Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup Made 3 Ways - Instant Pot, Crock-Pot, or Stovetop You Choose…
In this neck of the woods, we turn to hearty, comforting homemade soups when the temperatures start dropping. It’s the perfect satisfying meal for eating when coming in from the cold or, for that matter heading out into it.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: November 1, 2022
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Soup is a perfect cold-weather food.
When the weather turns chilly, soup is a perfect cold-weather food for so many reasons, from filling you up and keeping you full to providing plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants for staying healthy. And not to knock canned soups for convenience, but wholesome homemade soup beats anything ready to go in terms of flavor. I also love that soups typically leave plenty of leftovers for heating up the next day when it always seems to taste even better!
Soup can boost your feelings of well-being.
Regardless of whether eating soup is or is not capable of helping to cure minor ailments, there’s no denying that it is capable of therapeutic and boosting properties. No matter if it’s the vegetables or the simple process of making it, there’s just something about stirring together a mirepoix of ingredients that gives you a welcome lift in spirits on the darkest days of the year.
Today is a typical winter day for this time of year when it’s dark by 4:30 pm, and the evergreens are covered lightly with a fresh coat of powdery snow. Dear hubby has been outside for hours (it seems) shoveling out from in front of doors and cleaning up the driveway with the “Mighty Steed,” our 1993 vintage Bronco fitted with a monster of a snowplow and a flashy yellow light on top of the cab for keeping him safe.
He’ll be back inside soon, so I’ll want to make sure there’s a cozy, steaming supper waiting to fill his belly and warm him up from the inside out. You guessed it! It’s a perfect day for Wild Rice Soup.
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One of my favorite cold-weather soups to make.
Wild Rice Soup is one of my favorite cold-weather soups to make. I know there is at least one other version of wild rice soup on this blog so far. And there’s sure to be more, but it’s not a problem; you see, it’s purely just a love of the combination of hearty texture, earthy flavor, and the wealth of aromatics and rustic herbs that wild rice soup brings to the table. Really.
But you’ve got to know that one of the best things about wild rice soup is its ability to be made with lots of variations. So, if you’re like me, you’ll love making every pot of soup a bit different than the last, either in the recipe itself or in the method by which you make it.
And for this recipe, you have choices:
Instant Pot
Instant Pot Creamy Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup (Oh my gosh!) For modern cooks with the latest appliances, this brings us to yet another iteration to make this creamy wild rice and mushroom soup. So creamy, easy to make, and ready to serve in less than an hour; this soup is perfect for cold weather eating. The mushrooms’ earthy flavor amplifies the soup’s taste, making it so, so, SO delicious. Furthermore, you can add chicken if you want extra heartiness. And making it in the instant pot makes it super quick from start to finish!
Crock-Pot
For an even easier-to-make version, you can cook Wild Rice Soup in the crock-pot. In this version, cooking gets simpler as dinner cooks in a large kitchen appliance that requires no supervision. This version is an excellent option for when life is chaotic.
To make it, put rinsed, uncooked wild rice, mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery), sliced mushrooms, garlic, Herbes de Provence, and chicken broth in a Crock-pot. Again, you could also add diced raw chicken to the mix. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The vegetables should be fork-tender, the rice should be soft, and the chicken (if added) cooked through. There will be extra liquid in the Crock-pot; do not drain.
Meanwhile, continue with steps three through six, cooking the bacon, then continuing with step four by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stir, and let the mixture get bubbly for about one minute. Slowly whisk in the whole milk until a thick, creamy smooth paste forms. Then stir the cream sauce into the Crock-pot mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Add extra milk to adjust the consistency to your liking. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Stovetop
If you’re old-school, like I am, this soup is just as easy to make on the stovetop. And really, there is just nothing better—no electric appliances. There’s nothing to plug in. It’s a purist version that uses real wild rice. Simmer it for hours, and your whole house will smell like bacon and nutty, flavorful earthy herbs and wild rice in a savory, cozy, hearty soup.
You can speed up the stovetop process as I’ve done when making this recipe for some post pictures using a wild rice blend (instead of 100% wild rice) that cooks in minutes rather than hours. You can also add in diced chicken at the beginning to brown and thoroughly cook to add extra heartiness to the soup.
What to serve with Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup?
This soup is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own. Still, if you’re looking for a little something extra to serve alongside, I love including crusty parmesan garlic bread or thick slices of buttery baguette for dipping and sopping up this excellent soup as you eat it. Alternatively, you can make homemade croutons to sprinkle over the top.
Another compliment that will pair beautifully with this soup is a crisp, fresh side salad, made with whatever lettuce you may have on hand topped with tomato and a light dressing. After all, the idea is to keep it simple.
How to store, reheat, and freeze:
To Store: Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Reheat slowly on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave on half-heat for 2-3 minutes. As it reheats, stop to stir every 30-45 seconds for even reheating from the top to the bowl’s bottom.
To Freeze: Store cooked soup that has thoroughly cooled in airtight freezer-safe storage containers in the freezer for up to 3-months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More Soups to Love
Enjoy a steaming hot bowl of this hearty blissful Creamy Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup with crusty parmesan garlic bread on the side for dipping; to experience healthy home-cooked comfort food that’ll warm you from the inside out!
XXO
Kymberley
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Creamy Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup
@ GfreeDeliciously
EQUIPMENT
- Large non-stick Skillet
- Small saucepan
- Dutch Oven, Crockpot (slow-cooker), or Instant Pot
- Cutting Board
- Paper towel-lined plate
- Utensils (Knife, Measuring Cups & Spoons, Rubber Spatula or Large Spoon, Ladle)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons Oil Grapeseed Oil, recommended
- 1 medium yellow Onion diced
- 2 Carrots diced
- 2 stalks Celery diced
- 16 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons Garlic minced
- 1 cup dry Wild Rice rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ tablespoon Herbes de Provence Blend
- 5 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth
- 8 ounces Bacon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted Butter
- 4 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh Thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
To make it in the Instant Pot
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to “Sauté” Add oil, onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the wild rice, Herbes de Provence Blend, and chicken broth. Cover and cook on manual, high pressure for 30 minutes. Release steam using the valve on top.
- Meanwhile, chop the bacon and cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add in the flour, whisk until the mixture forms a smooth paste, and gets bubbly (about one minute). Slowly whisk in the whole milk until smooth, thick, and creamy, cooking about 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and stir in the cream sauce until thoroughly combined. Add extra milk to adjust the consistency to your liking. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve creamy wild rice and mushroom soup with crumbled bacon and garnish with thyme.
Optional: To make it in the Crockpot
- To make the Crockpot (slow cooker) version put rinsed, uncooked wild rice, mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery), sliced mushrooms, garlic, Herbes de Provence, and chicken broth in a crockpot. You could also add diced raw chicken to the mix. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The vegetables should be fork-tender, the rice should be soft, and the chicken cooked through (if added). There will be extra liquid in the crockpot; do not drain.
- Meanwhile, continue with steps three through six above, cooking the bacon, then continuing with step four above by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add in the flour, whisk until the mixture forms a smooth paste and gets bubbly (about one minute). Slowly whisk in the whole milk until smooth, thick, and creamy, cooking about 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Stir the cream sauce into the crockpot mixture until thoroughly combined. Add extra milk to adjust the consistency to your liking. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Optional: To make it on the Stovetop
- When making the Stovetop version, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic to a heavy pot or dutch oven, sauté about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the Wild Rice Blend, Herbes de Provence, and chicken broth, cover, and cook on medium-high heat for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with steps three through six above.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
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