Autumn is here and that means soup season! We can't think of a better way to welcome fall then to make a comforting pot of savory, creamy wild rice soup.
If you love fall soups, you'll want to check out our copycat Panera chicken and wild rice soup and our pumpkin and sweet potato soup.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 50 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Yield: 10 cups
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 10 people
- 🥕 Dietary Info: can be made Vegetarian (omit bacon and use veggie stock) and Dairy Free (use oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream).
- ⚡ Calories: 329 calories per cup (based on nutrition facts in recipe card)
- 🍎 Ingredients: butter, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, mushrooms, bacon, flour, wild rice, chicken stock, water, and heavy cream.
- 🥣 Method: Cook veggies, bloom spices, add flour to make roux, then toast wild rice. Add stock, bacon, water, and mushrooms and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and serve.
- 🔪 Equipment: heavy-based Dutch oven, wooden spoon.
- ⭐ Expert Tip: Use 100% wild rice for the best flavor and texture.
- 🌶️ Flavor & Texture: The unique flavor of wild rice blends perfectly with veggies and a creamy, thyme-flavored broth.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Made with 100% Wild Rice: This short, narrow black rice opens up as it cooks, becoming fluffy with a hint of chewiness. It's a flavor and texture that can't be imitated by wild rice blends.
- Pro Cooking Techniques to Build Flavor: You'll start with a mirepoix (sautéed vegetables), then you'll sauté the mushrooms in butter, bloom the spices, and toast the rice. All these steps build an amazing flavor in the soup!
- Stovetop or Slow Cooker Friendly: Make this soup with either of these cooking methods!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I made this soup about a month ago and am making it again tonight! It is so filling and flavorful! I am a vegetarian, so I skip the bacon, but other than that I followed the recipe every step along the way and have nothing but great things to say! Highly recommend!"
- Chava Lee
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Ingredients
- Earthy Spices: We used fresh thyme, but you could also substitute for fresh sage, or fresh rosemary.
- Dairy: We used to butter to help make the roux and heavy cream at the very end to give it a creamy taste.
- Wild Rice: We used black wild rice with no fillers mixed in to the bag.
- Mushrooms: To increase the earthy, umami flavor profile, of the soup.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Want more veggies? Try sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or kale.
- Want meat? Try 4 cups of chicken or smoked turkey. Add during last 15 minutes.
- Want nuts? Try toasted slivered almonds.
- Need this gluten free? Use a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry mixed with hot broth. Use gluten free chicken broth.
How to Make Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Gather all the ingredients. Prep the vegetables, cook the bacon, and remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs.
- In a Dutch oven, sauté the mirepoix in butter. Sprinkle in the spices and add the garlic. (image 1)
- Saute the mushrooms in butter in a medium-sized frying pan. (image 2)
- Sprinkle flour over the mirepoix. (image 3)
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. (image 4)
- Add the wild rice and stir for a minute to toast it. (image 5)
- Gradually stir in the chicken stock to prevent lumps from forming, then add the water and the bacon. Cover and bring to boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. If there is excess fat floating on top, skim it off if you want. (image 6)
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, taste it and add more salt, pepper, or thyme as desired. Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the cream. Stir until well mixed. (image 7)
- Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves and black pepper. Serve warm with fresh homemade bread like our crusty English bloomer. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
There is no need to cook the wild rice first. It's best to cook it right in the soup this way it helps thicken the soup and the rice will soak up the wonderful flavors that have been simmering in the pot.
The best way is to add heavy cream at the end after it's been removed from the heat. But for those who want their soup dairy free, you can add full fat coconut milk at the end instead.
Wild rice has a chewy texture like brown rice, but unlike brown rice, wild rice has a toasty, nutty, earthy flavor.
Our recipe has 27.7g of carbs in one cup. It has 345 calories and is high in vitamin A. For more nutritional information, scroll past the recipe card.
Make Ahead: This soup tastes amazing the next day, so making it the day before is a wise choice.
Leftovers: After it has finished cooking, allow it to fully cool before transferring to an airtight container. This recipe should last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: If you plan on freezing this recipe, it's best to leave out the dairy and add it once you reheat it. Freeze it in zip-top plastic bags or airtight containers.
If you freeze it with the dairy, it could separate once it thaws. If this happens, whisk it with more fresh cream or a slurry of cornstarch or arrowroot and water over medium heat. You could also reheat it over a double boiler in its frozen state, stirring frequently.
Reheat: Place the soup in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat to warm it up stirring occasionally. Don't let it boil.
Serving Creamy Wild Rice Soup
This soup tastes amazing with a slice of buttered crusty bread, like our English bloomer bread or rustic cob loaf. Round out your meal by serving it with a fresh green salad like our fall spinach apple salad. Finish off your meal with an autumn dessert, like our soft Panera pumpkin muffins or our cranberry apple galette.
Expert Tips
- Use 100% wild rice.
- Toast the rice for added flavor.
- Need a garnish? Try fresh thyme leaves or lemon zest.
- Want this low fat or dairy free? Try evaporated milk or full fat coconut milk.
More Fall Soups You'll Love
Recipe
The Best Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, reserve 2 tablespoons for the mushrooms
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ¼ cup celery, chopped
- 1 ¼ cup carrot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (roughly 3 large cloves)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, rubbed clean and sliced
- 7 slices low sodium bacon, crumbled
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry wild rice, rinsed
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot) and stir until well mixed. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the spices and let them bloom for a minute while constantly stirring.
- While the mirepoix is cooking, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium high heat in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the mushrooms, stirring well to coat them in butter, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms are done when the liquid is evaporated and they start turning brown.
- Once the mirepoix is done, reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the flour on the vegetables. Use a wooden spoon to mix the flour, then cook the flour for 3 minutes. This will form the roux to help thicken the soup.
- Add the wild rice, and keep stirring for a minute to toast it.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in the water, the crumbled bacon, and the mushrooms, then cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes to cook the wild rice and improve the flavor.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, taste it. If desired, add ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons more of fresh thyme leaves.
- After it's cooked, take it off the heat, if necessary, skim off any fat that rises to the top. Pour in the heavy cream. Stir until it is well incorporated. Tip: if you are planning on freezing some of this, only add cream to the part that you'll be eating before freezing it.
- Transfer it to individual serving bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves and black pepper. Serve warm with a thick slice of crusty bread.
Crock Pot Instructions
- To build the layers of flavor, follow steps 1 to 5 for stove top.
- Pour in stock, water, wild rice, mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, crumbled bacon, and spices to the crock pot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Rice should be tender and popped open.
- During last 10 minutes, add the cream. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Video
Notes
- 100% wild black rice is the only rice to use.
- Toast the rice for additional flavor.
- Need a garnish? Try fresh thyme leaves or lemon zest.
- Want this low fat or dairy free? Try evaporated milk or full fat coconut milk.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Lynne
Hello I have been making this recipe for quite a few years now everyone loves it.
I have been unwell for a while so preparing for visitors takes it out of me, my cousin from abroad is coming this week so I’m doing what I can in advance. I made a batch of this today but before I freeze it I’m wondering, how many days would you say it’s ok to keep in the fridge rather than freezing it? I always hold the cream back until it thaws.
Hope you can advise me
Thanks
NB This is a new email address.
Emma Fajcz
Lynne, Sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. Thanks for your review. This soup can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. I hope this helps!
Bc
This soup was delicious! I added extra veggies and really seared the mushrooms. The fresh thyme is a must to add some freshness!
Emma
Thanks for your lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed it.
Rita
This is my second time making this we loved it the first time so making again, added chicken just to make it higher protein little extra garlic as we love garlic and instead of butter for my mushrooms, I used just a little tuscan olive oil. So good and the flavor is amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Emma
We're so glad you enjoyed this soup enough to make it twice, Rita! Thanks for your kind comment!