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    Home > Soup, Stews, Chilis > Healthy Brown Rice Mushroom Soup Without Cream

    Healthy Brown Rice Mushroom Soup Without Cream

    Published: Nov 7, 2021 · Modified: Feb 17, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Healthy mushroom soup without cream

    This is a recipe for easy healthy mushroom soup without cream. Just a simple, brothy luxurious bowl of soup. The secret weapon that elevates this earthy soup from normal to stardom is a splash of sherry. Sherry is a great partner for fresh thyme to season this soup.

    Country Mushroom Soup without cream and with brown rice and thyme

    This recipe was first published November of 2017 and republished November 2021 with step by step instructions and photos.

    How did it happen? It’s six degrees out right now, but I’m not blaming the deep freeze weather for our sudden glut of soup.

    We’ve eaten soup every day this week, for lunch, for dinner. And this Country Mushroom Soup actually ended up to be the gateway drug.

    As soon as we finished the pot of this Country Mushroom Soup, we wanted more soup. Which then led to a bowl of Cheddar Cheese Soup with Chicken, And I’m already planning more soup recipes.

    But I’m not worried at all, we can quit anytime we want.

    This is a recipe for a healthy mushroom soup without cream. And if you like mushrooms, a pure delight.

    A relatively easy soup that wows the palate. Let’s take a look.

    Ingredients to make mushroom soup without cream
    Ingredients to make mushroom soup

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    • Chicken Broth
    • Sliced Button Mushrooms
    • Onion
    • Brown Rice
    • Dry Sherry
    • Butter and Oil
    • Fresh Thyme

    Ingredient Substitutions

    • Broth: Use vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian mushroom soup.
    • Mushrooms: The best mushrooms for soup: I’ve always used white button mushrooms (Crimini) for this soup, however, mushrooms labeled Baby Bella would work beautifully here.
    • Rice: You most certainly can substitute white rice for brown rice for this soup. Adjust cooking time for white rice according to package directions. However, still toast the rice with the onions before adding broth.
    • Sherry: If you simply don’t have sherry, you can substitute white wine, brandy or dry vermouth. Please don’t use cooking sherry. Buy the real stuff.
    • Fat: This recipe calls for both butter and oil. You can either use all butter or all oil if you wish.
    • Thyme: Fresh is always best, but if you don’t have fresh thyme, you can easily substitute dried thyme. Dried herbs are often more concentrated and potent than fresh, so substitute one teaspoon dried thyme for the 1 tablespoon of fresh.

    Adding Sherry To Soup For Flavor

    A mushroom soup without cream? And yes, the end result will find you wanting seconds. Here’s why.

    The secret weapon that brings this brothy, earthy soup to stardom is the Sherry. It elevates the level to fragrant, luxurious and wonderfully slurp worthy.

    Sherry is a fortified wine and produced in Jarez, Spain. Fortification means that a neutral spirit has been added to wine either during or after the fermentation process. With sherry, it’s added after.

    Fortification gives wine more complexity, a higher alcohol content and a little goes a long way in a recipe. Just a small amount will add great flavor and depth.

    Sherry elevates a recipe with it’s nutty flavor and smoky back notes.  Don’t hesitate to experiment. It works beautifully with mushrooms, shrimp, crab, or poultry. 

    So think outside that white wine box when using wine for cooking. Drizzle a little sherry to make something delicious even that more special.

    Step By Step Instructions

    cooking onions and brown rice for mushroom soup
    Step 1: Toast brown rice and onions
    • Step 1: Heat a large sauce pan, I use my 6 qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven, over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the butter and the oil. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the chopped onions and brown rice. Toast the onions and brown rice for about six minutes, stirring consistently.
    cooking mushrooms for mushroom soup.
    Step 2: Add sliced mushrooms
    • Step 2: Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until just starting to brown. Stir consistently. This should take about 5 – 7 minutes.
    Adding broth to make mushroom soup without cream.
    Step 3: Add broth
    • Step 3: Add the broth and thyme. Cover the pan and let is simmer on low for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add sherry and thyme and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

    Voila! Done! Easy healthy mushroom soup for a weeknight dinner that feels like a fancy restaurant meal.

    Tips and FAQ’s

    Browning Mushrooms

    Please make sure to sautee the mushrooms until they’re starting to brown around the edges. This means that most of the moisture has been cooked from the mushrooms and the texture has changed from spongy to somewhat crisp. This is important because mushrooms are a sponge, and once you add the broth, if the mushrooms are not browned properly, the texture will be a bit rubbery, spongy.

    Tips For Working With Mushrooms

    If you’re purchasing whole mushrooms, don’t rinse them with water to clean them. Mushrooms are like a sponge and will soak up the water which will compromise the texture. Use a dry paper towel to wipe the mushrooms clean. To make this soup easier than easy, I usually purchase pre-sliced mushrooms

    Working With Fresh Thyme

    To make quick work of adding fresh thyme to this recipe. Hold a stalk of thyme at the top, with the leaves pointing up. Simply run your fingers down the stalk pulling the leaves down with your fingers. The leaves will easily come off the stalk.

    Why Is This A Healthy Mushroom Soup?

    Mushrooms are low in sodium, naturally fat free, naturally low calorie and loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Crimini mushrooms are a source of zinc, which is vital nutrient for our immune system. Source: WebMD

    Recipe, Easy Brown Rice Mushroom Soup Without Cream

    Mushroom soup with brown rice garnishes with thyme

    I hope you give this healthy mushroom soup recipe a try. It’s one of the first soup recipes we make as soon as the temperature changes in November. And if you do make this recipe, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

    This soup is dairy free, gluten free, and Whole 30 friendly.

    Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite mushroom soup recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Healthy Soup Recipes

    • Roast Turkey Lentil Barley Soup
    • Ginger Lemon Chicken Soup
    • Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
    • Spicy Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

    And if you’re looking for even more soup recipes, don’t miss my soup category. You’ll find lots of mouthwatering recipes, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork.

    Brown Rice Mushroom Soup Recipe Without Cream

    This is a recipe for easy mushroom soup with brown rice that is also healthy and luxurious.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 234kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 medium onion rough chopped
    • 1 pound button mushrooms wiped clean and sliced
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves of 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1/2 cup brown rice
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 1/4 cup dry Sherry
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Over medium high heat, heat a dutch oven until just getting hot. Add butter and olive oil. When oil mixture is hot, add onion and brown rice. Toast the onion and rice stirring consistently, about 5 – 6 minutes.
    • Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms. Cook until just browned. About 5 minutes more. Stirring frequently.
    • Add chicken broth and thyme and simmer covered about 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
    • Stir in Sherry and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low uncovered for 10 minutes.

    Notes

    Canned Broth: If using canned broth, use three 14.5 ounce cans and make up the small difference with water to equal the 6 cups. Add a little more water if needed to make this a brothy soup.
    Browning Mushrooms: Please make sure to sautee the mushrooms until they’re starting to brown around the edges. This means that most of the moisture has been cooked from the mushrooms and the texture has changed from spongy to somewhat crisp. This is important because mushrooms are a sponge, and once you add the broth, if the mushrooms are not browned properly, the texture will be a bit rubbery, spongy.
    Working with Mushrooms: If you’re purchasing whole mushrooms, don’t rinse them with water to clean them. Mushrooms are like a sponge and will soak up the water which will compromise the texture. Use a dry paper towel to wipe the mushrooms clean. To make this soup easier than easy, I usually purchase pre-sliced mushrooms
    Working with Fresh Thyme: To make quick work of adding fresh thyme to this recipe. Hold a stalk of thyme at the top, with the leaves pointing up. Simply run your fingers down the stalk pulling the leaves down with your fingers. The leaves will easily come off the stalk. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 1589mg | Potassium: 793mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 346IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Country Mushroom Soup Without Cream …It’s what’s for Dinner.

    More Soup Stew and Chili Recipes

    • Sherried Black Bean And Ham Soup
    • Easy Turkey Lentil Soup with Barley
    • Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew In Red Wine
    • Creamy Southwestern Chicken Soup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      November 10, 2021 at 8:28 am

      This looks excellent — really a flavorful soup. We love mushrooms, and this is such a terrific way to use them in soup. Thanks!

      Reply
    2. mjskitchen says

      November 08, 2021 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      We love mushrooms and any soup with mushrooms! Thank you for making one without cream. Most rice mushroom soups are too rich but yours looks extremely flavorful (especially with the sherry) and still quite filling. I’m like you…once the weather starts to cool off, I can’t get enough soup.

      Reply
    3. Rosalyn says

      November 02, 2020 at 10:40 am

      5 stars
      Was really delicious! I used beef bone broth instead of the chicken broth, for added protein and flavor. I skipped the butter entirely to lower the fat, and the soup was still truly excellent. A keeper!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        November 03, 2020 at 7:53 am

        Hi Rosalyn. Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review. Love your idea of bone broth. I’ll add that to the notes in the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

      January 15, 2017 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      I love mushroom soup!! I haven’t tried it with rice though, looks good!

      Reply
    5. Just Jo says

      January 15, 2017 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      I love using rice in soups as a thickener, it’s such a good trick. I haven’t used sherry in my mushroom soup before though and now I feel I must give this a try!

      Reply
    6. Heather @Boston Girl Bakes says

      January 14, 2017 at 7:13 am

      5 stars
      Mmm soup!! 🙂 It’s so cold out right now, this is exactly what I need!!

      Reply
    7. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says

      January 14, 2017 at 6:16 am

      5 stars
      I love mushrooms, they are very underrated. This soup looks perfect for the cold weather.

      Reply
    8. Lynn Elliott Vining says

      January 12, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      I love mushrooms! Yum!

      Reply
    9. Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says

      January 12, 2017 at 8:45 am

      I really love mushroom soup, but I’ve never tried adding rice to the soup before! What a great way to bump it up to a meal all on its own.

      Reply
    10. maria Long says

      January 12, 2017 at 8:35 am

      I find myself making a lot of soups this time of year. This looks very tasty.

      Reply
    11. Platter Talk says

      January 12, 2017 at 7:54 am

      5 stars
      OK. Beautifully done and photographed. I’m trying this recipe out this weekend!!!

      Reply
    12. Nicola @ Happy Healthy Motivated says

      January 12, 2017 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE eating soup in the winter, but can you believe I’ve never one tried mushroom soup? I think I’ve got a bottle of sherry in the back of the cupboard, so I can’t wait to give this a try!

      Reply
    13. Mary Marshall says

      January 12, 2017 at 6:38 am

      5 stars
      Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods! Love this soup, thank you for sharing it with us!

      Reply
    14. Heather Blake says

      January 09, 2017 at 7:23 am

      I love all things with mushrooms! Cooking the rice in the broth is a great idea! I don’t think that we need soup today! Gosh it’s warm out already!

      Reply
    15. Adam J. Holland says

      January 08, 2017 at 6:43 am

      5 stars
      Could I be that lucky to have stumbled upon such a wonderful looking soup that’s easy to prepare? Oh, Lea Ann, please tell me I’m not dreaming. 😉

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        January 08, 2017 at 8:07 am

        Pinching you! 🙂 Happy New Year Adam.

        Reply
    16. Pat says

      January 06, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Lea Ann

      Happy New Year!

      Your Country Mushroom Soup looks perfect for these frigid winter days and very delicious!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        January 08, 2017 at 8:08 am

        Yay for our warm up today. Happy New year to you Pat.

        Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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