Chicken mushroom wild rice soup is a thick, creamy, earthy soup of tender shredded chicken thighs, sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery and nutty wild rice in a savory broth finished with cream. It is cooked in one pot on the stove. The chicken is browned first, the vegetables are softened in the same pan, and then everything simmers together until the rice is tender. It is a filling, cold-weather dinner that needs nothing more than bread on the side.
How to make chicken mushroom wild rice soup: Brown 1 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs in butter for about 8 minutes and set aside. Cook onion, celery and carrots for 10 minutes, add mushrooms for 5 minutes and stir in garlic. Return the chicken with 5 cups of stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme and 1 cup of rinsed wild rice. Cover and simmer about 40 minutes. Shred the chicken, return it to the pot and stir in 1/2 cup of cream.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot. The chicken, vegetables and rice all cook together.
- Hearty. Wild rice and chicken thighs make it a full meal.
- Deep flavor. Browned chicken, mushrooms, thyme and a spoonful of tomato paste.
- Creamy, not heavy. Only a 1/2 cup of cream at the end.
- Good for leftovers. It keeps well, with one small fix.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken thighs. One and a half pounds, boneless and skinless. Thighs stay moist through a long simmer.
Butter. Two tablespoons, for browning.
Onion, carrots and celery. One onion, 2 carrots and 2 ribs of celery.
Mushrooms. Ten ounces, sliced, which is about 2 1/4 cups.
Garlic. Two cloves, crushed.
Chicken stock. Five cups, plus more if you like a thinner soup.
Tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. A tablespoon of paste and a teaspoon of Worcestershire, for depth.
Marsala wine. Two tablespoons, optional.
Thyme. Five sprigs.
Wild rice. One cup, rinsed well in a sieve under running water.
Heavy cream. A 1/2 cup.
Parsley, salt and pepper. To finish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Marsala wine (optional)
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed well
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (optional)
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
How to Make Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
1. Brown the chicken. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Brown the chicken thighs for around 8 minutes, then remove them to a plate.
2. Cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the onion, celery and carrots until soft, around 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the mushrooms and sauté for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic.
3. Add the broth and rice. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the chicken stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Marsala if using, thyme and rinsed wild rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a barely bubbling simmer.
4. Simmer until done. Cover and simmer for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before removing it from the pot.
5. Shred and finish. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thinner soup, add more stock. Serve with parsley, if using.
Why Leftovers Get So Thick, and How to Fix It
If you open the fridge the next day and find something closer to a rice casserole than a soup, nothing has gone wrong. Rice keeps soaking up liquid as it sits. Overnight, the grains drink much of the broth, and the pot sets thick.
The fix is simple. Add broth when you warm it up.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Loosen | Put the cold soup in a pot and stir in a splash of chicken stock |
| Heat | Warm it over medium heat, stirring, until it comes to a boil |
| Adjust | Add more stock a little at a time until it is as soupy as you like |
| Check | Leftovers should reach 165°F |
| Season | Taste again. Extra stock can dull the salt, so it may need a pinch more |
There is no set amount of stock to add. It depends on how long the soup sat and how thick you like it. Keep an extra carton in the pantry when you plan on leftovers.
Wild rice or a wild rice blend?
Check the package. Some bags are 100% wild rice, and some are a blend of wild rice with white or brown rice. This recipe is timed for wild rice. A blend, or any other rice, cooks at its own speed, so the 40 minutes may not fit. Start tasting the rice early if you swap.
Tips for Success
Why rinse the wild rice?
Rinsing washes away dust and loose starch, so the broth stays clean.
How gentle should the simmer be?
Barely bubbling. A hard boil makes chicken tough and cooks off the stock too quickly.
How do I know the rice is done?
The grains are tender but still a little chewy, and many of them have split open to show a pale inside.
Can I leave out the Marsala?
Yes. It is optional.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
This recipe is written for the stove. If you do use a slow cooker, start with thawed chicken, never frozen.
Storage and Reheating
Divide the soup into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stove until boiling, with extra stock to loosen it. Do not reheat it in a slow cooker. Cream-based soups can separate after freezing, so this one is best from the fridge.
What to Serve With It
Crusty bread or warm rolls and a simple salad are plenty. For more chicken soups, try the creamy chicken noodle soup, the crack chicken soup, the slow cooker lemon chicken and rice soup or the 8-can chicken taco soup. If you like chicken with mushrooms or rice, there is the chicken, spinach and mushroom skillet and the creamy chicken rice casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my leftover wild rice soup get so thick, and how can I make it soupy again?
The rice absorbs the broth as it sits. Stir in more stock when you reheat it.
Am I using 100% wild rice or a blend, and will a substitution change the cooking time?
Check the bag. A blend or another rice cooks at another speed, so the timing here may not match.
How should I cool and reheat leftover chicken soup safely?
Refrigerate it in shallow containers within 2 hours, and reheat it to a boil, 165°F.
Can I use chicken breast?
Thighs are used here because they stay tender. Breast meat will work but can dry out, so check it early.
Final Notes
I shred the chicken on the plate I browned it on, so the juices go back into the pot with the meat. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 10 ounces mushrooms sliced; about 2 1/4 cups
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Marsala wine optional
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup wild rice rinse well in a sieve under running water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped; optional garnish
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Brown the chicken thighs for around 8 minutes, then remove them to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the onion, celery and carrots until soft, around 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the mushrooms and sauté for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the chicken stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Marsala if using, thyme and rinsed wild rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a barely bubbling simmer.
- Cover and simmer for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before removing it from the pot.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thinner soup, add more stock. Serve with parsley, if using.
Notes
Nutrition
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