Creamy vegan wild rice soup is like autumn in a bowl! Loaded with colorful veggies like kale, carrots, and butternut squash, this wild rice soup can be cooked in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. And we've included three dairy-free ways to make it creamy, with gluten-free and oil-free options!
This vegan wild rice soup is not only healthy and delicious, it's so cozy and beautiful! It's like looking out the window at a beautiful fall day. We are totally smitten with it and think you'll love it, too!
I recently picked up some wild rice at Trader Joe's and had a craving to pair it with butternut squash and mushrooms in a soup. A quick Google search led me to this autumn wild rice soup over at Gimme Some Oven, which is pretty much exactly what I had in mind!
With just a few ingredient swaps I had a hearty vegan mushroom wild rice soup that I think you'll love, too. This soup is:
- creamy yet light
- deliciously warm and salty with a hint of sweetness from butternut squash
- versatile, with 3 options to add creaminess to the broth
- a blank slate for additions: tempeh, tofu, beans, or seitan make it extra satisfying (I've included tempeh in the instructions)
- and you can cook it in the Instant Pot OR on the stovetop!
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According to Ali's recipe at Gimme Some Oven, wild rice soup can also be made in a slow cooker, though I haven't tried that yet. I'm all about the Instant Pot for this one!
Side note, if you enjoy healthy soups like this one, be sure to try my white sweet potato soup next!
Ingredient Notes
- Veggies - onion, butternut squash, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and kale or spinach
- Vegetable broth - the broth imparts a lot of flavor so use one you really enjoy, whether store-bought or homemade.
- Wild rice - you want 100% wild rice for this soup, not a rice blend.
- Seasonings - I used dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and black pepper, but feel free to play around with the herbs depending on what you have on hand.
- Additions - to make the soup extra satisfying I added cubed tempeh; tofu is also a great option, or simply stir in cooked beans before serving the soup.
- Creaminess (3 options) -
- For a gluten-free option you'll use canned coconut milk. This is the easiest of the three options and my personal favorite. For the best flavor and richness I recommend full-fat coconut milk for this recipe, but "lite" also works.
- For those of you who avoid coconut milk and/or prefer a low-fat option, you'll make a dairy-free "cream" sauce on the stovetop by whisking together flour and your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk, then heating it until thickened.
- Or you can prepare a classic vegan roux on the stovetop. Begin by melting ¼ cup vegan butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue to whisk and cook the sauce until thickened.
See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
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How to Make Vegan Wild Rice Soup
The complete instructions are in the recipe below, but here's an overview just to get you started:
- Choose your cooking method (Instant Pot or stovetop), and cook the base of the soup, which includes all ingredients except the kale and coconut milk/vegan cream sauce.
- If not using coconut milk, about 10 minutes before the soup base is finished make the vegan cream sauce on the stovetop, either the low-fat version or the one using vegan butter (see the recipe notes for this option).
- Stir in the kale and coconut milk (or cream sauce).
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this creamy wild rice soup with your favorite crusty bread, our Oil-Free Vegan Cornbread, or this buttery Southern-Style Vegan Cornbread.
It also pairs nicely with these salads:
- Bok Choy Salad With Pear
- Spinach and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Creamy Kale Salad
- Couscous Kale Salad With Harissa
How to Store
Store leftover wild rice soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Wild rice soup freezes well, with the exception of the tempeh which is a bit mushy after thawing. So if you plan to freeze some or all of the soup, you may want to omit the tempeh or use tofu instead.
Tip! To freeze soup, allow to cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container, making sure not to fill it too full so there's room for the liquid to expand.
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Recipe
Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped - Any variety
- 10 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound butternut squash, cut into large cubes - The neck of one small squash is about 1 lb.
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 8 ounces tempeh, cubed, optional - Or tofu; can add up to 16 ounces; See Notes.
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 small bunch kale, chopped with thick stems removed
- 1 to 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk, full-fat (preferred) or "lite" - Or see below for lower fat option.
- salt and pepper
Low-Fat "Cream" Sauce (if NOT using coconut milk); see NOTES for cream sauce made with vegan butter:
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour - Sub white whole-wheat for whole-grain option.
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Combine onion, mushrooms, squash, carrot, garlic, wild rice, tempeh, if using, vegetable broth, thyme, rosemary, and oregano in the insert of an Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
- Lock on the lid and set to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid.
- If using coconut milk, skip this step. Otherwise, during the final 10 minutes of cooking prepare the cream sauce (this is the low-fat version; see Notes for method using vegan butter): in a medium saucepan whisk the flour and milk until smooth. Place sauce pan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook until the sauce is thickened but hasn't reached a full simmer. Remove from heat.
- Add kale and 1 cup coconut milk (or full amount of vegan cream sauce) to the pot, and stir to combine. Taste and add more coconut milk, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Stovetop Method:
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, butternut squash, carrot, wild rice, tempeh, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
- If using coconut milk, skip this step. Otherwise, during the final 10 minutes of cooking prepare the cream sauce (this is the low-fat version; see Notes for method using vegan butter): in a medium saucepan whisk the flour and milk until smooth. Place sauce pan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook until the sauce is thickened but hasn't reached a full simmer. Remove from heat.
- Add the kale and 1 cup coconut milk (or full amount of vegan cream sauce) to the pot, and stir to combine. Taste and add more coconut milk, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Darlene Davis says
I really enjoyed this soup! Perfect timing to post this recipe too as a lot of the ingredients I had to use up in my garden. I popped in a cayenne pepper too for a little zip. Thanks again!