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Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Autumn wild rice soup made creamy with heavy cream and perfectly tender wild rice. Simmered with roasted-style butternut squash, mushrooms, and kale for a chewy, comforting texture in every spoonful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base vegetables
  • 1 onion
  • 3 celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 4 garlic
  • 2 cup cremini mushrooms
  • 2 cup kale
  • 2 cup butternut squash
Rice and broth
  • 1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
  • 6 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Creamy thickener
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Seasonings
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, cremini mushrooms, and fresh sage and cook for 4 minutes, stirring until the mushrooms begin to soften.
Build the soup
  1. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
  2. Add the broth, wild rice blend, butternut squash, and dried thyme, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the wild rice is tender and the squash is soft.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the heavy cream, kale, and nutmeg, then simmer for 5 minutes until the kale wilts.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Notes

For the best texture, keep the simmer steady (not a hard boil) during the 40 minutes so the wild rice stays chewy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently to avoid the cream breaking. Freezing is not recommended because the kale and cream can change texture. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a similar flavor with less richness.