Mushroom Gnocchi Soup with Wild Rice

Cozy up with a warm, comforting bowl of Mushroom Gnocchi Soup with Wild Rice. It’s an easy-to-make, one-pan recipe that’s loaded with winter herbs and hearty veggies. Your family won’t be able to get enough!

If you’ve been around Fork in the Kitchen for a while, then you are well aware that here you’ll find a plethora of cozy, comforting, often one-pot, easy weeknight vegetarian dinner recipes.

Not just any weekday dinner recipes though. Ones that are full of flavor, impressive, and elevated, because even simple weeknight dinners deserve a hint of elegance, don’t they?

Life’s too short to eat boring food. Life can also be too cramped or tired or busy to spend too much time making over-the-top dinners.

This is where these recipes come in.

May I present to you a cozy, comforting weeknight dinner that is also special enough to sit in for a Sunday night family dinner or when friends stop by (because friends are going to be able to stop by at some point again).

There are so many reasons to love this mushroom gnocchi recipe, so let’s get to it! First up:

The Ingredients

This recipe has a pretty straightforward winter soup recipe list going on. Similar to many wild rice soup recipes, it starts with a base of onion, carrot, and celery.

There are, most definitely, mushrooms. Sliced or quartered, the mushrooms contribute a whole lotta umami flavor to the soup while adding a hearty component, too.

Speaking of hearty, how about the gnocchi? Those little potato dumplings that are so dang delicious no matter which way you serve them… including in this soup. I love adding gnocchi to this soup because well, hello carbs, but also because I’m all about textures when it comes to soup.

They’re not only carby but they’re chewy and contribute to the creaminess of the soup, too. An ultimate win in my book.

Very important note about the wild rice: you must note the type of wild rice you’re using in this recipe because it will impact the cooking time.

I recommend using a wild rice blend, which, depending on the brand, is usually a mix of brown, red, and wild rice. It often has a shorter cook time than 100% wild rice.

If using 100% wild rice, I recommend cooking the rice separately since it will take significantly longer to cook.

I love the herbs in this, too. There’s basil, thyme, and parsley. All dried because, well, winter, and they deliver all the warm herb flavor we love in winter recipes.

How to Make Mushroom Gnocchi Soup

Start building in the layers of flavor with the onion, carrot, and celery mixture. Sprinkle in a bit of salt, again, this helps layer in the flavor throughout the recipe.

Don’t forget the garlic, either. Always more garlic.

It’s important that once the mushrooms go in, you make sure a lot of the water is evaporated so they develop their deep flavor. What water? The water that the mushrooms release – just watch, it’s fascinating!

Again, we’re laying in the flavors with the dried herbs, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes throughout.

Once the mushrooms are browned, in goes the wild rice, vegetable broth (or stock). Water is added, too, for a couple of reasons. First, because if you’re buying (instead of making) vegetable broth, then you’ll use the entire 32 oz. package and not need to open another.

And second, because this reason again and I’m all about saving time and money and being efficient. And there are so many herbs and spices that you won’t miss the 1 cup of flavor that using broth would have given you.

Can you use stock in place of the water? Well, yes, of course.

Once the rice is just shy of al dente, add in the gnocchi to boil for a few minutes. Read those package directions and adjust accordingly. The gnocchi will be soft and tender and ready to eat in a few short minutes.

Stir in the lukewarm half-and-half at the end for the final creamy addition, garnish with fresh parsley, and be sure to grab some bread to serve alongside it.

Tips and Common Questions

Can I make this vegan?

Yes, you absolutely can! Use olive oil in place of the butter and omit the half-and-half (since there’s so little in it anyway, it won’t make much of a difference). Alternatively, you can also use full fat coconut milk or unsweetened oat milk.

Can I use 100% wild rice instead of a blend?

Yes, but it is highly recommended that you boil the rice on its own about half the amount of the suggested cook time on its package. This will ensure the rice is cooked through without overcooking the veggies in the soup.

Can I add chicken or another meat?

You sure can! It clearly would be vegetarian or vegan then, but shredded chicken would be great in it if that’s something you’d enjoy!

What other vegetables can I add?

Add in some spinach or kale to wilt.

More Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes to Love

• One-Pot Creamy Tomato Spinach Gnocchi
• One Pan Orecchiette Pasta with Broccolini and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Sheet Pan Vegetarian Tacos
• Easy Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Easy Teriyaki Salmon

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!

Mushroom Gnocchi Soup with Wild Rice

Cozy up with a warm, comforting bowl of Mushroom Gnocchi Soup with Wild Rice. It’s an easy-to-make, one-pan recipe that’s loaded with winter herbs and hearty veggies. Your family won’t be able to get enough!

4.88 from 8 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Becca Mills

Equipment

• 8 Quart Stock Pot

Ingredients

 

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• ▢ 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ ¾ cup yellow onion, diced
• ▢ ¾ cup celery, 2-3 stalks, diced
• ▢ ¾ cup carrots, 2 medium whole carrots, diced or round sliced
• ▢ 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided, to taste
• ▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional, but recommended
• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 8 oz. Baby Bella or white mushrooms, sliced or quartered depending on size
• ▢ ¼ tsp dried basil
• ▢ ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ▢ ½ tsp dried parsley
• ▢ 1 cup wild rice blend, see note
• ▢ 32 oz. vegetable stock
• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 cups water
• ▢ 16 oz. shelf-stable gnocchi , affiliate link
• ▢ ¼ cup half and half, room temperature

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Instructions

• In a large Dutch Oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Add in a bit of the salt to begin layering the flavor. Add the red pepper flake and black pepper, too.
• Add in the garlic, mushrooms, and a bit more salt, stirring to mix together. Cook for 6-8 minutes until mushrooms are brown and a lot of the liquid has evaporated from them.
• Stir in the dried herbs and a little more salt. Slowly stir in the vegetable broth and 1 cup water. Add the wild rice blend and bring the pot to a boil. Cook the wild rice 2-3 minutes shy of al dente – this will vary depending on the wild rice you use; check the package directions for exact cook time (usually around 15-25 minutes). Taste test and adjust salt levels as needed.
• Add the package of gnocchi and boil for 2-3 minutes, or according to package directions. If needed, add additional water/stock depending on how much has been absorbed and your desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in half-and-half. Garnish with fresh parsley as desired and serve.

Notes

• Gnocchi: Find dried gnocchi in the pasta section of your local grocery store. Alternatively, you can use refrigerated gnocchi, just be sure to check the cooking time and adjust accordingly (they should be similar).
• Wild Rice: This recipe is written for the use of a wild rice blend. If using 100% wild rice, I recommend boiling it beforehand, just before it’s al dente, as it will take much longer to cook, then adding it into the soup to finish cooking.
• Consistency: Add more water (or stock) depending on how much has been absorbed by the rice and gnocchi, depending on your desired consistency.
• Salt: I add the amount throughout the cooking process. If you are using vegetable broth, which has salt added to it, be sure to reduce the amount of salt. I use Morton’s Kosher Salt. If you use a different brand, the amount will vary – as always, be sure to taste test as you go and adjust to your tastes.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 2069mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4818IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 6mg

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!