This ultra-comforting vegetarian mushroom wild rice soup features a creamy and savory broth made with quick-caramelized shallots, cremini mushrooms, and a splash of sherry cooking wine. With decadent flavors and simple ingredients, this soup is hearty enough to be a main!
This decadent yet nutritious mushroom wild rice soup is the ultimate cozy vegetarian soup recipe (alongside potato soup, that is). It features a salty and creamy broth, quick caramelized shallots, and a pound of cremini mushrooms.
The caramelized shallots lend a gently sweet base that balances out the earthy and umami mushrooms. The soup is finished off with a splash of sherry cooking wine for a complex yet comforting layer of flavor.
Despite the seemingly fancy flavors, this mushroom wild rice soup requires just about 20 minutes of active time. Wild rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook, but during that time you don't have to do any cooking!
This recipe is great for fans of Mushroom Barley Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Lemon Rice Soup.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Richly flavored with simple ingredients: Cremini mushrooms are an inexpensive mushroom, but when they are sauteed with butter and shallots they create a rich and savory broth. Seriously, mushroom broth is the best kind of soup broth!
- Balanced enough for a meal: This soup features whole grains, vegetables, and even protein from chickpeas. It's delicious with grated Parmesan on top and a wedge of crusty bread on the side, and it's hearty enough to qualify as a main dish.
- Quick caramelized shallots: One of the best cooking tricks that I've ever learned is to add baking soda to shallots and onions to speed up the cooking process. Caramelizing usually takes 45+ minutes, but with this method, it only takes 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- Wild rice blend: I recommend Lundberg wild rice blend. Their blend of wild rice includes long-grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, Wehani red rice, and black rice. Have extra? Try making this mushroom wild rice casserole next.
- Mushrooms: This soup uses 1 pound of cremini mushrooms, also called baby bella mushrooms.
- Shallots: You will need 1 pound of shallots, of about 4 medium shallots. Think of shallots like a more concentrated onion with a hint of garlic. These add fantastic flavor to the soup. If unable to find shallots, an equal amount of sweet yellow onion works.
- Baking soda: Just ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda is all that is needed to quickly caramelize the shallots.
- Vegetable bouillon: I highly recommend using Better than Bouillon vegetable base dissolved in water, or your favorite vegetable broth. I find that bouillon is both more flavorful and cost-effective than boxed broth.
- Carrots and celery: I recommend using whole carrots. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and celery to evenly distribute them in the soup.
- Poultry seasoning: There is no chicken in this seasoning. It usually contains a blend of sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and onion powder. It adds a really cozy, warming flavor to the soup.
- Sherry cooking wine: This acts in a similar way as adding wine to flavor soup, just without the alcohol. Just 1 to 2 tablespoons goes a long way.
Step-by-step instructions
Equipment note: I love my 7-quart Crockpot Dutch Oven. Any 6 to 8-quart pot works for mushroom wild rice soup. Note that larger pots with wider bases will brown the mushrooms better than smaller pots.
- Caramelize the shallots: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once melted, add the thinly sliced shallots. Sprinkle with half of the salt and just ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda, then stir to combine. The shallots will turn yellow and start to cook very quickly. They should be caramelized, and deep golden within just 10 minutes. Stir only every few minutes.
- Saute the mushrooms: Stir in the sliced and quartered mushrooms, the chopped celery and carrots, and the garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are reduced in size and golden.
- Season and simmer: Stir in a splash of soy sauce, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth and chickpeas. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then pour in the well-rinsed wild rice. Cover the soup with a lid and cook until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in the half-and-half: When the rice is completely cooked, remove the lid. Reduce heat to low. Add the half-and-half. Stir to combine. Stir in the sherry cooking wine. I recommend stirring between steps on the off chance that the acidic sherry curdles the half-and-half. Taste for seasonings and enjoy!
Cassidy's tips
- Slice and chop the mushrooms: It may seem finicky, but I highly recommend slicing half of the mushrooms and quartering the other half. This creates a variety of textures in the soup. This is the same method I use in my go-to mushroom soup in my cookbook.
- Don't salt the mushrooms! Salting mushrooms during the initial cooking process draws out moisture and prevents them from browning and crisping up. Salt the soup only after the mushrooms are golden, when the broth is added to the soup.
- Add cream at the end: Never add half-and-half to boiling soup, as it will curdle and ruin the soup. Add it when the soup is at a low simmer, just before serving.
- The shallots don't have to be caramelized, but it does add a great layer of sweetness to the soup. If you decide to skip the caramelizing step, simply add the shallots to the pot at the same time as the mushrooms.
- Make it vegan: Start by using plant butter in place of regular butter. Instead of half-and-half, add ½ cup of cashew cream or a dairy-free half-and-half.
- Other mushrooms: Feel free to experiment with different varieties of mushrooms like shiitake (make sure to remove the stems) or porcini mushrooms.
FAQ
This soup works with an equal amount of brown rice because it requires the same amount of cooking liquid as the wild rice blend. If using white rice, I recommend decreasing the amount of liquid in the soup by at least ½ cup.
Just like with white rice, wild rice is rinsed because it removes some of the external starches on the rice, and it also removes any potential debris from the rice. If you forget to rinse the rice, the soup may just be thicker and the rice may be a little gummier. It won't ruin the soup.
Some recipes recommend soaking wild rice before cooking it to cut down on prep time, but I don't find it necessary. You do not have to soak wild rice for this recipe, and in fact, I recommend not soaking it because cooking it directly in the soup allows it to absorb more flavor from the mushroom broth.
Storage tips
Leftovers: This soup is best within 4 to 5 days. I like to store it in pint-sized mason jars for easy individual servings. Note that the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it refrigerates, resulting in a thicker soup. Add a splash of vegetable broth as needed.
Reheating: Individual servings reheat quickly in the microwave. Reheat larger portions in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
A note on separation: Because this mushroom wild rice soup contains half-and-half, you might notice a thick white layer at the top of the soup after refrigeration. This is a completely normal side effect of using milk that contains a higher percentage of fat. Just stir the soup before reheating it.
Looking for more soup recipes?
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cozy Peach Kitchen
Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or a 6 to 8 quart pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound shallots thinly sliced; 4-5 shallots
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda see note #1
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms see note #2
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 2 whole carrots chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 ½ cups vegetable broth see note #3
- 1 (15.5) ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup wild rice blend rinsed well; see note #4
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
- Suggested serving: crusty bread, grated Parmesan or asiago cheese, additional freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Caramelize the shallots: Heat a 6 quart Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once melted, add the thinly sliced shallots. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda, then stir to combine. The shallots will turn yellow and start to cook very quickly. They should be caramelized, and deep golden within just 10 minutes. Stir only every few minutes.
- Prep the mushrooms: While the shallots caramelize, slice half of the mushrooms and cut the other half into quarters. Include the stems.
- Saute the mushrooms: Stir in the sliced and quartered mushrooms, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are reduced in size and golden.
- Season and simmer: Stir in the soy sauce, poultry seasoning, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth and drained chickpeas. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then pour in the well-rinsed wild rice. Cover the soup and cook until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in the half-and-half: When the rice is completely cooked, remove the lid. Reduce heat to low. Add the half-and-half. Stir to combine. Stir in the sherry cooking wine. I recommend stirring between steps on the off chance that the acidic sherry curdles the half-and-half. Taste for seasonings and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Baking soda: Just ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda is added to the shallots to quickly caramelize them. Baking soda speeds up the cooking process by breaking down the shallots, resulting in jammy golden shallots in just 10 minutes.
- Mushrooms: I like to slice half of the mushrooms and quarter the other half in order to have a variety of textures in the soup. It may seem finicky, but I promise it's worth it!
- Vegetable broth: I prefer Better than Bouillon vegetable base to boxes of vegetable broth. I usually do a little less base:water than suggested on the label, as it can get quite salty.
- Wild rice blend:Choose a blend, not just wild rice. I use Lundberg's blend of wild rice, which contains brown rice and a few other types of rice.
- Make it vegan: Replace the unsalted butter with an equal amount of plant butter. Use ½ cup cashew cream in place of half and half.
- Leftovers: This soup is best within 4 to 5 days. I like to store it in pint-sized mason jars for easy individual servings. Note that the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it refrigerates, resulting in a thicker soup. Add a splash of vegetable broth as needed.
Ingrid says
A HIT at my house!
Laura C says
Made this last night and it was so delicious and warming. Cooked as written. Next time I might use a mushroom mix which includes shiitake, etc.
Cassidy Reeser says
Love it, thanks for leaving a review! I'm sure the mushroom mix would be fantastic.
Shelliann Gunderson says
Amazing flavor! I did sub black eyed peas for the chickpeas since I have to watch my oxalate levels. I wish I could freeze it as I am the only one eating it. My husband cannot eat mushrooms. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks so much for the review! You might be able to freeze it, but the rice will definitely expand and lose some of its texture on thawing. It could be worth a try! 🙂