This creamy duck & wild rice soup is hearty, savory, and chock full of tender duck, veggies, rice, wild mushrooms, and herbs! Not only is it incredibly creamy and delicious, but it is loaded with tons of flavor! Plus, this soup is the perfect way to use up any leftover duck meat that you may have on hand!
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Instructions
Minnesota wild rice needs to be rinsed well in hot water for at least 30 seconds to a minute. Add the raw wild rice (that has been rinsed) to your saucepan with 3 cups of hot water while you prepare the remaining ingredients (go ahead and follow the cooking instructions on the packaging for the rice with these exceptions). *Make sure to strain the rice once cooked, as the water it was cooked in can give off a bitter flavor.
Place a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and melt the butter. Add chopped leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the carrots have softened.
Add the bay leaves, seasoning (Herbes de provence, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper), and the duck stock, then stir to combine.
Increase heat to high and let the soup come up to a boil, then reduce heat to low, put the lid on, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the wild mushrooms, chopped duck meat, cooked wild rice, and heavy cream. Continue to simmer the soup until everything is heated through.
Once cooked, discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning as needed. Then, serve immediately.
Notes
I used a 5-pound duck for this recipe, but you can also use the leftovers from more than one duck if you are so lucky to roast or grill two at a time.
To make the duck broth, pat your duck dry after rinsing in cool water. Trim any excess skin as needed. Then cook your 5-pound duck with 6+ cups of water (more if needed to cover the whole duck) with rough chopped mirepoix vegetables (carrots, celery, onion). Bring to a boil then cook at a low boil for 30 minutes. Remove from the broth and pull the duck meat then strain out the vegetables for your broth (skim the fat if needed).
An optional step for more depth of flavor is to sear your duck on all sides for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat with ½ tablespoon of cooking oil in the stockpot before boiling.
Don't skip rinsing the wild rice with hot water thoroughly! This will remove any remaining excess starch before cooking.
The stock or water used to cook your wild rice should be discarded once the rice is cooked. This will prevent the soup from taking a bitter flavor that can linger in the liquids.
To add another amazing layer of flavor, you can roast the wild rice in a dry skillet over medium-high heat before cooking it. This not only adds a nice nutty, smoky flavor but also helps to break the hull. Just be sure to have a clean container ready for the roasted rice (so you can immediately stop the cooking).
To store: Keep any leftover soup stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To reheat: You can reheat small portions in the microwave or larger portions in a saucepan on the stovetop.