This delectable soup is filled with tender mushrooms swimming in a rich, creamy broth full of tender vegetables, savory chicken, and filling wild rice.
Mushroom chicken soup feels a little fancy to me. Cremini mushrooms and wild rice have an earthy sophistication, however, the ingredients are so simple and it is really just a great way to give leftover chicken a little makeover.
I love that this mushroom chicken soup is just a little bit creamy. The cream adds richness and gives the broth a silky texture without making it thick or overwhelmingly a cream soup. The mushrooms and wild rice stand out as the strongest flavors and if you love mushrooms you will want seconds.
Ingredients
White Mushrooms- Also known as button mushrooms, they are tender and have a mild flavor. They tend to shrink and even disappear as they cook, making them perfect for adding bulk to brothy soup.
Cremini Mushrooms- This brown capped mushroom is larger and meatier than white mushrooms and has a nuttier flavor. Large slices hold up to cooking and will still be firm and full of flavor after an hour of simmering.
Leftover Chicken- You can use white and dark meat from a roasted or rotisserie chicken. I like to use a little bit of both because the dark meat is more flavorful and adds some fat.
If you don’t have leftover chicken, you can dice raw boneless-skinless chicken thighs and sauté them in olive oil first. Then remove them from the pot and set them aside until the recipe calls for cooked chicken.
Wild Rice- Wild rice is not actually rice, but a seed from wild grasses that grow in marshy areas. A package of pure wild rice can be quite expensive, so I opt to buy a wild rice blend that has long grain brown, black, and red rice blended with some actual wild rice. The dark, nutty rice varieties have great flavor and are more sustainable.
Instructions
Step 1
- Heat a large soup pot on medium heat and add olive oil to the pan.
- Then, sauté diced carrots, celery, onions, and minced garlic until the onions become translucent.
Step 2
- Roughly dice the white mushrooms and slice the cremini mushrooms into thick pieces.
The white mushrooms are roughly chopped and will mostly disappear into the broth as they simmer.
The Cremini Mushroom slices will stay firm and visible even after simmering for a long time.
Step 3
- Next, add diced white cap mushrooms and sliced cremini mushrooms and sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until the mushrooms have released much of their water and some of that water has evaporated away.
- Then, add two tablespoons of butter. Stir and let the butter coat the sautéed vegetables and mushrooms.
Step 4
- Next, add a cup of wild rice and heat the rice, toasting it for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5
- Then, add chicken broth and diced, cooked chicken. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and let cook on low for 45 minutes.
- Finally, add one cup of heavy cream and stir until well combined.
- Serve this creamy mushroom chicken wild rice soup with a crusty piece of French bread and enjoy.
I used homemade broth which was a little fattier than store bought. If you use store bought broth, you won't get this oily look on the top of the soup. The homemade broth did make this mushroom chicken soup extra special.
FAQs
The short answer is age. Button, cremini, and Portobello mushrooms are all the same type of mushroom, but their color and flavor depend on when they are harvested. Buttons are the youngest with the most mild flavor. Then, cremini with a brown cap and more meaty texture. Finally, Portobello are the oldest being very large, meaty, and dark brown.
Tips for Success
Let the mushrooms cook mostly undisturbed until they give up their water. There will be a good deal of water in the bottom of the pan. Have patience and let it steam out. Once, the water is gone, the mushrooms will absorb the moisture and fats you are adding in the forms of butter and broth and take on a really great flavor.
Make sure the rice gets a good coating of butter and warms through to bring out it’s full flavor.
It is important to cook the soup at a low simmer and not a boil. This is very important, because high heat will make the chicken and mushrooms very tough.
Cover the mushroom chicken wild rice soup while it simmers to keep the liquids in the pot.
Related Recipes
- Mushroom Rice Pilaf
- Mushroom Marsala Sauce over Chicken Thighs
- Avgolemono Soup (Greek Chicken and Rice Soup)
- Leftover Turkey Corn Chowder
- Simple Whole Roasted Chicken
"📖 Recipe"
Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cremini Mushrooms Sliced
- 2 Cups White Mushrooms diced
- 8 Cups Chicken Broth
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 2 Carrots diced
- 2 Celery Stalks diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Cups Cooked Chicken diced
- 1 Cup Wild Rice
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot on medium heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
- Then, sauté diced carrots, celery, onions, and minced garlic until the onions become translucent.
- Roughly dice the white mushrooms and slice the cremini mushrooms into thick pieces.
- Next, add diced white cap mushrooms and sliced cremini mushrooms and sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until the mushrooms have released much of their water and some of that water has evaporated away.
- Then, add two tablespoons of butter. Stir and let the butter coat the sautéed vegetables and mushrooms.
- Next, add one cup of wild rice and heat the rice, toasting it for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add chicken broth and cooked chicken. Bring to a low simmer and let cook on low for 45 minutes.
- Finally, add one cup of heavy cream and stir until well combined.
- Serve with a crusty piece of French bread and enjoy.
Notes
- Let the mushrooms cook mostly undisturbed until they give up their water. There will be a good deal of water in the bottom of the pan. Have patience and let it steam out. Once, the water is gone, the mushrooms will absorb the moisture and fats you are adding in the forms of butter and broth and take on a really great flavor.
- Make sure the rice gets a good coating of butter and warms through to bring out it’s full flavor.
- Bring the broth to a low simmer and not a boil. This is very important, because high heat will make the chicken and mushrooms very tough.
- Cover the soup while it simmers to keep the liquids in the pot.
Nutrition
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