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This Slow Cooker Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Butter Roasted Mushrooms is just what everyone’s Thursday needs. A hearty warming meal with herbed chicken, cozy wild rice, and served with a side of crusty bread.
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Ingredients
- Dry wild rice
- Sweet onion
- Carrots
- Low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
- Dry white wine
- Fresh thyme
- Bay leaves
- Paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Parmesan
- Whole milk or heavy cream
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Mixed mushrooms
- Garlic cloves
- Butter
- Lemon
Kitchen Supplies
- slow cooker
- 9×13 baking dish
- soup bowls
You know that feeling when the weather turns bitter cold and snow is in the forecast? All you want to do is curl up with the biggest blanket you own, eat a bowl of soup, and watch a movie (preferably a Christmas movie because it’s about that time of year…)?
Yeah, this feeling is my current state of mind, and as soon as I get a day with slightly less on my to-do list, I will remake this soup and enjoy it while curled up in my blankets. I will, I will!
As I write this, I just returned home from a book signing I had here in Colorado. It’s always so much fun meeting you guys in real life, hearing your stories about how you discovered the blog, and what your favorite recipes are. It’s truly the best part about creating the cookbook so far.
All of the travel and book events have left me a little behind on other work, so I’ll be playing catch up for the next few days before heading to Cleveland for a quick Thanksgiving trip.
PS. If any of you guys have left a comment and have yet to receive a response, I promise I’ll be responding to them all by the end of tonight. And if you don’t get a response, keep bugging me!
Step One
In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the rice, onion, carrots, broth, wine, thyme, bay leaves, paprika, crushed red pepper, parmesan rind, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy the fragrant scent throughout the day if you’re working at home.
Step Two
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the 1/2 cup grated parmesan and the milk. Cook until warmed through. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Step Three
About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the mushrooms, garlic, butter, thyme sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the mushrooms are golden and caramelized.
Step Four
Mash the garlic with a fork, and then stir the mushrooms, mashed garlic, and any butter left into the soup.
Divide the soup among bowls and top with fresh thyme and parmesan.
Back to my story about this recipe….
Speaking of Thanksgiving, it’s a week from today, and I get the feeling that I’m not the only one frantically trying to get things done before cooking up the big Thanksgiving Day feast, or preparing to head out of town to celebrate with family. Things are just a little bit hectic and the last thing anyone is thinking about is dinner…that is until you realize you’re starving and have nothing to eat.
The worst realization, right?
Well, this recipe is here to make everything better.
Things have been so crazy this last month with work and cookbook events that I have been heavily relying on my slow cooker and or instant pot. I’ve made this ramen, this penne alla vodka, and these short ribs multiple times. While I obviously love these recipes, I recently had a craving for just a simple, creamy, wild rice soup.
Wild rice soup is something I grew up eating. My mom has always loved rice in her soup. She used to top her bowls of chicken noodle soup with a pile of rice and then a handful of air-popped popcorn. I’d love devouring bowls of this soup with her, especially after school on chilly days.
This soup isn’t quite like the bowls mom would make, but it’s just as comforting and delicious as the bowls we use to share…with just a little more flavor than that boxed stuff.
You might not be happy about an extra step here, but hear me out, because it’s 120% worth it.
If there’s one thing I think slow cooker recipes lack, it’s texture. Veggies can become mushy, grains can be a little soggy, and meats don’t have a caramelization to them. With this soup, I really wanted to add an extra layer of both flavor and texture.
Enter the butter roasted mushrooms. YES. Butter roasted mushrooms.
AKA how all slow cooker recipes need to be finished.
It’s really not a hard “extra” step. it’s just a matter of adding mushrooms to a pan and putting them in the oven. There’s no real work involved. And again, it is so worth the extra efforts. The crisp, roasted mushrooms are what complete the soup and give it that extra layer of flavor and texture.
Trust me, you need this soup in your life sometime soon. Preferably during your Thanksgiving break, when being lazy and eating soup on the couch while watching Christmas movies (I am obsessed) is totally acceptable.
Ohhhhhh. And if you wanted to make this on Black Friday, stirring in some leftover shredded turkey would be a pretty great idea.
Slow Cooker Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry wild rice or wild rice blend , (wild rice and brown rice)
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 5 cups low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme + 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 parmesan rind + 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, roughly torn
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the rice, onion, carrots, broth, wine, thyme, bay leaves, paprika, crushed red pepper, parmesan rind, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 2. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the 1/2 cup grated parmesan and the milk. Cook until warmed through. Remove the bay leaves and discard.3. About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the mushrooms, garlic, butter, thyme sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the mushrooms are golden and caramelized. 4. Mash the garlic with a fork, and then stir the mushrooms, mashed garlic, and any butter left into the soup. 5. Divide the soup among bowls and top with fresh thyme and parmesan. Eat!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Basically a giant bowl of comfort…LOVE.
Trying this recipe as I text. Looks amazing
Thank you Roy! I hope you are enjoying it! xTieghan
I followed the recipe and it doesn’t look right. The rice is the same consistency as oatmeal. The thyme sprigs are difficult to eat. I’m not sure where I went wrong and why the rice turned out so mushy.
Hi Nancy, so sorry you had trouble! it sounds like your rice just soaked up to much liquid. what kind of rice did you use? I wonder if it differs from mine I would try cooking and hour less next time and be sure to just remove the rosemary sprigs from the soup before eating. You don’t need to leave them in. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh My Goodness!!! This recipe was AWESOME!! Made it tonight, everyone said “Let’s do this again, and again!!” Thank you so much. I did add browned ground sausage – used the wine to get all the bits. I also used coconut milk since i had some i needed to use up. Wow! The flavors just explode in your mouth.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you all loved this Christine! Thank you! xTieghan
Using a slow cooker on low,noticed the rice has disintegrated after 6 hours:( I don’t think it will be as good without some texture to the rice. Next time I’ll add the rice half way through. I’ll give a full rating after I add the mushrooms and taste it.
Hi Jennifer! I am sorry about that. I hope it works better for you half way through! Please let me know if you have any questions! xTieghan
S, I just found this recipe and I’m looking for mixed mushrooms all the options I have found have been dried. Do you know how many oz of dried mushrooms I would need for this? Or did you use 2 lbs I fried mushrooms and registered them. Thanks. Selina
Hey Selina! I don’t recommend using dried mushrooms, I would use cremini mushrooms if you can’t find wild mushrooms. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
This recipe looks entirely too yummy however; my hubby HATES mushrooms….sigh.
I would love to replace the mushrooms with cooked chicken breast pieces/chunks.
When would you suggest I add this in?
Hi!! I would recommend adding raw, cubed chicken with the rice so that it has time to cook. OR you can stir in shredded chicken to the cooked rice before serving. I think either will be perfect and so delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Can you make this in an instant pot?
Hi Neha, sure! I would cook the soup on high pressure for 15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Hi there! Is it possible to make this recipe on a stove top? I wanted to make it for dinner but a slow cooker will take a bit too long for today! Thanks 🙂 Emily
Hey Emily! Yoou can simmer the soup on the stover for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (until the rice is fully cooked) over medium low heat. This should work perfectly! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Every year I am invited to a friends ‘Harvest Dinner’ where all the guests bring a dish that is focused on local produce. We all eat and then vote on our top 3 favorite dishes. This year I made this AMAZING mushroom wild rice soup and I won first place!!! Bravo on this recipe, so glad to have stumbled upon this blog and will definitely be making this again and again. In my opinion what sends this over the top to goodness is the crushed red pepper that gives it a little kick and the mushrooms roasted in that lemon zest, butter and thyme.
So good
WOW! That is so amazing to hear!! Thank you so much Kelly! xTieghan
Hi, thank you so much for the recipe! So if i read well in the comment : if i have a dutch oven,, I should just let it cook during one hour over 6 right ? Thank you so much.
Hi there! Yes, this is correct! That will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi, I do not use a slow cooker, so could you tell me if I can make this recipe on stove top/oven?
Many thanks
HI there! Se below for stove-top directions! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
1. In a large soup pot combine the rice, onion, carrots, broth, wine, thyme, bay leaves, paprika, crushed red pepper, parmesan rind, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover reduce the heat to LOW and cook on for 40-45 minutes.
2. Stir in the 1/2 cup grated parmesan and the milk. Cook until warmed through. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
3. About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the mushrooms, garlic, butter, thyme sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the mushrooms are golden and caramelized.
4. Mash the garlic with a fork, and then stir the mushrooms, mashed garlic, and any butter left into the soup.
5. Divide the soup among bowls and top with fresh thyme and parmesan. Eat!
Hi, I would love to make this soup, however, I do not use a slow cooker.
How would you suggest stove top/oven version?
Many thanks
JK
HI there! Se below for stove-top directions! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
1. In a large soup pot combine the rice, onion, carrots, broth, wine, thyme, bay leaves, paprika, crushed red pepper, parmesan rind, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover reduce the heat to LOW and cook on for 40-45 minutes.
2. Stir in the 1/2 cup grated parmesan and the milk. Cook until warmed through. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
3. About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the mushrooms, garlic, butter, thyme sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the mushrooms are golden and caramelized.
4. Mash the garlic with a fork, and then stir the mushrooms, mashed garlic, and any butter left into the soup.
5. Divide the soup among bowls and top with fresh thyme and parmesan. Eat!
Four hours in cooking on low setting and there was hardly any liquid left, so I added water, hoping it’s still good.
I am sure it will be great, but please let me know if you have any questions!! Thank you Michele! xTieghan
This mushrooms were so amazing! Do you have any other recipes that they would be good on? Thinking of pot roast, but curious what else you think would work!
Thanks!
Lindsey
HI! Honestly, I love spooning them over pasta, creamy polenta, or a really good piece of toast!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Can this be made with coconut milk instead? Our family can’t have cream.
HI Amelia! Yes, canned coconut milk will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan