Posted October 3, 2023 by: Admin #Kitchen

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.

Can you make it in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can make this soup in a slow cooker or a crockpot if you prefer. Simply add all the ingredients to a slow cooker or crockpot, except for the milk, cream, and cheese, and simmer on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, place it on a cutting board, and shred it into pieces, then return it to the soup along with the milk, cream, and cheese, and stir until well combined.

Dietary Adaptations

To Make it Gluten-Free: This recipe is already gluten-free, so no adaptations are needed.

To Make it Dairy-Free: Omit the cheese completely and swap the milk and cream for a can of coconut milk. Note, this will change the intended flavor of the soup.

To Make it Higher in Protein: Simply add an additional chicken breast or breasts to increase the protein content of this soup. Note, you will need to add more broth to cover the soup.

To Make it Lower in Fat: Omit the heavy cream and use non-fat or skim milk and low-fat cheese.

Storage and Reheating

To Store: Allow the soup to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container(s) and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To Freeze: Once the soup has cooled completely, place it in a freezer-safe airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy grab-and-go meals, you can store the soup in individual portion containers instead of one large container.

To Reheat: To reheat from the fridge, warm the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium for 5 minutes or until warm. To reheat from frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and then place the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and warm for 5 minutes or until warm. To reheat the soup in the microwave, place thawed soup in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for 1-2 minutes, with 30 additional 30 seconds increments as needed.

The best part about this chicken and mushroom soup is that it’s easy to make while being incredibly nutrient-dense at the same time. The combination of chicken, rice, vegetables, milk, cream, and parmesan cheese helps to create a well-balanced soup that is high in protein, full of fiber, and healthy fats.

Wild Rice Chicken Mushroom Soup

This rich and creamy chicken mushroom soup works equally well for a healthy lunch or dinner. Feel free to swap wild rice for white rice or brown rice if you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups mushrooms, mixed, sliced
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 cup wild rice, dry
• 2 chicken breasts
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

• In a large pot on medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter and allow butter to melt. Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender.
• Add mushrooms, stir to combine, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and have reduced roughly in half by size.
• Add garlic, thyme, a generous pinch of salt and bit of pepper, stir to combine, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Add wild rice, cover with broth, and stir to combine. Submerge the raw chicken breasts in the broth, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and allow to cook for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Continue cooking the soup while you shred the chicken.
• Once shredded, return the chicken to the pot and simmer the soup, covered, for a final 10 minutes or until the rice is tender.
• Once cooked, turn off the heat, add milk, cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If you find the soup too thick you can add an extra splash of broth or water until you reach a desired consistency.
• Serve the soup with a sprinkle of parsley and parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread.
• Any leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition:

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 293 calories
• Sugar: 8 grams
• Fat: 11 grams
• Carbohydrates: 32 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Protein: 19 grams