Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1½ cups dry wild rice blend
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
• ½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach or kale
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, roughly torn
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and shallots with salt and pepper. Cook 3–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
2. Add broth, chicken breasts, wild rice, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low. Simmer 35–45 minutes until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Toss mushrooms with melted butter, smashed garlic, rosemary sprigs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and crispy at the edges.
4. Remove chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces. Return to pot.
5. Stir in heavy cream, parmesan, and spinach. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes until parmesan melts and spinach wilts. Stir in parsley.
6. Mash the roasted garlic on the baking sheet. Scrape mushrooms, mashed garlic, and all herb butter into the soup. Stir well.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add extra broth or water if needed. Serve topped with extra parmesan and fresh rosemary.

• Slow cooker method:
  For the slow cooker creamy chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms version: Combine rice, chicken, vegetables, broth, herbs, red pepper, salt, pepper, and ½ cup water in slow cooker. Cook on low 5–6 hours or high 2–3 hours. Shred chicken, stir in cream, parmesan, and spinach. Cook 30 more minutes. Roast mushrooms and stir in before serving.
• Parmesan tip: Use freshly grated from a block — pre-shredded bags contain anti-caking agents that can make the broth grainy.
• Mushroom tip: Tear don't slice, and don't crowd the pan. Two pans if needed.
• Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months. Add broth when reheating as the rice absorbs liquid over time.
• Leftovers: This Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Chicken Soup thickens significantly overnight. Add broth or water to restore consistency, or enjoy it as a thick herby chicken mushrooms rice dish — genuinely delicious either way.