This hearty wild rice and mushroom soup is perfect for a winter lunch

Using wild rice in a dish is a healthier (and more nutritious) alternative to plain white rice. This classic soup takes the earthy flavors of wild rice, mushrooms and root vegetables to create a beautifully balanced, yet filling soup. This soup is perfect for any time of year, but goes particularly well on a chilly night staying at home!

There are plenty of ways to alter this dish to your liking using your favorite mushrooms, but the recipe below calls for baby portobellos. The trick is to cook down the mushrooms as long as you can to get that deep flavor infused in the soup. This soup is perfect for any vegetarian cookout, but also tastes great with some shredded chicken or a little smokey bacon.

Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

6-8

15 minutes

50 minutes

1 hour 5 minutes

1 cup wild rice

1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup white cooking wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare wild rice according to the package instructions, about 45-50 minutes. While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the soup.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and a pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté until vegetables become softened and onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms. Season with another large pinch of salt, to taste. Cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and become a deep brown color, about 12-15 minutes. This step is important for a richly flavored soup!

Add the garlic and oregano to the pot, and sauté until lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot. Stir to thoroughly coat the vegetables until there is no more raw flour in the pot.

Increase the heat back to medium-high, and add the white wine to the pot. Deglaze the pot by scraping up all the bits on the bottom, and stir to fully incorporate all the ingredients. Allow to simmer until the wine has reduced and the liquid has thickened.

Add the stock and bay leaf to the pot. Bring back up to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the heavy cream, rosemary and cooked wild rice to the soup. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes until soup has reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove soup from the heat, and serve immediately in individual bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley (optional).

Pro-tip: Stir in a little splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar at the very end to brighten up the creamy soup with a little acid.

Pro-tip: You can use any combination of your favorite mushrooms for this soup!