- Mar 30, 2022
- 2 min read

Pheasant Wild Rice Soup | Wild Game Recipes

To kick off #WildGameWednesdays we are digging into a classic Minnesota comfort food with a wild game twist. Creamy wild rice soup made with pheasant!

There are two recipes I use for this meal, the easy way, and the not-as-easy way. We will look at both of them.

First, you've gotta cook the pheasant, so let's dig into that before we get to the soup.

SAUTEED PHEASANT BITES

Ingredients:

3-4 Pheasant Breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp Olive or Canola Oil
2 Tbsp Rubbed Sage
1-2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1-2 Tbsp Garlic Salt

Steps:

In a mixing bowl, combine cubed pheasant and spices, mixing until the meat is evenly covered
Heat oil in saute pan or skillet over medium heat
Add pheasant meat to pan/skillet and heat until fully cooked, stirring often
Set aside meat to add to soup (or eat as is!)

Tips:

You can substitute pheasant for chicken, turkey, goose, or any poultry/fowl
Season to taste, add or subtract whatever you'd like
Smoke the pheasant before cooking for additional flavor

Now, let's get to the soup. As I mentioned earlier, there are two ways you could do this. The "easy" way is to go out and buy a package of Shore Lunch Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix and follow the directions on the bag, adding the pheasant when the soup begins to become creamy in texture.

Or, you can do it the not-as-easy way by making your soup from scratch as I describe below.

HOMEMADE WILD RICE SOUP

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 oz Mushrooms, sliced (I use Baby Bellas)
2 cups Carrots, sliced or shredded
2 cups Celery, sliced
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
4 Tbsp Flour
6 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups quick-cooking wild rice (or pre-cooked/canned)
2 twelve-ounce packets of McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy
2 cups Half and Half
2 Tbsp Parsley (for garnish)
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional (for garnish)

Steps:

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, and onion powder
Cook for about 5 minutes or until tender
Whisk in the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes
Add the broth and bring to a boil
Add in the wild rice and reduce to a simmer, cooking until the rice is tender, (or until fully heated if using precooked/canned wild rice)
Add the gravy, half and half, and pheasant and cook until heated through
Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley & cheese

Tips:

If the soup does not thicken enough, whisk in a mixture of 1/4 cup corn starch and 1/4 cup water and heat on medium-low until thickened
If you use uncooked wild rice, this process will take much longer
While the soup is cooking you can add additional paprika, sage, and garlic salt if you are a big fan of seasonings and bold flavor