This Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is a hearty and comforting dish filled with meaty mushrooms and nutty wild rice. Best of all, it practically makes itself in the slow cooker!
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We all love a good, hearty soup come fall and winter, and this Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is just that. It's packed with wholesome ingredients and full of flavor. Here's why we love this recipe:
- Comfort Food: The combination of tender mushrooms, hearty wild rice, and a creamy base is the ultimate comfort food.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is super easy to make. All you have to do is throw everything into your slow cooker and let it work its magic.
- Meal Prep: This soup is perfect for meal prep. Make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week.
- Vegetarian and Vegan Options: This soup can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock and non-dairy milk.
- Family-Friendly: The flavors in this soup are so delicious that even the pickiest eaters will love it.
Key Ingredients
- Wild Rice – We use a full pound of wild rice, which is rinsed 2-3 times to remove any debris or excess starch.
- Thyme – 10 fresh springs of thyme infuse the soup with a deep, herby flavor.
- Portobello Mushrooms – These add a robust, meaty flavor and a hearty texture to the soup.
- Butter or Vegan Butter and Flour – These combine to make a roux that thickens the soup and adds a rich, creamy element.
- Whole Milk or Soy Milk – This adds a creamy, slightly sweet flavor to the soup.
Substitutions and Variations
This Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is a crowd-pleaser, but feel free to make it your own with these tasty variations:
- Use Different Mushrooms: The recipe calls for portobello or white mushrooms, but you can certainly experiment with different varieties. Try using shitake mushrooms for a more earthy flavor or cremini mushrooms for a milder, nutty undertone.
- Make it Vegan: If you want to make this soup vegan, you can substitute the butter with vegan butter and the whole milk with soy milk. You can also use a gluten-free flour blend to make it gluten-free.
- Add Protein: While this soup is hearty on its own, you can always add a protein of your choice to take it up a notch. Try adding cooked shredded chicken, or for a vegetarian option, white beans would be a delicious addition.
How to Make Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Step 1: In a large skillet, sauté onion, carrots, and celery. Add mushrooms and cook until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms start to brown. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Transfer the mushroom mixture to a slow cooker. Add rice, thyme, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook.
Step 3: In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until the mixture thickens.
Step 4: Once the soup is done cooking in the slow cooker, discard the thyme sprigs. Add the creamy mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning and serve.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Vegetables
- A fresh, crisp salad is a great way to start a meal with this hearty soup. We recommend a simple green salad like this marinated zucchini salad or a tangy coleslaw.
- If you're looking to add more veggies to your meal, serve this soup with a side of roasted vegetables.
- You can also add extra veggies directly to the soup. Consider stirring in some fresh spinach or kale just before serving.
Starches
- Crusty bread is perfect for dunkin' into this creamy soup. A baguette, ciabatta, or a hearty multi grain bread would all be delicious choices.
- If you want to keep things low-carb, try serving the soup with a side of cauliflower rice or quinoa.
Protein
- This soup is already packed with hearty mushrooms, but if you want to add even more protein to your meal, consider serving it with a side of grilled chicken or shrimp.
- You can also stir in some cooked chicken, turkey, or ham into the soup itself. It's a great way to use up leftovers!
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, we recommend using long-grain wild rice. It has a lovely nutty flavor and a chewy texture that holds up well in the soup. Be sure to rinse the rice 2-3 times before adding it to the slow cooker to remove any excess starch.
Absolutely! While we love the earthy flavor of portobello or white mushrooms in this soup, you can use any type of mushroom you like. Try a mix of different varieties for a more complex flavor.
While this recipe is written for a slow cooker, you can certainly make it on the stove. Simply sauté the vegetables in a large pot, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent sticking.
This soup will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe
Recipe
Crockpot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium onion finely minced
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 lb portobello mushrooms or white mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic pushed through a garlic press
- 1 lb wild rice rinsed 2-3 times
- 10 springs thyme
- 8 c vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ butter or vegan butter
- ¼ c flour
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk or soy milk
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add mushrooms and cook for another 7-10 minutes until all liquid evaporates and mushrooms start to brown. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add onion-mushroom mixture to a bowl of a slow cooker along with rice, thyme, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- 15 minutes before the soup is done, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute until no lumps remain. Whisk in milk and wait until the creamy mixture forms.
- Using kitchen tongs, remove thyme sprigs from the soup. Add the creamy mixture to a soup and stir to combine. Adjust salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- This soup can be made as a dump-and-go because you can add the first 10 ingredients minus the oil in a crockpot and let it cook on low or high. However, I think the flavor of the soup will be even more prominent when you first saute the onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms before adding them to a crockpot.
- Use good quality wild rice for the best results. It not only adds great texture to the soup but also holds up well to long cooking times.
- If you're making this soup as a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock, vegan butter, and soy milk. If you're not concerned about keeping it vegetarian, feel free to use chicken stock and whole milk for a richer flavor.
- Keep an eye on the rice. Wild rice can vary in cooking time, so make sure to check for doneness before serving. You want it to be tender but still slightly chewy.
- This soup is even better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead of time. Just be aware that the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so you may need to add more stock when you reheat it.
- Serve this soup with some crusty bread or a simple green salad for a satisfying meal.
Nutrition
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Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Nina Kulish says
Looks so creamy and satisfying. Good for a chilly weather menu. Thanks for the recipe.
Iryna Bychkiv says
It's very creamy and delicious indeed.