This creamy, Instant Pot chicken and mushroom soup with wild rice is the perfect winter recipe to warm up with. It just takes about 15 minutes hands-on time and is ready to eat in about 45. Use frozen chicken to make it even easier!
[This chicken and mushroom soup recipe was originally posted in March 2021. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
Table of contents
Instead of having to plan hours ahead and simmering a cozy soup over the stove for a couple hours, take 15 minutes to prepare this Instant Pot chicken and mushroom soup.
Start it soon after you're done working so you can work on other tasks and be ready to eat when it's done in about an hours worth of time. These reasons make it a great dinner for one.
It's also easy to make extra servings of too, since there's lots of room in the Instant Pot, and soup stores well in the fridge or freezer. It's great for leftovers, especially since the flavors can meld together even more.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the chicken and mushroom soup recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Mushrooms: adding some fresh mushrooms to the onion, carrot, and celery vegetable combination is delicious.
- Olive Oil
- Rosemary: You can use fresh or dried rosemary, whatever you have.
- Water + Chicken bouillon paste: I'm a huge fan of using bouillon paste instead of broth. Especially when you're cooking for one. It lasts a long time and you don't have to worry about quickly using up the rest of a container.
- Chicken Tender: I use a frozen chicken tender in this recipe, it cooks up in the same time as the rest of the ingredients.
- Wild Rice: add uncooked wild rice for great flavor and texture. Of course, you can use white or brown rice if that's what you have.
- All Purpose Flour: A sprinkle of flour helps thicken this comforting chicken and mushroom soup.
- Milk: Use milk or cream, whatever you have.
Instructions
Scroll down to the chicken and mushroom soup recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. The first step of chicken and mushroom soup is to sautee your vegetables and CHOPPED rosemary in oil. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
2. Next, add water, chicken bouillon paste, wild rice, and frozen chicken. Stir together. Cook on MULTIGRAIN for 25 minutes.
3. Quick release steam when cooking time is done. Next, milk and flour to a small bowl. Mix together. Add to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish your Instant Pot chicken and mushroom soup with fresh parsley (optional).
Storage/Reheating Tips
Store leftover chicken and mushroom soup in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. It also should freeze well, I recommend freezing in individual servings.
Note: the rice may get very soft after being frozen in the soup broth. If you're worried about this, freeze rice and rest of the soup ingredients separately.
Reheat in the microwave, covered. You can also reheat this soup on the stove.
Substitutions/Tips
- Note that it takes about 10-15 minutes for your Instant Pot to get up to pressure before it cooks for 25 minutes, so add 10-15 minutes to cook time for your reference.
- Swap the wild rice for farro or barley (or other similar grain)
- Swap the vegetables for your favorites, just know that softer vegetables will get very soft and mushy after cooking in the Instant Pot.
- Double or triple this mushroom chicken soup recipe for leftovers.
- Substitute the fresh rosemary for 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- Add extra milk if you want to thin out your chicken and mushroom soup.
- Other great add-ins: Italian sausage or apple sausage, other fresh herbs, etc would be good additions to this easy chicken and mushroom soup.
FAQ
Yes, I actually use frozen, raw chicken in this chicken and vegetable soup recipe. Cooking the chicken in soup is a great way to keep the chicken tender and prevent it from drying out. It's called poaching it in the soup liquid.
Just check the temperature in the thickest part of your chicken. It should be 165 degrees before eating.
If you're cooking chicken with wild rice in an Instant Pot, I recommend starting with frozen chicken because it takes longer to cook, like the wild rice in this recipe.
The 3 ingredients to make your mushroom and chicken soup or simple chicken soup taste better are: mushrooms or a dash of soy sauce to add umami flavor, fresh (or dried) herbs, and enough chicken broth.
This mushroom chicken soup has wild rice and chicken in it to make it a full meal, but I recommend serving your favorite crusty bread and/or a protein with any other mushroom soup to make a satisfying and delicious meal.
What to do with leftover ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Wild Rice: Harvest Bowl with Butternut Squash
- Chicken: Chicken Noodle Soup for One, any of these chicken recipes, or add to this Pantry Rice and Bean Soup.
- Mushrooms: Mushroom Sauce for Ravioli, Instant Pot Lentil Stroganoff, Freezer Friendly Breakfast Tacos, or these Garlic Roasted Mushrooms
- Onion: Chicken Bacon Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner, Delicata Squash Soup
- Celery: Chicken Salad Pita, No-Egg Potato Salad
- Rosemary: Apple Cider Mocktail
Did you make this chicken and mushroom soup? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Instant Pot Chicken and Mushroom Soup (for one)
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Rubber Spatula/Large Spoon
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ¼ whole yellow onion
- ½ whole large carrot
- ½ whole celery stalk
- 1 cup mushrooms washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dry
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste
- 1 frozen chicken tender about 2-3 oz
- ⅓ cup wild rice uncooked
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ cup milk recommend: 2% or whole
- (optional) parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on to SAUTEE function. Chop ¼ onion, ½ carrot, ½ celery stalk, 1 cup mushrooms, and rosemary leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary. Pour 1 Tablespoon olive oil into Instant Pop bowl, followed by chopped vegetables, ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms shrink, about 5-8 minutes.
- Once vegetables are soft, add 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste, ⅓ cup wild rice, and frozen chicken tender to vegetables. Stir and cover with lid. Set vent to SEALING and set to cook on MULTIGRAIN for 25 minutes.
- When done cooking, set vent to VENTING for quick release and remove lid once steam is released. Stir soup. In a small bowl, add ¼ cup milk and 1 Tablespoon flour. Stir with spoon or fork. Add to soup to thicken it.
- Dish soup into bowl and top with parsley as a garnish if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy
Notes
- Remember that it takes about 10 minutes to get up to pressure, so add this to cooking time for your reference.
- This recipe is a great one to double or triple for leftovers.
- Substitute 2 sprigs fresh rosemary for 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- Add extra milk if you want your soup thinner.
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Gretchen Klein says
What is the calorie count for this recipe ?
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
Hi Gretchen, here's some info about calorie counts on my recipes: https://www.nourishnutritionblog.com/about-rebecca/#h-why-you-won-t-find-nutrition-information-on-the-recipes
Nathan says
This looks so hearty and filling, I definitely need to try it! Big fan of anything with mushrooms for sure. Love that you also included some suggestions for leftover ingredients, I hate when things go to waste!
Rebecca says
great! and me too, def want to use up everything 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
Looks so hearty and comforting! 🙂 I want a bowl asap.
Tara says
Oh yum! It has been cold and windy here all week, so this soup would be perfect. Mushrooms are a favorite of mine. I love how easily it comes together in the instant pot!
Megan Lehr says
This chicken and mushroom soup was amazing! So flavorful. I don't eat bullion but substituted fresh chicken stock and it was amazing!
Rebecca says
love the sub!