Parmesan Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Print)

Creamy soup with tender chicken, mushrooms, wild rice, and Parmesan. Ready in 65 minutes.

# What you'll need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 8.8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Grains

07 - 1 cup wild rice, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups chicken broth, preferably low sodium
09 - 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

→ Dairy

10 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Fats

11 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Thickeners

12 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

→ Herbs & Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

17 - Chopped fresh parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
02 - Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pot. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic; cook for another 4 minutes until mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.
03 - Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
04 - Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine and prevent lumps. Add the wild rice, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
06 - Return the cooked chicken to the pot. Stir in the milk or half-and-half and Parmesan cheese. Cook for 3–4 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
07 - Remove the bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that feels restaurant-quality but comes together in about an hour, no fancy techniques required.
  • The wild rice gives it real substance and texture, so you actually feel satisfied rather than like you're just drinking broth.
  • It's naturally forgiving—if your mushrooms brown a little too much or the rice takes an extra five minutes, the soup only gets better.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the wild rice—I learned this the hard way when a friend bit down on grit in her first spoonful, and I've never made that mistake again.
  • Adding the milk at the very end rather than earlier in the process keeps it from curdling or separating during the long simmer, which is a game-changer for the final texture.
03 -
  • Taste the soup before you serve it and adjust the salt and Parmesan separately—sometimes just a little more cheese is all it needs to taste balanced and complete.
  • If your soup ends up thicker than you like, stir in more broth or milk a splash at a time rather than all at once, so you can control the consistency as you go.
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