Parmesan Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice (Printer-friendly)

Hearty bowl with tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, nutty wild rice, and savory Parmesan creates deeply flavorful comfort in every spoonful.

# 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

# Steps:

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

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The wild rice keeps its satisfying chew even after simmering for nearly an hour, giving every spoonful something substantial to sink your teeth into
  • Mushrooms and chicken create this incredible double umami situation that makes the broth taste like it simmered for twice as long as it actually did
  • That moment when cream and Parmesan hit the hot broth is basically kitchen magic turning a perfectly good soup into something people write down
02 -
  • The soup will continue to thicken as it sits because wild rice releases starch and the Parmesan keeps absorbing liquid
  • Taste the broth before adding the cream and cheese because that is your last chance to adjust the seasoning without diluting the dairy
  • If using rotisserie chicken skip the step where you cook raw chicken and add the shredded meat in the last 10 minutes just to warm through
03 -
  • Grate the Parmesan while the soup simmers so it melts instantly when you stir it in
  • Use a microplane for the garlic so it disappears into the soup instead of leaving chunks
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