Ingredients:

• Wild Rice: While you can use any type of rice in this soup, I think wild rice pairs best with the mushrooms, chicken, and earthy flavors of this soup. Not to mention, wild rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates and adds some fiber at the same time. If you can’t find wild rice, you can also use a wild rice blend.
• Chicken: This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but any cut of boneless chicken will work well. If you have leftover cooked chicken, you can skip the step of cooking the chicken in the soup and add the leftover shredded chicken once the rice is cooked.
• Mushrooms: For that earthy mushroom flavor.
• Carrots, Onion, and Celery: A classic mirepoix blend creates the base for this soup.
• Garlic and Thyme: For an earthy aroma and taste. Feel free to add a bay leaf or fresh rosemary if you like.
• Chicken Broth: To enhance the chicken flavor. Feel free to use homemade or store-bought chicken broth, both will work very well.
• Milk and Cream: The combination of milk and cream in this recipe gives the soup a rich and creamy texture without being too heavy.
• Parmesan Cheese: A bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese to help thicken and flavor the soup. Pro Tip: Add an old parmesan rind into the pot as the soup cooks and allow it to simmer along with the other ingredients and dissolve into the broth for an ultra-rich taste. If there is any rind left once the soup is cooked, just remove it before serving.

In addition to the above, you’ll also need some cooking essentials in the form of olive oil, butter, salt, black pepper, and a bit of fresh parsley to serve.

Wild Rice vs. Wild Rice Blend

Ironically, wild rice is not rice at all. Wild rice is an aquatic grass with an edible grain, native to North America, that has been long cultivated by Native Americans. Depending on your grocery store, “wild” wild rice may be hard to come by. Most wild rice sold in grocery stores isn’t wild at all, it’s commercially farmed, and because the production of wild rice is difficult, wild rice is more expensive than other rice varieties. For this reason, wild rice is often sold as part of a wild rice blend, along with red rice and brown rice, which helps to make it more affordable.

I used a wild rice blend in my soup, as it’s what I had available; both wild rice and a wild rice blend will work well in this recipe.

Best Mushrooms for Chicken Mushroom Soup

All edible mushrooms work well in soup; each mushroom has its own distinct flavor and texture and will enhance a soup in its own unique way. While button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms tend to be the most popular and common, everything from shiitake to portobello to porcini will work well in soup. In fact, a combination of mushrooms will arguably provide the most flavor.

How to Make Wild Rice Chicken Soup

You can find the detailed instructions below, but here is a brief overview of how you’ll prepare this chicken mushroom wild rice soup.

• Cook the veggies. Begin by cooking the mirepoix in some olive oil and butter until tender.
• Sauté the mushrooms. Once the veggies have begun to soften, you’ll then add the diced mushrooms and sauté until they reduce in size considerably.
• Add the broth and chicken. Once the veggies and mushrooms have cooked, you’ll add the chicken broth and raw chicken breasts, bring everything to a boil and allow to simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
• Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, you’ll remove it from the pot and shred it into bite-sized pieces before returning it to the soup.
• Add the milk, cream, and cheese. To give it a creamy texture, you’ll then add the milk, cream, and cheese and stir until well combined.
• Serve and enjoy! Season with salt and black pepper to taste, portion into bowls, serve, and enjoy!

In addition to making a hearty lunch or dinner, this soup keeps well in the fridge and freezer, so it makes a great meal prep idea too.