave will not have the same motional properties as long grain wild rice and will not the nutty flavor. try cooking the rice the day before and chill in the fridge until time to assemble the soup. This will help speed up getting dinner on the table.
Yes! It is so rich, hearty and satisfying, we serve as an entree at my home. A small side salad and a loaf of crusty warm sourdough are all you needed for a coat supper. No one will walk away hungry from your table.
It’s really up to you- I love the taste of leeks and celery. But leeks can be a bit $$$, so feel free to just use celery.
You bet! Obviously dried herbs will not have quite the same flavor as fresh. Use only 1 tsp. A little of goes a long way.
Adding another 1 cup of either water or chicken stock will be fine. Just delegate the pan with a small amount of liquid first before adding in all the liquid. Scrapping up those brown bits from the stock pot or dutch oven adds so much flavor.
Most grocery stores now carry all of these mushrooms- look for them in loose bins in the produce section. Baby portobellos are everywhere- they are just small, dark brown mushrooms. Often Asian markets have a fantastic selection of mushrooms as does Whole Foods, Sprouts and local farmers markets. You can use dried mushrooms and reconstitute them in warm water.
Other soup recipes to try:
- Simple Mushroom Beef & Barley Soup
- Classic French Onion Soup with Gruyere Toast
- Healthy Veggie & Bean Soup- Pasta Fagioli
- Roasted 4 Tomato Soup
- Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup
Tips about creamy wild mushroom and rice soup:
- Local and fresh produce always provides me with the best results. This is especially true with this soup. Fresh carrots and onions from my local CSA, Two Bear Farms , and a bounty of herbs from my own garden create this wonderful soup.
- Let your
Learn about foraging:
I love foraging for mushrooms each year in our woods. Look on Facebook groups to join a local foraging group or reach out to your local county extension office in your area. Never eat wild mushrooms without confirming from a local expert they are safe for human consumption. There foraging resources are listed below:
- National Audubon Mushroom Field Guide
- Western Montana Mycological Association
- Puget Sound Mycological Society
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided
- 2 cups sliced leeks or celery
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 oz chanterelle mushrooms brushed clean, trimmed and sliced
- 6 oz baby portabello mushrooms brushed clean, stems removed and sliced
- 6 oz oyster mushrooms brushed clean, trimmed and sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 TBSP sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tsp kosher salt and more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper plus more if needed
- 1 cup long grain wild rice uncooked
Instructions
- Melt 1 TBSP of butter in a dutch oven. toast the uncooked wild rice for 1 minutes. Pour in 4 cups of water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 50 minutes. Remove all the rice from the pan. Cover to keep warm. Do not wash the pan.
- Melt 2 TBSP of butter in the dutch oven or a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add in the leeks, carrots, onion, garlic and sauté until tender about 7-9 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pot and set aside in a large bowl.
- Add in 1 TBSP of butter to the pan and add in the mushrooms. Spread out the mushrooms in the pan so the surfaces touch the bottom of the hot pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp kosher salt. . Let brown for 1 minute without stirring until the edges of the mushrooms are golden and crispy. You may need to do this in batches. Add in more butter if needed. Once all the edges of the mushrooms are fully browned, add the carrots, leeks, onions and celery back to the pot. Stir in the white wine to deglaze the pan and cook on low until the liquid becomes thickened. Add in remaining butter and the herbs, salt and pepper and cook to coat the vegetables with all the liquid.
- Slowly add in the broth and cook until simmering. Add in half of the cooked wild rice. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove the herbs stems from the pot.
- With an immersion blender, pulse the soup until it becomes thick and creamy- about 7-9 pulses. You do not want it completely smooth. Add in the remaining rice and heavy cream. Cook another 5 minutes testing for seasonings. Add in more salt and pepper if desired. I like a lot of pepper with this soup so adjust your seasonings as desired for your pallette.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with sprigs of thyme or oregano or a decadent drizzle of cream. An earthy Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with this soup.
