Enjoy a delightful, hearty bowlful of homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup with Rice! This is an easy soup recipe made from earthy mushrooms blended with onions, garlic, and a hint of thyme, then finished with cream and white rice.
A Hearty and Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe
Friends, the cold weather has arrived. Around here, that means one thing: a pot of cozy soup for every day of the week! ?
Okay, so maybe not every day, but almost. If anyone needs me, your girl will be over here blending up creamy soups from now until spring.
This cream of mushroom soup is everything I’d hoped it would be: ultra-rich and creamy, full of earthy, smoky mushroom flavor, and so satisfying. This recipe is like a stovetop-only version of my Roasted Creamy Mushroom Soup, beefed up with the addition of hearty white rice. It’s absolutely delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Soup
There are a million reasons why you’ll want to make this cream of mushroom soup with rice as soon as humanly possible. Here are just a few:
- Easy to make on the stove. This cream of mushroom soup is a one-pot soup recipe that simmers up easily on the stovetop in under an hour.
- Loads of mushroom flavor. Like many of my best soup recipes, this creamy mushroom soup takes advantage of my favorite kitchen appliance: the blender! Blitzing results in a velvety soup and warm, mushroomy flavor in every spoonful.
- Perfect for cold weather. This cozy soup has all kinds of warm flavors and heartiness thanks to ingredients like garlic, thyme, and rice, making it perfect for the chilly months.
Ingredients
So, what is cream of mushroom soup made with? This recipe keeps it super simple with mushrooms, cream, plus some aromatic herbs, and fluffy white rice, of course! Below is everything you’ll need, with the full details available in the recipe card.
- Butter and Olive Oil: I love combining butter and oil in the pan when sautéing the veggies. Use good quality olive oil and either salted or unsalted butter (just remember to adjust any added salt accordingly).
- Onion and Garlic: Dice up a small yellow onion, and four cloves of garlic for the soup’s flavor base.
- Salt and Pepper
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are my favorites here. They’re mild and meaty, great for soups! They’re also in between white button mushrooms and portobellos, so those make good substitutions if needed.
- Thyme: Thyme really compliments the mushrooms’ flavor. You can use fresh thyme leaves or dried ones.
- Broth: You’ll need chicken broth or vegetable broth. I prefer cooking with low-sodium stocks or broths as it’s easier to control the saltiness of the recipe.
- White Rice: Rice adds loads of texture, and makes this soup almost a meal on its own!
- Cream: I lightened up my soup by going half-sies with milk and cream. You can use only heavy cream if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese: Grated parmesan brings another layer of flavor to the soup. Freshly grated is always my first choice!
What Kind of Rice Is Best in Soup?
Just about any rice goes well in this creamy soup recipe. I use white rice, like long-grain, short-grain, or jasmine rice, as it’s almost always on hand in my pantry. You can also use another kind, like wild rice (and if you’re a fan of wild rice, try my Creamy Crab and Wild Rice Soup, too!).
How to Make Cream of Mushroom Soup with Rice
All the sautéeing and cooking for this recipe happens in a single large pot or Dutch oven, for easy clean-up (you’re welcome). Then you just need a blender or food processor to get the ingredients nice and creamy. Let’s get started:
- Sauté the Mushrooms: Begin by sautéing diced onions in a Dutch oven with a bit of butter and olive oil. After a few minutes, add the garlic and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms are browned. Lastly, add in the thyme.
- Blend: Next, you’ll transfer the pot contents to your food processor. Before you do, remove and set aside about half the mushrooms to save for serving. Blend the rest with about two cups of broth, until smooth.
- Cook: Return the blended mixture to the pot and add the rest of the broth. Bring the soup to a boil, and add the rice. Stir and leave the soup to simmer, covered, until the rice is tender.
- Add Cream: Finally, stir in the milk, heavy cream, and grated parmesan. Cook for a few minutes more, then your soup is ready to serve! Get ladling, and don’t forget to top your soup with the mushrooms you saved earlier!
Tips and Variations
I’m sure your soup is going to turn out FABULOUS. With flavors this amazing, it’s hard not to! Here are my hot tips for a truly out-of-this-world mushroom soup:
- Make sure your blender has openings for the steam to escape. This is VERY important! Blending hot soup in a totally sealed blender or processor will lead to an epic soup explosion. I’m talking soup on the walls, on the ceiling, behind the dog’s ears… you get my drift. Remove the cap from your blender’s feeder hole, and cover it with a dishcloth instead.
- Can I use a hand blender? Yes, a stick blender works great if you have one. However, note that the texture won’t be quite as silky-smooth.
- Take the pot off the heat before adding the cream, milk, and grated cheese. This will prevent clumping and curdling.
- For a thicker and chunkier soup, puree more of the mushrooms. I suggest only adjusting the soup’s thickness after you’ve added the rice, however. You’ll be able to better gauge the texture this way.
- If your soup becomes too thick, stir in additional broth.
- Add chicken. Make chicken with cream of mushroom soup by adding chopped or shredded cooked chicken.
- Make vegan cream of mushroom soup. Omit the butter and parmesan, use vegetable stock, and sub in coconut cream and your preferred dairy-free milk alternative.
- Different herbs. Thyme tastes amazing in this creamy mushroom soup. However, go ahead and use any fresh or dried herbs that you prefer! Good options are parsley, rosemary, basil, and oregano.
- Add croutons. This is a delicious way to add a lil’ crunch to your cream of mushroom soup when serving.
What Goes With Cream of Mushroom Soup?
There’s no better combination than creamy soup and a sandwich! We’ll gobble down this cream of mushroom soup with a Roasted Turkey Sandwich or a Ham and Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich for a cozy lunch or light dinner.
It’s also easy to turn this soup into a filling meal with one or more easy dishes:
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Store this creamy mushroom soup in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It’s quick to reheat in a pot on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave. Remember to stir often, as creamy soups tend to spatter.
Does Cream of Mushroom Soup Freeze Well?
- Unfortunately not. Cream-based soups generally don’t freeze well, and the addition of rice in this recipe makes it particularly not great for freezing. The rice will thaw into a mushy mess, and the cream will separate once defrosted.
- Take this as a sign to enjoy guilt-free second and third helpings of this cream of mushroom soup while it’s fresh! ? And, if you’re still looking for a freezer-friendly soup recipe, try my Broccoli Cheese Soup. ?
ENJOY!
Melt butter and heat the oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat.
Stir in the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often until onion is soft.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper; continue to cook for 5 more minutes, or until mushrooms are caramelized.
Add the thyme; stir and cook for 1 more minute.
Spoon out about ⅓ of the mushrooms and set them aside for serving.
Remove the pot from heat and transfer the ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor.
Add 2 cups of broth to the blender and process the mixture until smooth.
Return mixture to the Dutch oven; set the Dutch oven over high heat and stir in remaining broth. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the rice; reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
Continue to cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Stir in the milk and heavy cream; then, stir in the parmesan cheese.
Cook for about 6 to 8 more minutes.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
Ladle into bowls, top with reserved mushrooms, and serve.
- Liquid: I like to use chicken broth for this soup because of the flavor that it adds, however you can use any other broth that you prefer. Even water is okay to use, just adjust the salt and seasonings to your taste.
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms and white mushrooms work great, but if you want to use portobello or any other mushroom variety, feel free to do so.
- Rice: Adding wild rice is also a great option if you don’t want to use white rice.
Calories: 262 kcal | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Protein: 10 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 32 mg | Sodium: 216 mg | Potassium: 430 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 427 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 114 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 25 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
