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 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.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Saute the mirepox in butter until the vegetables are soft.
- Bloom the spices for additional flavor.
- Saute the mushrooms in butter until they are golden brown.
- Thicken the soup with a roux.
- Toast the wild rice and cook it in the soup.
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.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients. Prep the vegetables, cook the bacon, and remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs.
- In a Dutch oven, saute the mirepoix in butter. Sprinkle in the spices and add the garlic.
- Saute the mushrooms in butter in a medium-sized frying pan.
3. Sprinkle flour over the mirepoix.
4. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
5. Add the wild rice and stir for a minute to toast it.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves and black pepper. Serve warm with fresh homemade bread like our crusty English bloomer.
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.
Store
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.
Serve
This soup tastes amazing with a slice of buttered crusty bread. Try it with our English bloomer bread or rustic cob loaf. Round out your meal, by serving it with a fresh green salad. Try our fall spinach apple salad. Finish off your meal with an autumn dessert, like our soft pumpkin muffins or our cranberry apple galette.
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.
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
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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.
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.
This recipe was originally published on September 7, 2018 and was updated on February 28, 2020 and on September 30, 2022 with new photos and content.
Chava Lee
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!
Emma
That's lovely to hear, Chava! We're delighted that you enjoy this soup recipe so much!
Anna
Loved this soup! Thanks for sharing!
Emma
So glad you enjoyed it, Anna!
Katharine Setterfield
Just made this for a luncheon and it was a hit. I followed the recipe to the tee. Really hearty and perfect for fall. Loved the flavors and texture. I will admit it took a long time to prepare. I don't own a food processor, so it was a lot of chopping. My son helped and it still took us well over an hour of prep time working together. I was relieved to find it was worth the effort in the end. Not a complaint - just something to note for those wanting to make it. Thank you for the lovely recipe.
Emma
You're very welcome, Katharine! We are so glad that everyone enjoyed the soup so much!
Faith Zazueta
Absolutely dreamy and comforting! Spot on recipe
Emma
That's awesome to hear, Faith! We're so glad that you like this recipe!
Brianna
I improvised and cooked the mushrooms in the leftover bacon grease. Absolutely delicious result. This soup is amazing especially if you do it right. I didn't have enough chicken stock so ours was a little thick but still great.
Emma
We're so glad that you enjoyed the soup, Brianna! Cooking the mushrooms in the bacon grease sounds like it really added some extra flavor.
Renee
I accidentally picked up wild rice blend and was then worried I ruined the recipe but it was absolutely delicious! This one is a definitely keeper!
Emma
A wild rice blend can work--it won't ruin the recipe--but using 100% wild rice will result in the best flavor. So glad that you enjoyed the soup, Renee!
Estella
Could this be made with lentils or barley?
Emma
I wouldn't add lentils or barley because they would change the flavor and texture. If you'd like to make the soup more hearty, adding more mushrooms or adding shredding chicken or turkey would be some tasty options.
Haley
I’ve been on a soup making binge lately in search of the perfect soup. I’ve probably made 10 or so soups in the last couple of months. My boyfriend took one bite of this and said, “Best soup yet!”
We LOVE this soup! I almost left the mushrooms out because I’m not usually a big mushroom fan, but I’m glad I didn’t. The flavors in this recipe go together beautifully. I foresee this soup becoming a family favorite in my house.
Emma
Great, Haley! We're thrilled that you and your boyfriend enjoyed the soup so much! Mushrooms do add so much flavor. 🙂
Lynne
Back to say that since making this early December we have finished off the frozen portions adding a little extra stock and dollop of cream and enjoyed every drop. Making it again today as Mum who is 93 and a little unwell really enjoyed it so taking some batches for her freezer, thanks again.
Emma
We're so tickled that you and your Mum enjoyed the soup so much, Lynne! Thanks so much for your kind comment. ❤
Kenda
Really delicious soup! My husband doesn't like mushrooms, so I used 1 1/2 tsp hon dashi + 1 c water as a substitute and it worked beautifully. We accompanied the soup homemade soda bread. A perfect soup for a cold winter's evening. 🙂
Emma
That's wonderful, Kenda! I'm so glad that you and your husband enjoyed the soup!
Lynne
I posted this response in error on some poor persons creamy asparagus recipe, so if you ever come across a review that makes no sense it’s mine!
Rate this 5 star although I reduced the liquid by 2-2.5 cups of stock and water resulting in a much thicker consistency but my gosh the tastes your recipe produces. It was delicious and my husband who prefers casseroles as a rule really really enjoyed the flavours. More tonight then freeze the rest, there are only two of us and this is a lot of soup! Thanks for the recipe.
Emma
No worries, Lynne! Thanks for sharing your variation on the wild rice soup. We're so glad that you and your husband enjoyed this soup so much!
Lisa
I think I'll do this next time as well! Overall it was great, but wished it was less soupy and more creamy and thick!
Emma
We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Lisa! For a creamier, thicker result, feel free to add additional rice and veggies or cut back on the broth a little.
Lindsey Dalla
Absolutely delicious! A new family favorite- even my two year old was licking her bowl clean.
Emma
Thank you so much, Lindsey! We're thrilled that the wild rice soup was such a hit with your daughter too!