Mushroom and Wild Rice Chowder Recipe
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Creamy, enriched with bacon and mushrooms, and bulked out with dark, nutty wild rice, this soup is a great way to put leftover rice to use and makes a lovely lunch or light supper paired with a green salad and crunchy bread.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces bacon, small dice (about 3/4 cup)
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice
- 1 medium celery stalk, small dice
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and medium dice
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Add the mushrooms to the saucepan, stir to coat in the bacon fat, and cook over medium heat, stirring rarely, until they begin to brown and the liquid they give off evaporates, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and potato, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cover with a tightfitting lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes.
- Add the rice and thyme to the saucepan and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the flour is no longer raw-tasting and a film of cooked flour coats the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes.
- Add the reserved mushrooms, bay leaf, and broth and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Uncover the saucepan, stir in the half-and-half and the measured pepper, and let the chowder simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and the flavors have combined, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and season with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed. Remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with the reserved bacon.
schnockered, we never tested sans bacon. It definitely adds a nice smokey, umami element, but is not a make-or-break ingredient. Amy Wisniewski, CHOW test kitchen
would this be tasty without the bacon? i mean, is it really necessary to bring the flavors together/balance the flavors? i don't actually like meat so i wouldn't want to use a soy bacon instead.