Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup Recipe

I developed a vegetarian Mushroom & Wild Rice soup packed with nutrients and a smooth, creamy texture, featured under Instant Pot Soup Recipes to showcase a nourishing weeknight option.

I used to skip mushroom soups, but this Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup made me rethink that, it’s richer and more interesting than I expected. I love how the cremini mushrooms give an earthy bite while the wild rice blend adds a chewy surprise that keeps you guessing with every spoonful.

It’s silky without being heavy, packed with flavor and actually feels like a meal not just an appetizer. I post a lot and this one always gets pinned from the Mushroom Soup Recipes corner and fits right into Instant Pot Soup Recipes fans’ lists, people always ask for seconds and the secret ingredient is texture.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms: earthy umami, low calories, B vitamins and fiber, make soup deeply savory.
• Wild rice blend: chewy whole grain, good fiber and protein, nutty texture fills you up.
• Onion: sweet when cooked, adds natural sweetness and depth, source of antioxidants.
• Garlic: pungent, boosts savory flavor, has immune friendly compounds and antioxidants.
• Carrots: slightly sweet, add color and beta carotene, good for eyes and fiber.
• Vegetable broth: savory base, hydrates, adds minerals depending on stock, keeps soup light.
• Heavy cream: makes soup rich and velvety, adds fat and calories but great mouthfeel.
• Tamari: salty umami booster, deepens savory notes, lower gluten than regular soy sauce.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup wild rice blend, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 quarters cup heavy cream or half and half
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

How to Make this

1. Turn Instant Pot to Sauté and melt the butter or heat the oil, add the diced onion, carrots and celery, cook until they soften and start to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, stir now and then.

2. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, keep sautéing until the mushrooms release their liquid and most of it evaporates and the mushrooms get some color, about 6 minutes, don’t crowd the pot or they’ll steam not brown.

3. Pour in the tamari or soy sauce and scrape the bottom well to deglaze the pot, all those browned bits add a ton of flavor so get them up.

4. Sprinkle the all purpose flour over the veggies and mushrooms, stir constantly for 1 minute so the raw flour taste cooks out and you form a light roux.

5. Stir in the rinsed wild rice blend, then pour in the vegetable broth, add the bay leaf and thyme, give everything a good stir to combine and make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom.

6. Seal the Instant Pot and set to High Pressure for 25 minutes for a typical wild rice blend, once it finishes let it natural release for 10 minutes, then carefully quick release any remaining pressure.

7. Open the pot, fish out and discard the bay leaf, stir in the heavy cream or half and half, simmer on Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes if you want it thicker, or use an immersion blender and pulse a few times to make it creamier while keeping some mushroom pieces whole.

8. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to your liking, add a tiny extra splash of tamari if it needs more umami, remember broths vary so season at the end.

9. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top and serve warm; store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat gently so the cream doesn’t split.

Equipment Needed

1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, cause that is where it all happens
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for chopping onions carrots celery and mushrooms
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for sautéing and scraping the bottom
4. Measuring cups and spoons for rice flour broth tamari and cream
5. Fine mesh strainer or colander to rinse the wild rice blend
6. Liquid measuring jug or large measuring cup for the 4 cups broth and cream
7. Ladle and soup bowls for serving
8. Immersion blender (optional) if you want a creamier texture while keeping some mushroom pieces whole

FAQ

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter or olive oil: swap for ghee or avocado oil (same amount). Ghee gives a richer, buttery taste; coconut oil works if you need dairy-free but it’ll add a faint coconut note.
• Wild rice blend: use brown rice, farro, or barley instead. Measure the same but expect longer cook time and add about 1/2 to 1 cup extra broth so it gets tender.
• All purpose flour: replace with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water) or arrowroot, use about half the amount of starch. Or use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Add slurry at the end and simmer till it thickens.
• Heavy cream or half and half: use full-fat coconut milk (same amount) for dairy-free, or evaporated milk for a milder creaminess, or make cashew cream by blending soaked cashews with a little water. Heat gently so it doesn’t break.

Pro Tips

1) Don’t crowd the mushrooms when sautéing, sear them in batches if you need to. If they dont get some space they’ll just steam and you lose that deep mushroom flavor.

2) Deglaze thoroughly with the tamari or a little broth and scrape the bottom, those browned bits are everything. A tiny splash of acid at the end like lemon or sherry vinegar will brighten the whole pot.

3) Cook the flour in the fat until it smells toasty before adding liquid so you dont get raw flour taste, and if lumps form whisk in a bit of cold broth or cream first to smooth it out.

4) For a creamier finish pulse with an immersion blender but keep some mushroom pieces whole for texture, and when reheating add a splash of broth and heat gently so the cream wont split.