Wild rice is not rice at all, but the seed of an aquatic grass that the Ojibwe people have harvested by canoe in the shallow lakes of the upper Midwest for centuries, knocking the grain into the hull of the boat with wooden sticks while the water stilled around them. That grain carries a flavor no cultivated rice can imitate: earthy, faintly smoky, with a chew that lingers like a memory. Simmered in broth with mushrooms that have been coaxed to a deep brown, it becomes something closer to a bowl of weather than a recipe.
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I first made this soup on a gray afternoon in a borrowed kitchen in Duluth, watching snow erase the harbor inch by inch. The pot did what pots do best in winter: it filled the room with the smell of butter and thyme and let time move a little slower. Wild rice takes patience, and patience, I have found, is its own kind of seasoning.
What follows is a soup built for a long evening. It is thick without being heavy, humble without being plain, and it improves overnight in the refrigerator, which is the quietest compliment a soup can receive.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 cup (180g) wild rice, rinsed
Look for whole-grain wild rice, not a quick-cooking blend, since the long simmer is what gives this soup its chew. If you can only find a wild rice and long-grain mix, reduce the simmer to 35 minutes and check texture early.
1 lb (450g) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Cremini offers more flavor than white buttons, but shiitake or a mix of oyster and maitake works beautifully. Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth instead of rinsing so they brown rather than steam.
1 oz (28g) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water
Dried porcini are the quiet engine of this soup, and their soaking liquid is liquid gold. Strain it through a paper towel to remove grit, and substitute dried shiitake if porcini are unavailable.
4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, divided
Butter brings the nutty note that olive oil cannot, but a 50/50 blend of butter and olive oil raises the smoke point. Use a good European-style butter if you have it.
1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Yellow onion gives the sweet backbone; shallots make it more delicate and slightly sweeter. Whatever you choose, dice it small so it disappears into the finished soup.
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh garlic only here, since the jarred kind tastes flat after a long simmer. Add it late in the sauté so it sweetens instead of turning bitter.
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
Thyme is the herbal thread that ties mushrooms and cream together. If using dried, cut the amount to 1/2 teaspoon and add it with the broth.
6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Homemade stock transforms this soup, but a good low-sodium carton works fine. Vegetable broth keeps it vegetarian; mushroom broth deepens it even further.
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
Heavy cream gives body without starch, but whole milk plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch thickens acceptably. Add it off the boil so it never curdles.
2 tbsp dry sherry or dry white wine
Sherry adds a subtle nutty edge that flatters wild rice; white wine is brighter and equally good. Skip it if you prefer and add a squeeze of lemon at the end instead.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Season in layers as you cook rather than all at once at the end. Flaky finishing salt sprinkled at the table makes the mushroom flavor pop.
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Parsley cuts the richness and adds a green lift; chives or celery leaves work just as well. Chop it just before serving so it stays bright.
Tips & Tricks
- Brown the mushrooms in a single layer and do not stir them for the first three minutes, or they will steam in their own moisture and never develop that deep color.
- Wild rice is done when the grains split open and curl, revealing a pale interior; if the centers are still opaque, keep simmering and add broth as needed.
- Add the cream only after the pot is off the heat or at a bare simmer, because boiling cream in an acidic broth is the fastest route to a grainy, split soup.
- If the soup thickens too much overnight, loosen it with broth rather than water so you do not dilute the seasoning you built.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Soak the porcini
Cover the dried porcini with 1 cup of hot water and let them stand for 15 minutes until pliable. Lift them out, chop them finely, and strain the soaking liquid through a paper towel to catch any grit.
2. Brown the mushrooms
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375F (190C), and add the cremini in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 4 minutes, then stir and cook 5 to 6 minutes more until deeply golden and their edges squeak against the pan.
3. Sweat the aromatics
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cook the onion for 6 minutes until translucent and soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and chopped porcini and cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
4. Deglaze and simmer
Pour in the sherry and scrape up the browned bits, letting it bubble away for 30 seconds. Add the wild rice, broth, and strained porcini liquid, then bring to a boil at 212F (100C).
5. Cook the rice
Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice grains split open and curl and the liquid has reduced by about a quarter. Taste a grain: it should be chewy but tender all the way through.
6. Finish with cream
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the heavy cream, then return it to low heat just until steam rises, about 165F (74C); do not let it boil. Season with salt and pepper, tasting carefully since the rice absorbs salt as it sits.
7. Rest and serve
Let the soup rest 5 minutes off the heat so it thickens slightly, then ladle into warm bowls. Top with parsley, a few thyme leaves, and a crack of black pepper.
Delicious Variations
Chicken and Wild Rice
Stir in 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken during the last five minutes for a heartier, protein-rich version.
Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Swap the butter for olive oil and the cream for full-fat coconut milk, and use vegetable broth for a dairy-free bowl.
Smoky Bacon Version
Render 4 slices of chopped bacon first, brown the mushrooms in the fat, and finish with a pinch of smoked paprika.
How to Store Creamy Wild Rice And Mushroom Soup
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days; the soup will thicken considerably as the rice absorbs liquid.
Freezer
Freeze for up to 2 months, but note that cream-based soups can separate slightly; whisk vigorously while reheating to bring it back together.
Reheating
Warm gently over medium-low heat, adding broth a splash at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency, and never let it come to a rolling boil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my wild rice still hard after 45 minutes?
Wild rice simply takes longer than cultivated rice, often 45 to 60 minutes, and older grains take even longer. Keep simmering with the lid on and add broth as needed until the grains split and curl; they should never be crunchy in the center.
Q: Can I use a wild rice blend instead of pure wild rice?
Yes, but reduce the simmering time to about 25 to 30 minutes because the long-grain rice in the blend cooks much faster. Add the blend after the mushrooms are browned and check the texture at 25 minutes.
Q: Why did my creamy soup curdle or split?
Cream curdles when it is boiled in an acidic base or added to a pot that is too hot. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the cream gradually, and return it only to a bare simmer, around 165F (74C).
Q: How do I make this soup vegetarian or vegan?
Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth, and for a vegan version swap the butter for olive oil and the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk. The coconut adds a faint sweetness that actually flatters the mushrooms.
Q: Can I make creamy wild rice and mushroom soup in a slow cooker?
Yes: brown the mushrooms and onions on the stove first, then add everything except the cream to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Stir in the cream at the very end with the cooker turned off.
Make this soup on the first cold evening that finds you, and let the house fill with the smell of butter and thyme while the rice curls open in the pot. If you cook it, tell me in the comments whether you went with sherry or wine, and how your kitchen smelled when it was done. Wander slowly.
Creamy Wild Rice And Mushroom Soup
Creamy Wild Rice And Mushroom Soup is a one-pot, deeply savory bowl of nutty wild rice, browned mushrooms, and thyme-scented cream.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) wild rice, rinsed
- 1 lb (450g) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 oz (28g) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp dry sherry or dry white wine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving
📋 Instructions
- 1Soak the porcini — Cover the dried porcini with 1 cup of hot water and let them stand for 15 minutes until pliable. Lift them out, chop them finely, and strain the soaking liquid through a paper towel to catch any grit.
- 2Brown the mushrooms — Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375F (190C), and add the cremini in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 4 minutes, then stir and cook 5 to 6 minutes more until deeply golden and their edges squeak against the pan.
- 3Sweat the aromatics — Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cook the onion for 6 minutes until translucent and soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and chopped porcini and cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- 4Deglaze and simmer — Pour in the sherry and scrape up the browned bits, letting it bubble away for 30 seconds. Add the wild rice, broth, and strained porcini liquid, then bring to a boil at 212F (100C).
- 5Cook the rice — Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice grains split open and curl and the liquid has reduced by about a quarter. Taste a grain: it should be chewy but tender all the way through.
- 6Finish with cream — Take the pot off the heat and stir in the heavy cream, then return it to low heat just until steam rises, about 165F (74C); do not let it boil. Season with salt and pepper, tasting carefully since the rice absorbs salt as it sits.
- 7Rest and serve — Let the soup rest 5 minutes off the heat so it thickens slightly, then ladle into warm bowls. Top with parsley, a few thyme leaves, and a crack of black pepper.
Ingrid explores slow travel and cultural immersion, favoring off-season destinations and local experiences. She writes about the logistics of long-term stays and how to connect with communities without being a tourist. Her angle is about depth over distance.
