Parmesan Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup with chicken, mushrooms, wild rice, and Parmesan in a creamy, umami-rich broth. Serves 6 in 70 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Protein & Dairy

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), diced
02 - 1 cup (3.5 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
03 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Grains

04 - 3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed

→ Vegetables

05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
07 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
10 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
11 - 10 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
12 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
13 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

14 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

15 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic to the pot. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until mushrooms are tender and most liquid has evaporated.
03 - Stir in the diced chicken, wild rice, fresh thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine ingredients.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes until wild rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
05 - Remove the bay leaf from the pot. Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that fills you up without feeling heavy, thanks to the wild rice doing most of the work while cream and cheese add comfort without excess.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, which honestly matters more than any food blog admits when you're cooking on a weeknight.
  • The umami from mushrooms and Parmesan builds so naturally that you'll find yourself going back for seconds before realizing how much you've eaten.
02 -
  • Wild rice takes a long time to soften, so don't cut the simmer time short or you'll end up with crunchy grains that feel unfinished—patience genuinely matters here.
  • Add the Parmesan at the very end and keep the heat low; high heat can make cheese grainy and separate instead of creating that creamy, cohesive texture.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh right before you need it—the difference between that and pre-grated is genuinely noticeable once you've made this soup both ways.
  • If your broth is already salty, taste before adding more salt; adjusting at the end gives you complete control instead of guessing halfway through.
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