Creamy wild mushroom soup is a decadent meal full of wonderful savory umami flavors from fresh and dried mushrooms, garlic, herbs, tamari and miso paste.

It’s gluten-free and even dairy-free yet the coziest of seasonal soups!

Wild mushroom soup in white bowls.
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Mushrooms are definitely a polarizing ingredient. But, if you’re someone who loves them, then you usually love them.

I’m one of those people.

My mom’s mushroom and sausage risotto (which I’ve since remade into this creamy vegan mushroom risotto) was probably one of my favorite dinners growing up and it was chock full of mushrooms both dried and fresh.

Fresh mushrooms are one thing but dried mushrooms have such an intense earthy flavor that only true mushroom lovers can appreciate.

So, if you’re reading along thinking “that’s me!”, you’re going to absolutely love this wild mushroom soup recipe.

It’s packed with earthy mushroom flavor intensified by umami ingredients like tamari and miso paste but kept true to tradition with creamy coconut milk (did I mention this is a dairy-free wild mushroom soup?!) and hearty brown rice.

Fresh herbs and garlic along with bright lemon and micro-greens, bring the perfect balance of acidity and create a wonderfully cozy seasonal soup.

Creamy wild mushroom soup in a pot.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CREAMY WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Get any thoughts of that red and white label brand cream of mushroom soup out of your head because this recipe is far from the likes of that.

Everything’s made from scratch but nothing’s complicated!

  • brown rice (or substitute wild rice)
  • olive oil
  • dried mushrooms
  • assortment of fresh mushrooms
  • vegetable broth or stock
  • onion
  • celery
  • carrots
  • garlic
  • fresh herbs
  • white miso paste (or miso paste substitute)
  • tamari sauce
  • canned light coconut milk
  • fresh lemon juice
  • arrowroot powder (optional – substitute cornstarch or tapioca starch)
  • micro-greens for garnish
Wild mushroom soup recipe in a pot with a ladle.

HOW TO MAKE CREAM OF WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Since this mushroom soup includes rice, start by cooking that in a separate sauce pot.

While the rice cooks, add the dried mushrooms to a bowl along with 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth to soak and reconstitute.

Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic and sauté until the vegetables start to soften.

Now add the cleaned fresh mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until they begin to soften and release their liquid.

To the pot, add the fresh herbs, miso paste, tamari, soaked dried mushrooms along with the broth and the remaining vegetable broth. Stir to combine all the ingredients and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Season the soup to taste at this point with salt and pepper.

Pour in the can of coconut milk and add the cooked brown rice to the soup. Stir to combine then add the lemon juice.

If desired, make a slurry with the arrowroot powder to thicken the soup. See the notes in the recipe card below for details on that.

Turn off the heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with micro-greens for garnish.

Gluten-free and vegan mushroom soup with rice in a serving bowl.

WHAT KIND OF MUSHROOMS SHOULD I USE?

While white button mushrooms are standard, I like to use slightly more unusual varieties for wild mushroom soup.

Cremini mushrooms which are just baby portobellos, are usually an easy to find a good go-to.

I also used shiitake and oyster which create a nice mix of mushrooms for this recipe.

Chanterelle is another wild variety which can sometimes be found relatively easily as well.

The type of mushrooms is really up to you but I encourage going outside the standard white button or portobello comfort zone for this recipe.

You can even try some adaptogenic mushrooms like lion’s mane as they’re becoming more and more accessible.

Any leftovers can be thrown into a batch of Instant Pot beef and mushroom stew!

The more unusual the wild mushroom, usually the more flavor it brings to the soup.

Don’t skip out on the dried mushrooms either. I know they’re a bit pricy and maybe not something you have on hand but they’re worth seeking out!

Dried wild mushrooms (I often have porcini in my pantry) will plump right back up to have a similar texture once reconstituted and cooked as fresh mushrooms but their flavor is so much more intense.

They add a savory, earthy tone to this soup that just can’t be achieved with fresh mushrooms alone.

Wild rice and mushroom soup in a bowl with a spoon. Fresh mushrooms scattered around it.

THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE WILD MUSHROOMS

When it comes to cleaning mushrooms, something I discuss in this air fryer mushroom recipe, is the importance of not submerging them in water.

Wild mushrooms are the same, simply brush them off with a very lightly dampened paper towel at most.

They even make mushroom brushes specific to cleaning mushrooms if you want to get fancy!

For this wild mushroom and rice soup, I like to leave some of the smaller mushrooms completely intact while slicing the larger ones.

I think the soup has a prettier appearance with some whole mushrooms in it than with everything uniformly chopped and sliced.

ARE THE STEMS OF WILD MUSHROOMS EDIBLE?

Something that always bugs me about mushroom use is how people discard the entire stem!

Stems of mushrooms, even wild mushrooms, are completely edible. Unless they’re extra woody and tough, they can be chopped up and used in whatever dish you’re making including this soup.

I simply chop off the very tip to get rid of any dried out tough ends but use the rest in the soup.

You can also pickle mushroom stems and make this pickled shiitake mushroom crostini as a delicious appetizer.

Wild mushroom soup recipe garnished with micro-greens in bowls with spoons.

CREAMY DAIRY-FREE WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

While many creamy mushroom soups use heavy cream or milk, this recipe uses coconut milk.

Canned light coconut milk adds the perfect creamy component to the soup without having a heavy coconut flavor.

It brings just the right amount of decadence without the use of dairy milk for those that either need or choose to avoid it for dietary reasons.

If you want to use another plant-based milk in this soup, I’d recommend any unsweetened nut milk or organic, gluten-free oat milk.

Higher fat nut milks like cashew milk will best mimic the decadence of coconut milk.

Close-up of mushroom soup with brown rice in a bowl with a spoon.

CAN YOU FREEZE WILD MUSHROOM SOUP?

Storing this soup is a breeze. It will last in the refrigerator for up to a week in an air-tight container.

It’s also easily frozen. The soup will last for up to 3-4 months in the freezer.

Make sure it’s completely cooled before transferring it to freezer safe containers for storage.

OPTIONS FOR SERVING

Need something to serve with this wild mushroom creamy soup?

Some homemade fresh bread (like oat bread) is delicious for soaking up the broth.

Adding a cooked protein like shredded chicken or leftover turkey is also a great way to bulk it up. A store-bought rotisserie chicken or homemade air fryer cornish hens are easy options for this.

To keep things light, serve with a fresh salad like this pickled fennel citrus salad which is a lovely counterbalance to the earthy tones of the wild mushrooms.

Or, simply top with some homemade red cabbage sauerkraut for a wonderful added tangy flavor!

MORE SOUPS LIKE THIS TO TRY:

Tuscan Kale Soup
Instant Pot Bean Soup
Irish Stout Onion Soup
Hot and Sour Egg Drop Soup

If you’re craving more umami flavor, this garlic soup is also a great recipe to try. Simple ingredients yet big on taste!

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4.96 from 87 votes

Wild Mushroom Soup

Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Wild mushroom soup in a bowl with silver spoon.
This wild mushroom soup is a hearty, warming and cozy recipe bursting with umami flavors. Using both dried and fresh mushrooms, the earthy notes are balanced with creamy coconut milk and bright fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients 

  • 1/3 cup brown rice
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup dried mushrooms
  • 4 cups roughly chopped fresh mushrooms
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon tamari sauce, substitute soy sauce or coconut aminos if desired
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, rosemary, sage, oregano or other
  • 15 ounce can light coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, optional for thicker soup
  • Sprouts or microgreens for garnish

Instructions 

  • Place water in a small sauce pot over high heat. Once boiling, add rice, stir to combine, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook until rice has absorbed all the water.
  • Add dried mushrooms to a bowl with 1 ½ cups of the vegetable broth. Set aside and let soak.
  • Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the fresh mushrooms to the pot and cook another 5 minutes until mushrooms start to soften.
  • Add fresh herbs, miso paste, tamari, soaked mushrooms along with their broth and remaining 2 ½ cups of vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for 15-20 minutes uncovered.
  • Pour the can of coconut milk into the pot, add the cooked brown rice and fresh lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed.
  • If desired, make a slurry to thicken the soup by combining the arrowroot powder in a small bowl with ¼ cup of the broth from the soup and stirring until smooth. Pour into the soup and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the soup starts to thicken.
  • Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with micro-greens.

Notes

*This recipe is also wonderful with added protein such as shredded chicken or leftover holiday turkey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 9gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 783mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soups + Stews
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was a little skeptical about using coconut milk in a mushroom soup but it turned out great and the coconut milk was not overpowering at all! I love how this recipe uses basic ingredients that I have in my pantry and fridge but feels like a gourmet treat!