Creamy beef wild rice soup is the kind of warm and cozy meal that we crave on a cold winter night. It's savory, flavorful, and delicious. Packed with vegetables like mushrooms, onion, carrots, and celery, this soup brings nutrition to the table inside a comforting bowl. The best part? You can even use holiday leftovers like leftover roast beef to make this already easy one pot soup even easier to make. Make a big batch of beef rice soup because it stores and freezes really well!
Why You’ll Love Beef Wild Rice Soup
- A delicious healthy soup recipe. This beef wild rice soup brings you the best of both worlds. The creamy beef broth full of cooked veggies and tender beef is absolutely delicious, and it’s healthy, too. With this soup, you get all the protein, fiber, and essential nutrients you need in one meal.
- It’s so easy to make. Are you looking for an easy soup recipe? This is it. Although this beef wild rice mushroom soup does take about an hour to cook, but 45 minutes of that time it's simmering away in the pot so you don't actually have to do anything (other than the occasional stir).
- It's a one pot meal. This also adds to how easy it is to make this beef rice soup. Life is just made simpler when you have a recipe where you cook all the ingredients in one pot. It means you get a great meal and wash less dishes (since there's only one pot to clean!). Plus, you can store leftovers in that same pot. It's the best.
- Wild rice makes everything better. Adding wild rice to soup just takes it to another level. It adds its own distinct and delicious flavor but also acts like a sponge and soaks up all the flavor of the soup. You’ll love the taste of tender wild rice that’s been cooked in beef broth.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this easy and delicious Beef Wild Rice Soup, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- vegetable oil
- beef - I recommend using beef flank steak or leftover roast beef. This is the best way to use up any leftovers from Christmas dinner.
- butter
- vegetables - here is where you can customize this recipe and add in whatever vegetables that you like. My favorites in this soup are brown mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
- tomato paste
- beef broth - I always keep a jar of homemade Slow Cooker Bone Broth in the fridge that is perfect to throw into soups like this. Of course, store-bought broth is a great option too.
- wild rice
- heavy cream - it wouldn't be a creamy soup without cream but you can actually skip the cream in this recipe for a delicious beef wild rice soup without cream. It's totally up to your personal preference.
- salt and pepper
- parsley - optional, for garnish.
You will also need measuring cups and spoon and a 5.5 quart Dutch oven or large cooking pot.
How to Make the Best Beef Wild Rice Soup
- Sear beef. Heat oil in a 5.5-quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium high until sizzled, about 1 minute. Add beef and sauté until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a plate. You can also use leftover roast beef (sear until warm and browned on all sides).
- Add vegetables. In the same pot, add butter and melt over medium high until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add more ingredients and simmer. Add tomato paste, broth, and rice and mix well until evenly combined. Bring the soup to a boil, about 3-4 minutes. Add the beef back into the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid, and let the soup simmer until the rice is cooked and tender, about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in cream. Turn off the heat and stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more beef broth if you like the soup a bit thinner. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- How to store: Store leftover beef wild rice soup covered with the in the pot or in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: Beef wild rice soup freezes well. Portion it into individual-sized meal prep containers or freezer bags. Then, label them and freeze for up to six months. When ready to reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Creamy or not creamy: You can skip the cream in this recipe for a delicious beef rice soup without cream. It's totally up to your personal preference.
- Adding more flavor: If you find that you want more flavor in your soup, try adding a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of citrus juice (I prefer lemon). You might also need a pinch more salt. Add it to taste.
More Soup Recipes
- 60 Best Soup Recipes
- Beef Cabbage Barley Soup
- Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Beef Taco Soup
- Slow Cooker Asian Beef Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
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Recipe
Beef Wild Rice Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Creamy beef wild rice soup is savory, flavorful, and delicious, packed with vegetables and beef flank steak (or leftover roast beef!), and freezes well.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound beef flank steak or leftover roast beef, sliced into bite-size strips
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups brown mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 cups beef broth
- ⅔ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 5.5 quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium high until sizzled, about 1 minute. Add beef and sauté until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a plate. You can also use leftover roast beef (sear until warm and browned on all sides).
- In the same pot, add butter and melt over medium high until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, broth, and rice and mix well until evenly combined. Bring the soup to a boil, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the beef back into the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid, and let the soup simmer until the rice is cooked and tender, about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the heat and stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more beef broth if you like the soup a bit thinner.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
How to store: Store leftover beef wild rice soup covered with the in the pot or in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
How to freeze: Beef wild rice soup freezes well. Portion it into individual-sized meal prep containers or freezer bags. Then, label them and freeze for up to six months. When ready to reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Creamy or not creamy: You can skip the cream in this recipe for a delicious beef wild rice soup without cream. It's totally up to your personal preference.
Adding more flavor: If you find that you want more flavor in your soup, try adding a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of citrus juice (I prefer lemon). You might also need a pinch more salt. Add it to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Karlee Bridenbaker says
We used sheep steak from a wild Rambouillet my husband got! It had excellent flavor we didn’t use the heavy cream but it was still very delicious!!
Nicole F. says
Excellent! Nice change for leftover steak. I'm a leftover for breakfast woman and this is absolutely beautiful as a start to my day (in lieu of oatmeal, or other hot cereal which I can't have). Excellent lunch fare, or in-between, too. Thank you!!
Christa Lippert says
I found this recipe online while looking for a beef and rice soup recipe using ingredients I had on hand. I made the recipe with stew meat that I cut into smaller pieces and no cream, as I can't have dairy. I added some red pepper flakes and salt and pepper for seasoning and used a whole grains and brown rice mix that was already cooked and left over in my fridge. It was delicious and easy to make - I will definitley make it again! A great subsitutue for stew, but not as heavy.
Adam Lynch says
Looking forward to making this recipe. Have you tried crock pot cooking with this recipe? Any idea on crock pot cooking instructions?
Barb says
One step is missing - when do you put the beef back in? I assumed it was after the veggies cook -with the broth and tomato paste. But it is definitely missing from the instructions. 🙂
This was very tasty!!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yes, you are totally right! Thank you so much for catching that! I have updated the recipe.
Katy A. says
At what point do you add the cooked beef back into the pot?
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
You add it back in just before you cover with the lid and simmer.