Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup 🥣 Seriously the best recipe I have tried so far! I love this quick & easy recipe and it’s a treat for Beginners.... Must express something to keep getting my recipe

 

 Why This Recipe Works

✔ Multiple mushroom varieties = complex flavor

Combining cremini, shiitake, and button mushrooms creates a layered earthiness that tastes richer than using just one type.

✔ Wild rice is cooked separately

This prevents mushiness and allows perfect texture control.

✔ Herbs + aromatics build a deep foundation

Garlic, onion, celery, thyme, and bay leaf create a broth that tastes slow-simmered.

✔ Cream added at the end creates silkiness without splitting

Gentle warming ensures a velvety finish.

✔ Roux-thickened base keeps everything creamy

Butter + flour = body, without being heavy.

✔ Finishing with fresh lemon brightens the entire bowl

A splash of citrus is the secret to balancing rich soups.

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🧾 Ingredients (Serves 6–8)

Wild Rice

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend

• 3 cups water or broth

• ½ teaspoon salt

Soup Base

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Mushrooms

• 16 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

• 8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
  (You can also include oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, or portobellos.)

Broth & Herbs

• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ teaspoon dried sage (optional)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (secret ingredient for umami)

Creamy Component

• 3 tablespoons butter

• ⅓ cup flour (for roux)

• 2 cups half-and-half or 1 ½ cups heavy cream + ½ cup milk

• ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Finishing & Garnish

• splash of lemon juice

• chopped fresh parsley

• cracked black pepper

• extra thyme

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🥄 Step-by-Step Instructions

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🌾 STEP 1 — Cook the Wild Rice

While you can cook rice directly in the soup, wild rice takes much longer and can turn the broth cloudy and starchy. Cooking it separately ensures the soup remains velvety, not gummy.

1. Rinse 1 cup wild rice under cold water.

2. Combine rice, water, and salt in a saucepan.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

4. Cover and simmer 45–50 minutes, until grains split open and become tender-chewy.

Drain off excess liquid. Set aside.

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🍄 STEP 2 — Sauté the Mushrooms

This is where deep flavor begins.

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil + 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high.

2. Add mushrooms in batches if necessary so they sear, not steam.

3. Cook 8–10 minutes until they release liquid and begin browning.

Browning mushrooms unlocks their natural umami — this step is essential.

Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside.

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🧅 STEP 3 — Cook Aromatics

In the same pot:

1. Add onion, carrots, celery.

2. Sauté 6–8 minutes until softened.

3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Your kitchen will smell incredible.

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🌿 STEP 4 — Add Herbs & Broth

Stir in:

• thyme

• bay leaf

• optional sage

• soy sauce

• the cooked mushrooms

Pour in 6 cups broth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let flavors meld 20–25 minutes.

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🍞 STEP 5 — Make the Creamy Roux

In a separate saucepan:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter.

2. Add ⅓ cup flour and whisk continuously.

3. Cook 2–3 minutes until golden and nutty smelling.

This roux thickens the soup without clumping.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups half-and-half. Heat gently until slightly thickened.

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🥣 STEP 6 — Combine Everything

Pour the creamy roux mixture into the soup pot. Stir well.

Add the cooked wild rice.

Simmer 5–10 minutes until thickened and fragrant.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

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🍋 STEP 7 — Add Finishing Touches

Right before serving:

• Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice.

• Add fresh parsley.

• Taste again — adjust salt, pepper, herbs.

Remove bay leaf before serving.

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🥄 Flavor & Texture Profile

Flavor

• earthy

• buttery

• aromatic

• slightly nutty from the rice

• deeply savory from mushrooms

• balanced with thyme & lemon

• comforting with creaminess

Texture

• silky broth

• tender mushrooms

• hearty chewy rice

• creamy without being heavy

This soup is a full sensory experience.

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🍄 Mushroom Varieties & Their Contribution

Cremini

Deep flavor, versatile, perfect base mushroom.

Shiitake

Meaty texture, dark umami depth.

Button

Neutral and mild – balances stronger flavors.

Oyster or chanterelle (optional)

Elegant, delicate, highly aromatic.

Using multiple mushrooms mimics restaurant-style complexity.

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🌾 Wild Rice: Why It’s Special

Wild rice is not technically rice — it’s a grass seed with:

• earthy flavor

• chewy texture

• high nutrition

• nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and fiber

It transforms soup from something light into a hearty one-bowl meal.

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🧂 Expert Tips for Perfect Results

✔ Sauté mushrooms until golden

Color = flavor.

✔ Don’t rush the rice

Wild rice takes time but rewards you with texture.

✔ Add cream at the end

Boiling dairy can cause splitting.

✔ Lemon is the magic ingredient

It wakes everything up.

✔ Taste at every stage

This soup is about balance.

✔ Add extra broth if it thickens overnight

Wild rice absorbs liquid.

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🥣 Variations & Creative Twists

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable.

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🌱 1. Vegetarian Version

Use vegetable broth.
Add a splash of soy sauce for depth.

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🥛 2. Dairy-Free / Vegan Version

Replace dairy with:

• coconut milk

• cashew cream

• oat cream

Use olive oil instead of butter.
Use vegetable broth.

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🔥 3. Spicy Mushroom & Rice Soup

Add:

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• sliced jalapeños

• smoked paprika

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🍗 4. Chicken & Wild Rice Version

Add:

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• or sauté raw chicken before mushrooms

Classic and delicious.

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🍷 5. Wine-Infused Gourmet Version

Deglaze aromatics with ½ cup white wine.

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🌾 6. Gluten-Free Version

Use cornstarch slurry instead of roux.

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🍄 7. Extra Mushroom-Forward Version

Blend half the mushrooms before adding cream to deepen flavor.

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🌱 8. Herb Garden Version

Add:

• rosemary

• thyme

• sage

• bay leaf

• parsley

Aromatic and beautiful.

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🧊 Storage, Freezing & Reheating

Refrigeration

4–5 days. Rice absorbs liquid — add broth when reheating.

Freezing

Best to freeze before adding cream.
Dairy separates when frozen, but you can add fresh cream after reheating.

Reheating

Low heat on stove.
Add ½–1 cup broth to loosen texture.

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🍽 Serving Ideas

Serve with:

• crusty sourdough

• garlic bread

• flaky biscuits

• salad with lemon vinaigrette

• roasted vegetables

For elegance, top with:

• fried mushroom slices

• drizzle of cream

• fresh thyme sprig

• truffle oil

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🎨 Presentation Tips

• Serve in deep bowls or rustic stoneware.

• Add a swirl of cream.

• Finish with herbs.

• Place sautéed mushrooms on top.

• Serve with warm bread on the side.

A beautiful bowl enhances the entire experience.

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📜 Condensed Recipe Card

Ingredients:
Wild rice, mushrooms, aromatics, broth, herbs, butter, flour, cream, soy sauce.

Steps:

1. Cook wild rice.

2. Sauté mushrooms until golden.

3. Cook aromatics.

4. Add broth, herbs, mushrooms; simmer.

5. Make roux with butter, flour, cream.

6. Combine with soup; add rice.

7. Finish with lemon and parsley.

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🌟 Final Thoughts

Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup is the kind of meal that feels like a warm blanket on a cold day — comforting, earthy, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. The combination of sautéed mushrooms, hearty wild rice, aromatic broth, and rich cream creates a soup that is rustic enough for weeknights yet luxurious enough for guests.

This recipe teaches technique: sautéing properly, simmering for depth, making a velvety roux, balancing with citrus. Once you understand these methods, you can adapt the soup endlessly — more mushrooms, more herbs, chicken added, dairy removed — and still achieve something amazing.

This dish nourishes, comforts, and delights. The kind of soup you’ll want to make again and again.

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If you’d like, I can also create:
✅ A slow cooker version
✅ A Instant Pot version
✅ A low-calorie version
Just tell me!