Mushroom Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Why You’ll Love this Mushroom Wild Rice Cream Soup Recipe

It’s one of the most delicious and warming soups for winter’s cozy moments. A perfect dish to make on a busy weeknight and have delicious leftovers for the next day. This is a versatile recipe that can be adjusted as you like, using basic ingredients found in most pantries.

There’s something uniquely cozy about this creamy mushroom chicken soup. Earthy mushrooms made delicious with a herbaceous touch of thyme and rosemary, while a generous splash of cream turns the whole pot into a most comforting dish. It’s a cool-weather staple in our home, and I hope it’ll become one in yours too.

How to Make Mushroom Chicken Soup with Rice

To make it, we cook down carrot, onion and garlic. Then add mushrooms and let them sauté until golden brown. Next we throw in the spices and rice. 

We pour in broth, followed by the chicken fillets. Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate. Add cream and let it simmer while we shred the chicken. Finally stir our chicken back in… and that’s it.

This recipe is sure to become a favorite you’ll make over and over again.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

Ingredients for Mushroom Chicken and Rice Soup

• Olive oil: To cook down garlic, onion and carrot.
• Mushrooms: Add a ton of flavor to the broth. I used cremini mushrooms, but portobello mushrooms or shiitakes will work great.
• Chicken: I used chicken breast fillets. You can also use skinless/boneless chicken thighs.
• Wild rice: In my opinion, wild rice possesses a better taste than white rice. But if you’re not a fan, simply use brown or white rice. Also, I used quick-cooking wild rice (it’s ready in about 10-15 minutes). If you can’t find it, you’ll need to cook the rice separately. 
• Garlic and onion: To create flavor. I used a yellow onion, but you could use white onion or shallots. As for the garlic, I used 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic, but you can easily use more.
• Chicken broth: We’re using broth to elevate the flavors, the result would never be the same if we’d use water and salt. You can swap chicken broth for vegetable broth.
• Heavy cream: We pour in heavy cream right at the end to add creaminess to the soup.  If you make this soup ahead, don’t add the cream until you are ready to serve!  You can also use half-and-half or whole milk. Make this recipe dairy-free by using unsweetened coconut milk.
• Seasonings: black pepper, soy sauce, paprika.
• Herbs: Dried thyme and rosemary. Use any herbs you love like oregano, marjoram, sage or Italian seasoning.

Helpful Tips

• Serve with crusty bread or a cheesy toast on the side.
• Add more veggies, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery stalks, kale or spinach.
• Go vegetarian and omit the chicken.
• Instead of rice use orzo.
• Use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken or turkey. To do this, omit the chicken in step 4. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes instead of 15. Then, pour in the cream and add your leftover chicken or turkey. Simmer until heated through.
• If you want a ‘brothier’ soup, you can use an extra cup of broth. Or cook the rice in a separate pot and add it to the soup when you stir in the shredded chicken.
• For a dairy-free version, use unsweetened soy cream or coconut cream, or simply leave out the cream.
• If you plan to make a batch of this soup beforehand, don’t add the rice or the heavy cream yet, add it right before you’re planning to serve the soup.
• When you reheat the leftovers, the rice will thicken creating a delicious, creamy risotto-style dish. You can always add some chicken broth to thin it out.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Try These Next

• Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Soup
• Roasted pumpkin soup with wild rice and miso mushrooms
• Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage