This savory Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Soup will bring everyone to the dining table! It's loaded with nutritional ingredients, such as shredded chicken breast, vegetables, and chewy wild rice. Perfect for a midweek family dinner alongside fluffy dinner rolls.
The butter, bacon drippings, garlic, sherry, broth, and half-and-half set this soup apart with new levels of rich flavors. It's a truly irresistible soup that you will want on your meal rotation all year round!
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Chicken mushroom wild rice soup is the type of soup that tastes just as delicious the next day - perfect as a make ahead dish!
- It's ultra comforting and hearty with a healthy balance of protein, vegetables, and creamy consistency. The wild rice offers volume, a nutty and woody flavor, and irresistible chewy texture.
- While this soup is ideal for those chilly months, don't let that stop you from enjoying it all year round, like I do!
If you think classic chicken soup is good for the soul, try this tasty chicken mushroom wild rice soup. One spoonful will leave you wanting more. The whole family will love it and it stores well too!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Wild rice - is the foundation of the soup.
- Chicken breast - adds flavor, protein, and heartiness to the soup.
- Mushroom - offer an earthy richness. You may use the white or brown mushroom.
- Bacon - Flavor and garnish.
- Green onions - Finish and garnish.
- Almonds - Gives the soup a crunch and act as a garnish.
- Celery, garlic, onion, and carrots - Make the seasoning base and enhance the savory profile.
- Butter and flour - Makes a roux that thickens the soup.
- Chicken stock - This is the base of the soup.
- Half and half - Adds a creamy touch to the soup base.
- Dry sherry - For deglazing pot and adds depth and complexity to the soup. It brings a rich, nutty flavor and a hint of acidity.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the wild rice according to package directions. Set aside.
- Heat a pot and add the strips of bacon.
- Cook the bacon until crisp and then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pot and discard the rest.
- Melt the butter with the bacon drippings in the same pot over medium heat.
- Add the chicken breasts to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
- Flip the breasts over and cook for another 5 minutes or until both sides are evenly browned. Transfer the browned chicken breasts to a plate. Shred the chicken once it is cool.
- Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until they release their liquid and it evaporates, about 5–6 minutes.
- Add the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic.
- Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables until they are slightly softened which should be about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and thyme, and cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with sherry, scraping up any brown bits. Cook the mixture until the sherry is nearly all absorbed, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the chowder for about 10 minutes or until thick.
- Stir in half-and-half and the shredded chicken.
- Add the wild rice and continue to stir for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Season the chowder with salt and pepper.
- Serve into individual soup bowls and top with scallions, sliced almonds, and the crispy bacon.
🥫 Storage
Store leftover chicken mushroom wild rice soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Freeze this soup for up to 3 months, without the toppings.
Reheat thawed or chilled soup in a pot over low heat until heated through. You can reheat smaller portions of this soup in serving bowls in the microwave.
📚 Variations
- Extra Protein: For added flavor, cook extra crispy bacon and add it to the chowder when you add the shredded chicken. This will also give the soup an additional boost of protein.
- Reduced Fat: Omit the bacon from this chicken mushroom wild rice recipe if you want to reduce the fat content. Olive oil can replace the bacon drippings.
- Creamy Texture: For a richer and creamier chicken mushroom wild rice soup, use cream to replace some of the half-and-half. This is also good if you prefer a thicker consistency.
- Gluten-free: Use corn starch instead of all-purpose flour to make this soup gluten-free.
- Alcohol-free: Omit the sherry if you don't want to cook with alcohol under any circumstances. You can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I've listed the quantities in the FAQ section below. Apple juice is another option, but it lacks the acidity needed to balance the rich flavor in this soup.
- Types of Rice: I love wild rice in this hearty soup as it offers a delicious nutty flavor and has a welcoming chewy texture. Feel free to use another type of rice, such as brown or white rice. You will need to adjust the cooking time for different types of rice.
- Broth: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, if you prefer.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Brown the chicken breasts on both sides. This will add color and flavor to the soup.
- You should cook the wild rice at the beginning of the recipe. It takes longer to cook than the soup. Be careful not to overcook the rice or it will add an undesirable flavor to the rest of the soup.
- I like to allow the excess grease from the crisp bacon soak into the paper towels. This will prevent an overly oily soup.
- Don't forget to continue to continuously stir the soup once the rice is added until it is heated through and ready to serve. If you don't, the rice can stick to the bottom of the pot and start to form a crust and burn.
🤔 FAQs
Yes, you can use other types of rice, such as brown or white rice. However, cooking times may vary, so adjust them according to your chosen rice.
You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian option. You can also use water for a lighter flavor, but it may need additional seasoning.
Leftover chicken wild rice soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months; just cool it completely before freezing.
Absolutely! The next day, this soup tastes even better as the flavors have more time to meld. You can prepare it and reheat it on the stove before serving.
Yes, this soup freezes well. Let it cool completely before freezing, then store it in airtight containers or freezer bags. When you can reheat it, please do so on low heat to maintain its creamy texture.
You can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This will mimic the acidity of sherry. You will need to use half the amount of water as vinegar. Use ¼ cup of vinegar and ¼ cup of water for ½ cup of dry sherry. This combination will keep the dish flavorful without the use of alcohol.
📗 Related Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Soup - Love buffalo chicken? Then why not try it in soup form?! It's perfect for all those hot wing lovers out there.
- Chicken Lentil Soup - This mild chicken soup is rich in lentils. It is a comforting and nutritious meal. You can make it from scratch in less than an hour.
- Easy Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup - Who doesn't love chicken pot pie? The soup version is just as good minus the extra carbs from the pie pastry!
🍽 What to serve with Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Enjoy this tasty soup with homemade dinner rolls, a slice of garlic cheesy bread, cheddar cheese muffins, or a refreshing arugula salad.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Soup pot - we use our deep Dutch oven.
- Sharp knife and cutting board - for cutting the vegetables.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring.
- Liquid measuring cup - for the broth and half and half.
- Soup ladle and soup bowls - used for serving and eating.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Creating a savory, creamy chicken wild rice soup with funghi(mushrooms) allows you to enjoy the Italian tradition of using seasonal ingredients. This cozy, hearty minestra(soup) is more than a meal -- it's an experience to be savored with family and friends.
As the leaves change and the weather gets cooler, there's nothing better than a warm bowl of wild rice soup with chicken and mushrooms. It's savory and creamy, perfect for autunno(autumn). This hearty homemade soup is perfect for cozy family dinners and makes an ideal holiday soup to share with loved ones.
Cooking is more than just nourishment; it's about connection and love. So, grab your grembiule(apron), roll up your maniche(sleeves), and embrace the joy of creating this homemade soup. Now it's time to gather your family around the table, enjoy the rich flavors, and create beautiful memories together.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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📖 Recipe
Savory Chicken Wild Rice Soup With Mushrooms
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry wild rice
- 8 oz. thick-sliced bacon diced
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt and black pepper
- 8 oz. button mushrooms trimmed and sliced
- 1½ cups diced onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced carrot
- 1 Tbsp. Minced fresh garlic
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- ¾ cup sliced scallions
- ¾ cup sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
- Cook wild rice according to
- package directions.
- Cook bacon in a pot until crisp; transfer to a
- paper-towel-lined plate. Drain all but 2 Tbsp. drippings from pot.
- Melt butter with drippings in pot over medium heat.
- Add chicken and cook until browned, 5 minutes
- per side; transfer to a plate.
- When cool, shred chicken.
- Add mushrooms to the pot and cook until they release their liquid and it evaporates 5–6 minutes.
- Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic; cover and sweat until vegetables slightly soften, 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour and thyme; cook 2 minutes. Deglaze pot with sherry, scraping up any brown bits. Cook
- until sherry is nearly absorbed, 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer chowder until thick, 10 minutes.
- Stir in half-and-half, chicken, and wild rice until heated through, 3–4 minutes; season chowder with salt and pepper.
- Top servings with scallions, almonds, and bacon.
Notes
breasts on both sides.
The wild rice takes longer to cook than the soup, so start it first. Be
sure not to overcook it.
Nutrition
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