Craving something that's comforting, but healthy? Make this creamy wild rice soup! Autumn veggies and herbs pack it with rich, savory flavor.
The next time you have a day when all you want to do is pull on your biggest sweater and curl up on the couch, make this creamy wild rice soup. If you ask me, it’s the best kind of comfort food. It’s creamy and cozy, but it’s nourishing too. Colorful autumn veggies like carrots, celery, and mushrooms fleck its surface, and nutty wild rice and white beans make it nice and hearty. And as for that creamy broth? Well, there’s actually no heavy cream or dairy hiding inside it. Instead, it’s a wholesome, flavorful blend of white beans, cashews, almond milk, and white miso paste. It’s not at all traditional, but you’ll be heading back for a second bowl before you know it.
Wild Rice Soup Recipe Ingredients
If you’ve gotten this far, you know that this isn’t your average wild rice soup recipe. Classic creamy chicken and wild rice soup is filled with ingredients that I don’t usually use – chicken, of course, chicken broth, and even heavy cream. At its core, though, traditional wild rice soup contains a base of delicious fall vegetables and rice, so it’s not hard to imagine a vegetarian version. Here’s what I use in mine:
- Wild rice! I love its nutty flavor with the savory broth and hearty autumn veggies.
- White beans – I blend some into the soup’s creamy base and leave the rest whole. They add plenty of plant-based protein to this nourishing soup. No chicken necessary!
- Cashews and almond milk – They blend together with the white beans to create the soup’s delicious creamy texture.
- Miso paste and Dijon mustard – They might be unconventional, but they make this recipe really exceptional, adding savory, umami flavor to the lightly creamy broth.
- A whole lotta veggies – You’ll find scallions, mushrooms, celery, carrots, garlic, AND kale in this creamy wild rice soup! The kale adds a wonderful fresh pop of color, while the rest of the veggies deepen the soup’s rich, savory flavor.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme – Their cozy flavors make this wild rice soup perfect for fall!
- Lemon juice – To brighten it all up.
Finish it off with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete with measurements below.
Wild Rice Soup Serving Suggestions
Thanks to the rice, beans, cashews, and mushrooms, this wild rice mushroom soup is a satisfying vegetarian main course. We often pair it with a big hunk of crusty bread or rosemary focaccia and call it dinner, but if you’re in the mood for a larger meal, you have plenty of options. It’d be wonderful with a side of maple roasted acorn squash, roasted butternut squash, or my Delicata Squash with Apples and Sage. Pair it with a classic baked potato or baked sweet potato, or serve it with a hearty autumn salad like one of these:
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Farmhouse Farro Salad
- Kale Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing
- Butternut Squash Salad
- Sweet Potato Salad
For more salad ideas, check out this post!
If you have leftover wild rice soup, you’re in luck! This recipe tastes fantastic on days 2 and 3. It also freezes perfectly for up to 2 months. Check out this post for my best tips on freezing soups and stews!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this recipe, try one of these nourishing soups next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Pumpkin Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Or any of these 25 Best Soup Recipes!
Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
Creamy base
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
- 1 bunch of thyme, bundled
- 1¼ cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more for serving
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup cooked wild rice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 cups chopped kale
- Chopped parsley for garnish, optional
- Pinches of red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Make the creamy base: Place the almond milk, cashews, white beans, miso paste, and Dijon mustard in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a medium-large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and salt and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cannellini beans, pepper, and water and stir. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the thyme bundle and stir in the cashew mixture, rice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and kale. Simmer over low heat until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve with more lemon juice, parsley and pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
This post is in partnership with Le Creuset. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep us cooking!
Wow, this is amazing! …
A little too rosemary forward for me. Next time, I’d cut the amount in half or more. Otherwise delicious!
I just made this today! I used Bella’s since that’s what Costco had. I also subbed in spinach cas hubby doesn’t love kale.
It came out EXCELLENT!
Thank you for the plant based recipes, this is how I chose to eat! 🙂
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Oh my gosh, this was the first vegan meal I’ve tried to make and it was delicious! I made the recipe as written and it was the perfect thing for the first snowstorm of the year.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Can I skip the cashews or substitute with something else?
I successfully substituted a whole can of butter means for the cannellini beans and cashews in the creamy base…mostly because I didn’t have any cashews. Was very good! Not as thick, probably, as if it had been cashews, but the soup was wonderful.
Hello! I can’t eat mushrooms so what would be the best substitution for this ingredient in this recipe?
Hi Nerri, diced butternut squash or sweet potatoes would be a nice addition to this soup! You might also like our cauliflower soup, potato leek soup, or kale soup recipes.
This was a very unique soup to make and I loved how it turned out! Sadly, I didn’t have any miso paste, but I added some soy sauce to the mixture and it turned out well enough. Loved adding mushrooms to the soup.
Can you freeze this soup?
I did, whatever happens next. I wouldn’t have done it with cow milk, but I don’t think it will be a problem with almond milk. We’ll see.
next time, I will try with spinach instead of kale.
I freeze it all the time, and I usually use non fat milk (cow) because that’s what I have.