creamy herb roasted mushroom wild rice soup
We finally have appropriate weather for soup, so here’s to a big cozy bowl on this fine Tuesday.
Seriously, our weather is fucken glorious as I write this. A clarity lies in the air that never exists during the hazy summers; the mercury reads about 68, might top off at 71 as the day drifts along. A pleasant breeze sends the trees a-dancing. Pretty perfect scene, I’d say. Maybe I’ll go out for a pumpkin latte later.
I thrive in these conditions, even though autumn means something far different in other stretches of the country – 40 degrees in some spots, and changing leaves. Palm trees don’t quite capture the essence of any season but summer, yet somehow they feel a bit less like guardians and more like harbingers of crisp wind.
Yeah, I know, deep shit in a post about soup. But the first true soup of the season – not one induced by hurricane panic – always brings some elation. This cozy, Creamy Herb Roasted Mushroom Wild Rice Soup contains a lush amount of flavor thanks to plenty of aromatics and herbs, a touch of white wine, and a slap of parmesan at the end. The wild rice lends a delightful chew, and the remaining broth demands an end of crusty baguette for dipping.
And if your rice eats up all the broth before you can? No sweat – either enjoy an extra delicious bowl of rice, or add some more broth later to reconstitute the soup. Both methods are just dandy.
Mush’ in the Room
I initially was going to pan-fry the mushrooms in the same pot as the soup to make something of a one-pot recipe, but I figured I wouldn’t achieve that delightful crisp that I wanted from crowding the shrooms more. So, roasting on a sheet pan it is.
I used all cremini mushrooms for this recipe, only because my store didn’t have whole shiitakes. Ideally, I’d have used a combination.
Whichever shrooms you choose, be sure to slice any big honkers in half. The smaller dudes I like to keep whole. Toss with olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet, then arrange rosemary and thyme sprigs atop, then some thin slabs of butter. These will melt and help infuse the mushrooms with an indulgent juiciness.
Roast until the mushrooms darken to a beautiful gold and gain a light crisp. Set these babies aside for later, but chop up the garlic cloves.
Souper Man
Next up, the soup itself. Your house is gonna smell delightful, I guarantee.
First step: saute some onions, carrots, and celery with a little butter and oil until they soften. Stir in some fresh thyme, then your wild rice blend. I always recommend buying a blend – which usually contains brown rice as well – since pure wild rice takes forfuckenever to cook.
Toast the rice for a couple minutes, then deglaze your pan with some white wine. Simmer that down a few minutes, then add in your broth. Simmer until the rice softens and absorbs some of the liquid, about 25-30 minutes. Wild rice blends take a longer time to cook than white rice, and you do not want crunchy grains derping about in your bowl. Choking hazard at worst, unpleasant at best.
Finish by stirring in some milk (I like canned coconut to keep the dairy at bay, but if you’re anti-dairyfree, use whole milk) and grated parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your tastes.
Scoop into bowls, top with the mushrooms, some herbs, and serve with a big hunk of bread for dipping.
Keep in mind that any leftover soup will fall victim to the absorptive properties of the wild rice, so you’ll end up with an extra creamy, flavorful bowl o’ grains if you eat some the next day. No sweat, it’s delicious as is, or you can reconstitute with a bit of extra broth or water.
If you’re really worried about this, cook the wild rice separately, and add to each individual serving as you dish it out.
A final tidbit: if you can find a pre-packaged mirepoix mix – a blend of onion, celery, and carrot – this can help save prep time. I buy a container from Trader Joe’s whenever I can.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Soup for the soul(less):
Coconut Cilantro Curry “Meatball” and Rice Soup
Creamy “Bacon” and Gnocchi Vegetable Soup
creamy herb roasted mushroom wild rice soup
Ingredients
herb roasted mushrooms
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, halved if large
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
wild rice soup
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 1 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh herbs and crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Spread onto the baking sheet. Arrange the rosemary and thyme sprigs, and the butter, overtop. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through baking time. Set aside the mushrooms, and chop up the garlic cloves. You'll need these for the soup.
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the thyme and the chopped garlic, then the wild rice. Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Crank the heat up to medium high and pour in the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 25-30 minutes until the rice is softened. Stir in the milk and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide into bowls. Serve topped with mushrooms and extra herbs, and with crusty bread on the side.
