Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
Make this creamy vegetarian wild rice soup with mushrooms for authentic Minnesota comfort food that's packed with veggies and wholesome ingredients. The vegetarian version of a classic!
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 249kcal
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the Wild Rice
- 1 Cup dry wild rice, thoroughly rinsed
- 3 Cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Soup
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 pounds mushrooms (baby bella, white, cremini, shitake, or a mixture)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, de-stemmed and minced
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or an unoaked Chardonnay)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 Cups vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 Cup whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Cook the Wild Rice
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the wild rice and one teaspoon of salt, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes, until the rice has burst open and tastes tender. Drain to remove excess liquid.
Cook the Soup (while the rice is cooking)
- Warm olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions have softened and turned translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the mushrooms and salt. Cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and turned dark golden- brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't rush this step! This is where the soup gets its deep, rich flavor.
- Add the garlic and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until the vegetables become sticky and there is no more visibly dry flour.
- Add the wine. Stir and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue simmering until the wine has reduced by about half and the liquid has thickened a bit.
- Add the bay leaf and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add the sprigs of rosemary, milk, and cooked wild rice. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the soup has thickened to your liking.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and add more salt or vinegar to taste.
Notes
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Add celery. If you can only bring yourself to make soup after starting with the classic Mirepoix base, go ahead and add celery! Either replace the carrots with celery, or add them in. Use 3-4 stalks, finely diced.
- Add protein. While I prefer vegetarian wild rice and mushroom soup, there’s no reason you can’t include cooked chicken, turkey, or sausage! Use either diced or shredded meat and mix it in towards the end when you’re adding the cooked wild rice.
- Try using different herbs. My favorite herbs are rosemary and oregano, but thyme and sage would be delicious as well! If it’s a savory herb traditionally used in Thanksgiving recipes, it’ll mix well with this soup.
- Divide any leftover soup into small, airtight storage containers, then transfer them to the refrigerator. Leftovers will stay fresh for up to a week.
- You can freeze wild rice soup with mushrooms for up to 3 months. Transfer the soup to freezer-safe storage bags, squeeze out any air, and seal the bag tightly. Freeze in individual serving sizes for easier thawing and reheating!
- Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1458mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5759IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg
