Cream of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
This Small Batch Cream of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is a creamy, comforting way to turn leftover ham, chicken, or turkey into a satisfying meal for two. Made with gluten free Minnesota wild rice, mushrooms, and a velvety potato soup base, it’s a cozy classic that proves leftovers can be the best part.
Servings: 3 hearty servings
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Minnesota cultivated wild rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 to 5 strips bacon or ⅓ cup fully cooked ham cut into ½ inch cubes. Roasted chicken or turkey make great substitutions
- 1 small onion or shallot, diced
- ¼ cup fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups half and half
- 10 ¾ ounces can cream of potato soup
- 4 ounces American, Colby or Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Instructions
Cook the Wild Rice
- Soak wild rice using a ratio of 1 cup wild rice to 4 cups warm water for 3–4 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain, then add to a soup pot with 4 cups chicken broth, just enough to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Build the Flavor Base
- If using bacon, sauté until crisp; remove and set aside, reserving the fat. If not using bacon, heat equal parts olive oil and butter in a pan. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5–7 minutes.
Finish the Soup
- Add the onion mixture to the pot with the wild rice. Stir in choice of protein (ham, chicken, turkey, and/or bacon). Add cream of potato soup, half and half, cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Notes
If you can find real, hand-harvested wild rice, it’s worth seeking out. Often sold in the bulk section of grocery stores or food co-ops, it has a brown, variegated appearance and cooks relatively quickly — usually 15–20 minutes — making it great for soup and quick salad tosses.
While, Minnesota-cultivated wild rice is a widely available and excellent alternative., It typically needs about twice as long to simmer than hand-harvested. Of course, you can soak it for 3–4 hours or overnight to help it cook faster and more evenly when making Minnesota wild rice soup.