Lemony Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

There are all kinds of chicken and rice soup, but this is the one that ticks all the boxes. Roast chicken comes together with earthy mushrooms, fresh herbs and wild rice in a light creamy broth base that gets added depth of flavor from nutty Parmesan cheese and a bright finish from lemon juice and zest. 

This is the chicken and rice soup that consistently gets raves and recipe requests – and the one I make when someone is under the weather or just needs a little extra attention. (This one kept my taste-testers asking “when are you posting that recipe?”)

Every now and then I make something that I know is going to be good. This chicken soup is AMAZING. I don’t even know if I’ll ever make another one again. (That is a strong statement coming from someone who has a food blog.) Chicken, mushrooms and rice all make sense, but the thing that makes this shine is the nutty Parmesan and the bright citrus punch from the lemon juice and zest.

This happened as a result of making a similar soup following Thanksgiving (recipe coming) where I used my Roasted Turkey Stock, leftover turkey and added leftover Madeira and Shallot Gravy for added flavor – and a fantastic use for leftover gravy!

Ingredients

• unsalted butter
• yellow onion
• carrots
• celery
• cremini mushrooms
• garlic cloves
• fresh or dried thyme
• fresh or dried sage
• fresh or dried
• Worcestershire sauce
• uncooked wild rice
• dry white wine (optional)
• chicken stock
• bay leaves
• shredded chicken
• heavy cream or half-and-half
• leftover gravy (optional)
• Parmesan cheese
• lemon
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

I just love it when I can make the entire meal in one pot. Plan on spending about 25 minutes chopping and prepping and then just let it simmer for 45 minutes or so.

Heat butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened.

Add mushrooms and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and slightly golden. 

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, sage and rosemary, stirring to combine until fragrant.

Add rice and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes to toast the grains. 

Pour in the wine, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in the chicken.

Add in the cream and Parmesan stirring until Parmesan is incorporated.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.

Continue to cook for 5 to 8 minutes until chicken is heated through. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Hint: Sometimes I just feel like having roast chicken for dinner as a solo and buy one intentionally knowing that most will be shredded and tucked away in the freezer for future chicken salad, quesadillas, enchiladas -- or in this case, chicken and rice soup!

Substitutions

• Mushrooms - Not everyone likes them, so you can leave them out if you want -- or just divide the soup and leave them out of part of the soup. That said, substitute pretty much any readily available mushroom -- shiitake, portobello, or good old fashioned white mushrooms.
• Parmesan Cheese - Substitute Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano are great substitutes. But finely grated gruyere, gouda or cheddar will add the right amount of sharpness.
• Fresh Lemon -- If you need to substitute fresh lemon with what you have in the door of your fridge, add a ¼ cup to start. And then to taste.
• Fresh Herbs -- Fresh are optimal, but dried are without a doubt far more convenient. The rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh herbs. (There are some herbs that don't follow this rule -- like dill or basil where you will need a higher proportion of fresh herbs.)
• Gluten Free - This is naturally gluten free as long as you leave out the optional gravy.

Variations

• Fennel and Dill -- I'm a huge fan of fennel. Substitute the celery for 1 cup of diced fennel and substitute the rosemary and sage for a ¼ cup chopped fresh dill. (And don't forget to add in the fennel fronds!)
• Chicken Sausage - Instead of shredded chicken, substitute chicken sausage. Prior to cooking the vegetables, brown 16 ounces of chicken sausage and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Drain any remaining fat in the stock pot and continue at step one. (Pork sausage would work well here too, but then it is no longer "chicken soup".)
• Chicken and Cheddar - Substitute the grated Parmesan with 1 cup of finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese. (Leave out the lemon.)
• Truffles Anyone? -- Make it fancy. Why not? When serving, shave a fresh truffle over the top. Or drizzle with truffle oil. Or, there is a product that I absolutely love having on hand in my cupboard -- Sabatino Truffle Dust. Stir in a few teaspoons or to taste. Divine.

Equipment

• soup/stock pot or Dutch oven
• microplane or grater

Storage

This is so, so good immediately but the flavors really meld if left to rest overnight in the fridge (or in my case spending the night outside on a cold winter patio!) This will store in the refrigerator covered for up to four days.

Store in the freezer in an airtight container or zippered bag for up to 3 months.

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Lemony Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

The Savory Tart

There are all kinds of chicken and rice soup, but this is the one that ticks all the boxes. Shredded roast chicken comes together with earthy mushrooms, fresh herbs and wild rice in a light creamy broth base that gets added depth of flavor from nutty Parmesan cheese and a bright finish from lemon juice and zest. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• large soup pot or Dutch oven
• microplane or grater

Ingredients

  

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms Baby Bella, trimmed and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced sage or 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice rinsed and drained
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 quarts 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• ½ cup leftover gravy optional
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• zest and juice from half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened.
• Add mushrooms and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and slightly golden. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, sage and rosemary, stirring to combine until fragrant
• Add rice and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes to toast the grains. Add the wine, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Stir in the chicken, cream, Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to cook for 5 to 8 minutes until chicken is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Keyword chicken and mushroom soup, chicken and rice soup, Chicken Soup, creamy chicken soup, lemon chicken soup, lemony chicken soup