Description
A creamy, comforting soup made with chicken, wild rice, mushrooms, and aromatic vegetables in a rich broth.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice (rinsed)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), diced or shredded
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (e.g. cremini, button, or variety)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4–5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half‑and‑half / milk for lighter version)
- 2 tbsp butter (or a mix butter + oil)
- Fresh herbs like thyme or sage (1–2 tsp fresh, or ½ tsp dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: flour or roux (butter + flour) or broth thickener if you want a thicker soup
Instructions
- Rinse wild rice under cold water and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter (and/or oil) over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until they release moisture and begin to brown.
- Add onion, carrots, celery; cook until softened, about 5‑7 minutes. Add garlic and herbs, stir for a minute until fragrant.
- If using flour for thickening: sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stir and cook for 1‑2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and the rinsed wild rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until wild rice is tender (times vary, often ~30‑40 minutes).
- Add chicken (if raw) during the simmer so it cooks through. If chicken is pre‑cooked, add it near the end to warm through.
- Once rice & chicken are cooked, optionally remove chicken, shred or dice, then return to pot.
- Stir in heavy cream (or substitute) and let the soup warm gently. Do not boil after adding dairy to avoid curdling.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper. Remove herbs like thyme stems if used.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, etc.), serve hot.
Notes
- Wild rice takes longer to cook than white rice; be patient and check texture.
- For lighter soup, reduce or omit heavy cream and use whole milk or dairy‑free alternatives.
- You can cook rice separately ahead of time to speed up the process and prevent over‑cooking.
- If freezing, omit cream; add cream when reheating to prevent separation.
- Use fresh herbs when possible for best flavor; dried work but need less and added earlier.
- Adjust thickness by amount of broth vs amount of rice/cream; more broth for brothy, less for thicker, stew‑like.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5‑2 cups)
- Calories: ≈ 350‑450 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 3‑5 g
- Sodium: depends on broth (≈ 600‑900 mg if using salted stock)
- Fat: ≈ 20‑25 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 10‑12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 8‑12 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 0.5 g or less
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 30‑40 g
- Fiber: ≈ 2‑4 g
- Protein: ≈ 25‑30 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 70‑90 mg
