Description
A creamy, earthy soup with chewy wild rice, tender vegetables, mushrooms, and fresh thyme in a silky broth. Ready in one hour on the stovetop.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
1 cup dry wild rice, rinsed
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)
1 bay leaf
1 cup half-and-half
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: 2 cups chopped kale or spinach
Optional: 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
3. Gradually pour in stock while stirring. Add wild rice, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer 35–40 minutes until rice splits open and vegetables are tender.
5. Remove bay leaf. Stir in half-and-half. Add optional greens and cook 1–2 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
Use 100% wild rice, not a blend, for the best chewy texture.
Toast rice briefly in the roux for deeper flavor.
Add cream only in the last 2 minutes to prevent curdling.
For gluten-free: replace flour with cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water).
Storage: Airtight container, refrigerator, up to 4 days.
Freezing: Up to 3 months without half-and-half. Stir in fresh cream when reheating.
Reheating: Medium-low stovetop heat, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Reheat to 165 °F.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1½ cups
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 20mg