Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup

This healthy vegan wild rice soup is loaded with veggies like kale and butternut squash and is easy to make in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Creamy yet light and 100% dairy-free! Oil-free with a gluten-free option.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Author Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

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

Cream Sauce Option Made With Vegan Butter

This option is similar to the low-fat sauce included above, but with vegan butter added to the pan first, then flour, and finally milk.

INSTRUCTIONS: When the soup base has 10 minutes left to cook, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 Tbsp vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Slowly add 1 ½ cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk, whisking until combined. Cook until thickened, whisking constantly. Reduce heat if necessary so the mixture doesn't boil. Add to the soup base as described in Step 4 above.

Storage/Freezing

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

The soup freezes very well, with the exception of the tempeh which is a bit mushy after thawing. So if you know you'll be freezing some or all of the soup, you may want to omit the tempeh or sub tofu.

To freeze soup, allow to cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container, making sure to leave a small amount of space for the liquid to expand.

Nutrition