Cream of Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup.
My goal? Make November the coziest month ever…starting with this cream of mushroom chicken wild rice soup!
Okok, and December too…obviously.
Yes, my two favorite months of the year, with all of my favorite foods.
This soup clearly being one of them! I mean, it’s creamy, full of wild rice, caramelized garlic, mushrooms and well, maybe just a splash…or two of wine! Perfect soup for a mid November night, right? RIGHT. Also, it’s quick and easy, one of those recipes where you might even have a lot of the ingredients on had at this very moment. Like for realz. 🙂
I spent Monday playing all the usual head games with myself. I mean, there are just not enough days in the next month and half to make all the recipes I want to make…soo many good recipes – both sweet and savory! I couldn’t choose which ones would be best so I went back and forth, back and forth, UGH.
Here’s the deal though, it seems that lately, all I have been wanting to make are cozy types of recipes: roasts, meals with mushrooms, squash, chicken and pasta, lots and lots of pasta! Oh, and pomegranate and cranberry dishes too! Tis the season.
As you can see, I’m pretty indecisive as to what to make for the upcoming holiday weeks. My mind is so filled with recipes that it cannot organize them all into the proper categories of “must make now” and “maybe later”. First world problems, here, right?
On another totally off topic note. I was running around kitchen cooking on Monday night, trying to work way too fast because the days are just too darn short and there’s a bit of hustle and bustle…I gotta keep up! I was slicing mushrooms (yes, more mushrooms) and I accidentally bumped the knife next to my cutting board off the counter.
SIDE NOTE: I feel like I should say that nothing bad happened and no one should tremble through this next paragraph. No horror story today!
Normally when knives take the plunge off the counter I jump outta the way and let the knife fall, but Monday was not friendly to my brain. Meaning I was not thinking clearly and decided to try to stop the knife from falling with my leg. Not sure how on Earth that seemed like a good idea, but like I said it was Monday, and my brain just was not at full strength. Long story short, the knife cut through my favorite leggings and left me with a nice little cut. I was super lucky the knife didn’t cut me deeper because my dad had just come over and sharpened all my knives over the weekend and it was crazy sharp. It was also weird because at first I didn’t realize I was cut, but then I saw my leggings had a huge gash. Not going to lie, I was (and am) way more upset about the slash in my Lululemon tights.
So yeah, that was my Monday, but hey, it’s now Wednesday and things are lookin’ up…it’s supposed to SNOW tomorrow – yeah! Therefore, I’m thinking that tomorrow seems like the perfect day to have Christmas things baking away while the snow falls all around me. Did I mention I kind of love what I do? Cause I do, I do!
Alright, but back to this soup!
How delicious does this soup sound? It really doesn’t get better than a creamy soup, flavored with mushrooms and loaded with wild rice. I added the chicken for protein and heartiness, but it can easily be left out if you’re a vegetarian, or even if you’re simply looking for a meatless soup!
Question: how do you guys feel about rice in soup? I know that chicken and wild rice soup is kind of a classic, but do you like to put rice in other soups? Growing up my mom would put rice in all of her soups. Minute rice to be exact. I LOVED it, and clearly still do. But I’m curious if that’s just us or do you guys dig the whole rice in soup thing too?
Regardless, this soup is kind of my everything right now. It’s the perfect easy weeknight meal, but still feels special enough for a cold weekend by the fire.
Also, I added a little parmesan just before serving…perfection.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Cream of Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, mushroom, wild rice
Creamy, full of wild rice, caramelized garlic, mushrooms and well, maybe just a splash...or two of wine! Perfect soup for a mid November night
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- kosher salt and pepper
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 2 ounces wild mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1/2-1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
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Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often until the onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cremini mushrooms and the wild mushrooms, cook another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are caramelized. Stir in the thyme and cook another minute longer. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle out half of the wild mushrooms. Transfer the remaining ingredients to a food processor. Add 2 cups broth and pulse until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Return the mixture to the soup pot and add the remaining 4 cups broth plus 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to boil and stir in the rice and chicken. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the chicken has cooked through. Shred the chicken in the pot. Stir in the milk and parmesan. Season the soup with salt + pepper. Simmer the soup for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
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Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with the reserved wild mushrooms (warm them if needed). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To make this vegetarian, simple omit the chicken from the recipe.
Nothing feels cozier than this bowl of soup right now, NEED IT!
I’m in, this definitely needs to be a cozy month! Also, this soup sounds divine, Girl! It definitely fits the cozy criteria with all that creamy goodness
I seriously couldn’t agree with you more! I’m kinda overly excited to try this tonight.
Yes! So cozy and so good! I hope you love this one Tori! Thanks!
Honey, you had me at cream of mushroom. Nothing spells warmth and comfort like a cream of mushroom, me thinks!!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Agreed! Thanks so much Ruth! So happy you like this one!
I am so glad you didn’t try to stop the knife with your hand 🙁 Two weeks ago I was trying to take the pit out of an avocado. My knife was not THAT sharp and I had the halved avocado in my left hand. I whacked the knife into the pit but it slid and sliced into the tips of my two fingers. I couldn’t get them to stop bleeding — yuck. Couldn’t type or cook for a few days. Hubby has now taken over avocado pit removal detail.
Question??? Did you use some regular rice or a wild rice mix? My package of wild rice is just the little black stuff. The recipe looks terrific — it would be a great first course for a special dinner. Stay safe and watch those knives!!!
OH no!! I am sorry, but so glad you are OK! 🙂
The package I used was called wild rice, but it was mixed rice of black, white and brown. Let me know if you have any questions and stay safe too! Thank you and hope you love this! 🙂
This look really good ! Just did a huge batch of homemade ‘chicken’ broth with leftover duck bones. Frozed it since I also did a chicken soup and didn’t plan to make another one right after I ate it all. But I still crave soup. And this sounds soooo yummy ! I don’t think my broth will be any longer in the freezer ahah :p
Ooo sounds super yummy! And I’m glad you’re liking this one Erika! Thanks so much!
I am totally making this tonight!!! The recipe came at the perfect time for me! I have some mushrooms and chicken that I neede to use! I’ll make a few adjustments because of the ingredients I have on hand, I’ll use diced portobello mushrooms and brown rice. I’m too lazy to go to the grocery store again. Hah! I’m so excited to try it! It’s raining here, so comfort food is a must. 🙂
Sound so awesome! I hope you love it Caroline! Thanks so much & let me know how it goes!!
It turned out so good! The recipe came at the perfect time! 🙂
Yay! So great to hear!
THIS. THIS IS AMAZING. oh my god i love everything about this! Rice and mushrooms! I am definitely making this!
http://www.searedandshameless.com
YES!! Thanks so much! I hope you love it!
I love, love, love rice in soup and this combines two of my favorite soups…mushroom and chicken and wild rice. Definitely going on the “to make soon” list. Just need it to get really cold here.
It will definitely be perfect when it gets cold where you are! I hope you love it though, thanks Julie!
I recently started eating mushrooms after my fear for their taste for the last 26 years and holy smokes, they’re like my favorite veggie now! I am so excited to make this tonight for dinner. It looks so rich and flavorful and it seems like the perfect meal right now. I can’t wait to get cooking; thanks for sharing!
Awesome! I hope you love it Laura, thanks so much!!
Yum this looks delicious!! I love adding rice to soups too, sometimes I add it to minestrone instead of pasta. Wild rice is such a good idea too!
Oh wow that sounds really good! Thanks so much Rhian!!
This soup looks so cozy and comforting and just perfect for the cooler weather!
Yes! Thanks so much Andrea!
Growing up on a farm with so many root vegetables, squash, pumpkins, corn and grains, rice was different and sort of a treat. So it was preferred, and yes it was minute rice, in soups, casseroles and desserts. Rice still has that comfort feel in soup, though not to the same extent. I have never had it in mushroom soup, so look forward to trying this.
I hope you love it in this soup, Linze! And growing up with all those veggies sounds amazing!! Thanks so much!
I make wild rice soup but have never used the food processor for part of the mushroom/broth mixture. Now I know why your soup is a different color than my recipe. My question is you mentioned that you added a splash of wine…I was wondering your suggestion of wine and approximately how much? Thanks!
Hi! I just added about 1/4 cup. Sorry, I will fix the recipe now. Thank you and I hope you love this!
Ohhh yum! How cozy
Such a cozy soup! Thanks so much Sara!
Im all about cozy this time of year! This soup look perfect to curl up in my mermaid tail blanket and watch a good movie in! And I am sorry about your leggings ( I would be more upset about that than my cut too!) lol priorities right???
Haha those mermaid tail blankets are so cute I see them all the time on Pinterest! But thank you so much Amanda!
I am definitely going to make this soup on the weekend! What do you think of using one of those rice mixes with wild rice instead of just wild rice (since I have one of those mixes at home!)?
HI! I have never tried those, so I cant say, but I am sure if you like them that it will be great! Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
Tieghan, now that I look at the photos more carefully, I think that’s what you used too!
OHHHH! Yes! Sorry, I was confused! I use a mix too! 🙂
Made this for dinner and WOW! This was great.
Great!! Thank you!
Hi! What can I use instead of the whole milk? I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve tried your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and a crock-pot chili, and am just obsessed with both.
HI! Can you use heavy cream? What is available to you? Thanks!
This recipe does sound cozy and delightful. Do you think I could use dried fancy mushrooms instead of fresh?
Hey Sherry! Yes, I think dried mushrooms will work just fine. They will moisten in the soup. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you! 🙂
I will be making this soon for sure! I saw the mention in the beginning of the post about adding wine, a little bit of sherry could be perfect for this too!!
Yes! I hope you enjoy this soup, Tricia! Thank you!!
Made this tonight. So so so comfy and warm! I could eat mushrooms every. single. day. Saw this recipe a couple days and ago and used that as my excuse to once again pick up mushrooms at the store on my way home. I love so many of your recipes!
Hi Emily!! SO SO happy you enjoyed it! Haha! Mushrooms are so delish!! Thank you so much! Happy holidays!!
LOOKS AMAZING!! making this today. Any tips on converting this to a crockpot friendly recipe??
Thanks!! <3
Thank you! I would just add everything to the crockpot and cook low and slow. Should work great! Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
I tried this recipe last week and it was delicious! I believe I overdid it with the thyme though and over boiled the rice. Still it is a great recipe I need to perfect! I am loving your blog so much, I’ve shared it with all my friends (the ones who cook).
Thank you so much for your wonderful work.
Cheers,
Tatjana
Awh thank you so much!! So happy you like my blog!!
Tieghan,
You are some kind of special univorn of a woman. I have been plowing through as many recipes of yours as possible and quite possibly have single handedly made my entire network of people fall in love with you. So many groups threads started by me saying “stop what you’re doing and make this right now”. So first of all. Thank you. For every beautiful photo and for each and every fail proof recipe. I always know it will be the best thing ever. I never comment on websites but I thought I would let you know that crisping up those with held mushrooms for the garnish on top in a little butter put it over the delicious edge. Also, not that a single recipe of yours hasn’t been perfection but you need to NEED to know about this vanilla paste. It will change your life and I don’t say that lightly. Somehow they have made a paste of vanilla beans citrus magic and the most beautiful magical flowers. I’m putting some in my own stocking. Maybe you can hint to the person filling yours to do the same. Just thought I would pass on such a treat to thank you for all you have done for my family and friends’ bellies. Can’t wait for the most beautiful cookbook to ever hit the market.
Cheers to you Tieghan!
http://www.mactaggartsbrand.com/product/vanilla-bean-fiori-di-sicilia
Jennifer!! Wow! Thank you SOOOO much for your kind as ever comment. You have me smiling ear to ear!! Honestly, just thank you so much. I hope you continue to love every recipe you try! Happy Holidays! 🙂
I wonder if this would freeze well…. It’s sooo delicious by the way.
Hi! I have net frozen this, but I think it will work great!
Absolutely loved this soup! I substituted the chicken with cubed tofu and added enoki mushrooms after blending half. Both my partner, grandma and I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great as left overs.
So happy you guys liked it!! Thanks for making it!! (:
Hi there! I just made this. Added 2 cups rice and turned into sort of a pot rice, so amazingly tasty. All of us LOVED IT! Thank you 🙂
Sounds delish!! SO happy you liked it!! Thanks!!
I have never written in the comment section of a blog before, but this recipe was too delicious not to! I made this soup yesterday and it is SO TASTY. Some of the flavors remind me of my mom’s pozole, which gives me all the feels. Thank you for sharing! I will definitely be making this again 🙂
WOW, I’m so happy you did comment!! Even more happy you liked the recipe so much!!
Thank you so much!!
I know I have probably commented here originallly, but I wanted to come back and say I made this and it’s officially my new favorite soup! LOVE this. It came out creamy, savory, and the wild rice…SO GOOD! Thanks Tieghan and Merry Christmas!
Wow I am so so happy you love this! Thank you Amanda!!
Sounds amazing – we’re trying this tonight! Quick question just to clarify – are you supposed to add the chicken into the broth raw? Is 30 minutes enough time for it to cook through? My roommate is a little paranoid about this kinda thing so thought I’d ask! Cheers.
Hi! Yup, add the chicken raw. #0 minutes should be good, but just make sure the chicken is white throughout before you eat or just add an extra 10 minutes onto the cooking time. Let me know if you have questions. hope you love this! 🙂
Hi
hi! 🙂
So pumped to try this tonight! My husband is out of town and this is the perfect meal for mama and baby girl to last a couple of days 🙂
Yes! I hope you love it! Thank you!
Is there an option to make this soup dairy free?
HI! You can use your favorite full fat non-dairy milk (i like canned coconut milk) in place of the cream and olive oil or coconut oil in place of the butter. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s 🙂
Hi Tieghan, Well, poor me, I have leftover morels in the freezer from last season and need to use them up. So I’ve had mushroom soup on the brain for a few days…was thinking to add chicken to it cause hubby doesn’t think it’s a meal without meat ya know. So I go to your blog and voila! There it is….you’ve already figured it out for me PLUS you added all the goodies that absolutely SHOULD be in mushroom soup. Can’t wait to try it, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your hard work. I ADORE your blog and have been reading it for a few years now. You are some kind of wonderful, can’t imagine your energy.
Wow that is such perfect timing, i hope you absolutely love this recipe! Let me know how it turns out for you!! Thanks Karen.
I don’t have a big soup pot (it’s on my Christmas list ha!) could i do the first part on a stove then put everything in an instant pot on the slow cooker function or would that likely not work well?
Hey Erika! I am sure that will work just fine. I have not used the instant pot slow cooker, but assuming it is similar to a regular slow cooker. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Delicious! Don’t have a food processor so skipped that step – more brothy than creamy but still yummy.
Thank you so much Ayla!
Need the nutrition info on your awesome soups! Especially the cream of mushroom with wild rice one? Thanks
Hi Rosey! The nutrition info is listed just next to the recipe tittle. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I was so excited to make this soup but it turned out bland for me 🙁 The only thing I did differently was blend it in a vitamix rather than a food processor – do you think this had an impact? Willing to try again!
Hey Kellie, I don’t think that made a difference. What varieties of mushrooms did use? Was there anything else you did different? sorry you had some trouble!
Do you save the leftovers? If so, for how many days? I’d love to make this on a Sunday and have it meal-prepped for the week!
HI! Yes, I do! The soup will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi! Is it possible to make this in an instant pot?
Hey Nida,
I’ve not tried this recipe in the instant pot, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan