The Ultimate Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Are you on the hunt for the quintessential meal to ward off the cold? A dish that feels like a warm embrace in a bowl, brimming with flavour and nourishing ingredients? Your search ends here. We firmly believe that an exceptional soup can elevate any day into a cosy, comforting affair, and this is precisely the recipe to do it. Our Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the embodiment of a hearty meal: it’s luxuriously rich, deeply satisfying, and remarkably straightforward to prepare.

We have meticulously refined this recipe to deliver a wonderfully balanced soup where each component has its moment to shine. The earthy mushrooms, succulent chicken, and nutty wild rice are suspended in a velvety, creamy broth that is seasoned to absolute perfection. As a complete meal in a single pot, it’s a brilliant solution for hectic weeknights and relaxed weekends alike. So, let’s tie on our aprons and craft a bowl of pure comfort together.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rich and Complex Flavours: The harmony of earthy mushrooms, savoury chicken, fragrant vegetables, and a luscious broth results in a taste profile that is both intricate and immensely gratifying.
• A True One-Pot Wonder: We are great fans of recipes that minimise washing up! Aside from cooking the rice separately to achieve the ideal texture, the entire soup is created in one large pot.
• Wholesome and Hearty: Loaded with protein from the chicken and fibre from the wild rice and vegetables, this soup is a nourishing and substantial meal that will leave you feeling content for hours. It’s the perfect example of creamy comfort food.
• Ideal for Meal Prep: This soup develops even more flavour overnight, making it taste even better the following day. It stores and reheats wonderfully, which makes it an excellent option for lunches during the week.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 225g (8oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 50g plain flour
• 1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock
• 150g wild rice blend, cooked according to package instructions
• 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 150ml double cream
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Soup

Creating this soup is a simple and rewarding experience. We have outlined the process in clear, manageable steps to guarantee you achieve a flawless result every single time.

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetable Base (Mirepoix)

The secret to any superb soup lies in its flavourful foundation. Begin by melting the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté these for around 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender and the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until aromatic, taking care that it doesn’t catch and burn.

Step 2: Cook the Mushrooms and Create the Roux

Next, add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes, until they have released their moisture and begun to caramelise. This stage is vital for building a deep, earthy mushroom taste. Once the mushrooms are nicely browned, sprinkle the plain flour over the contents of the pot. Stir constantly for about two minutes. This process cooks off the raw taste of the flour and forms a ‘roux’, which will act as the thickener for our soup.

Step 3: Build the Broth

Slowly pour in the chicken stock, whisking continuously as you add it to ensure a smooth, lump-free consistency. Once all the stock has been incorporated, add the dried thyme and the bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and allow it to cook for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. This simmering time is essential for the flavours to meld into a truly delicious broth.

Step 4: Combine and Finish Your Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup

It’s now time to bring all the elements together. First, remove and discard the bay leaf from the pot. Stir in the pre-cooked wild rice blend along with the shredded chicken. Allow the soup to heat through gently for approximately 5 minutes. To finish, turn off the heat and slowly pour in the double cream and chopped fresh parsley. Season liberally with salt and black pepper until it tastes just right. Serve this gorgeous winter soup piping hot, maybe with some crusty bread for dipping.

Top Tips and Variations

To help you put your own spin on this recipe, here are some of our best tips and ideas for customisation.

• Mushroom Magic: We favour chestnut mushrooms for their full-bodied flavour, but you can certainly use a mixture of varieties like cremini, shiitake, or even a handful of wild mushrooms for added depth. You can explore the health benefits of different mushrooms through reliable sources like the BBC Good Food guide.
• Using Leftover Chicken: This recipe is a brilliant way to make use of leftover roast chicken. Just shred the cooked meat and add it during step 4. This makes an already quick meal even faster! For more tasty ways to use chicken, have a look at our selection of Healthy Chicken Recipes.
• Make it Lighter: If you are aiming for a Healthy Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup, you can swap the double cream for single cream, whole milk, or even evaporated milk to create a lighter, lower-fat version. The resulting soup will be a little less rich but will still have a delightful creaminess.
• Storage and Freezing: The soup keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you intend to freeze it, we suggest omitting the double cream, as dairy-based sauces can sometimes separate upon reheating. Freeze the soup base on its own, and then simply stir in the cream as you reheat it on the hob.

FAQ

A Bowl of Comfort Awaits

And there we have it—a straightforward yet sophisticated recipe for Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup that we are confident will become a firm favourite in your home. It’s the ideal dish to have in your repertoire, whether for a weeknight family meal or for entertaining friends. It achieves a beautiful harmony between rustic and elegant, offering a wonderful way to enjoy simple, wholesome ingredients. If you appreciate rich, comforting dishes, you might also like our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe, another excellent choice for an easy and satisfying dinner.

We truly hope you enjoy both making and savouring this soup as much as we do. Please give the recipe a go, and be sure to tell us how you got on in the comments section below. We always appreciate hearing from our readers!

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 225g (8oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 50g plain flour
• 1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock
• 150g wild rice blend, cooked according to package instructions
• 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 150ml double cream
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 8-10 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic for one minute until fragrant.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes until they have released their moisture and browned. Sprinkle the flour over and stir constantly for 2 minutes to form a roux.
3. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until the mixture is smooth. Add the dried thyme and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked wild rice and shredded chicken. Heat gently for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the double cream and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving hot.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 659 kcal, Carbs: 43g, Protein: 47g, Fat: 34g