This hearty and satisfying Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is an easy and delicious one-pot (or Instant Pot!) meal. Make this richly flavored soup with pantry staples for a quick and nourishing meal. So creamy that no one will believe that it’s dairy-free! A gluten-free option is included.
Thank you to Stahlbush Island Farms for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
What is in Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup?
This easy vegetarian soup is filled with meaty seared mushrooms, a nutty wild rice blend, fragrant herbs and a few vegetables. For veggies. we use carrots and celery, plus some bright and nourishing frozen chopped curly kale from Stahlbush Island Farms. For aromatics, we use onions and lots of garlic. It’s big on flavor, and makes for the coziest bowl! This cream of mushroom soup made from scratch takes homemade mushroom soup to the next level of yum!
Stove-Top and Instant Pot Cooking Options
You can make this soup in one pot on the stove top, or in an Instant Pot. The timing will depend on the rice that you chose to use, with some varieties taking much longer to cook than others. For the stove-top version of this recipe, the cooking time will be dictated by the rice package instructions.
The Instant Pot version will be much quicker option if you’re using straight wild rice which takes about an hour on the stove but about half that in the Instant Pot. I prefer to use a wild rice blend which is easy to find in most grocery stores and cooks up quickly where some of the grains/seeds have already been parboiled.
The Instant Pot website (not sponsored) provides the following cooking times (plus a 10 minute natural pressure release) for other types of rice, however these values are for making rice alone, not as rice cooked in soup. I have found that the cooking time is a little shorter when cooking rice in soup. For instance, I prefer to use wild rice blend which contains wild rice and a few other varieties of rice; it was perfect after 18 minutes, natural pressure release for 5 minutes and then a quick release for the remaining steam.
- Basmati (white) rice: 4-8 minutes
- Jasmine rice: 3-5 minutes
- Brown rice (long/short): 22-28 minutes
- Wild rice blend: 25-30 minutes
How to Make Cream Soup without Cream or Dairy
You really don’t need heavy cream to make a soup creamy, nor do you need any dairy ingredients. Here we create a light roux (pronounced ROO) instead. Making a roux is a simple and common way of thickening sauces and soups – it begins with a mixture of flour and a fat (in this case, extra-virgin olive oil.) Once the flour has cooked in the oil, soup broth is whisked in to create a thickened, creamy texture. I also add soy milk to this vegan mushroom soup for a little more body and a creamier color. Additionally, the starches from the rice aid in thickening which is why we don’t rinse the rice before adding it to the soup. In a nutshell, this is a perfectly creamy soup without a drop of dairy!
I chose this method of creating a vegan cream base for the soup for a few reasons. It’s economical, easy and pantry friendly! While I love using cashews to thicken, they are pricey and sometimes I just don’t want to have pre-soak them or dirty the blender. Making a roux instead to create some body and dairy-free creaminess also makes this recipe friendly to those with nut allergies. Use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour to make the recipe gluten-free!
Another common dairy-free alternative is coconut cream or coconut milk but not everyone is a fan of coconut flavor in cream of mushroom soup.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup on the Stove-Top
Step 1: Sear the Mushrooms
Searing the mushrooms first caramelizes them on the outside which creates amazing flavor and locks in their juices. No boiled rubbery mushrooms here! Towards the end of cooking, we add in balsamic vinegar which adds an additional dimension of flavor and some acidity. Cook the mushrooms a little longer until the moisture is cooked off and the balsamic has created a delicious glaze.
At this point, we remove the mushrooms from the pot and set them aside until the rest of the soup is made. This ensures that the mushrooms are as flavorful as possible with those addictive glazed caramel bits still intact for each bite.
I don’t salt the mushrooms because balsamic vinegar is pretty salty. Taste the mushrooms just before you remove them from the pot. If you prefer them saltier, do so now. Don’t add salt until the end of cooking – adding it sooner will leach the juices from the mushrooms before they’ve been sealed in. We want some sweet caramelization, some crispiness and even a little char…and juicy insides.
This being a one-pot meal, we’ll be returning to the same pot with no need to wash it before continuing with the recipe. The mushrooms will have left a lot of flavors in the pot to enrich the soup.
Step 2: Sauté the Onions, Garlic & Herbs
Next up, caramelize the onions in oil. We’ll be adding more oil than what you normally fry onions in because we’ll need it to create the roux discussed earlier. Add the garlic and herbs then deglaze with white wine for the extra flavor but if you’d like to keep things alcohol free, you can just use broth. This prevents burning later but also gets those flavorful bits into the soup where they belong. In addition to the flavors left behind from the mushrooms and balsamic glaze, we’re setting up the flavors for the soup base.
Step 3: Add the Flour
Stir well to coat everything in flour, cooking for a minute or two. The mixture will clump together, and may stick to the bottom of the pot. Just keep it moving, reducing the heat if it starts to burn.
Step 4: Add the Broth, Whisking as it Thickens
Slowly stream in 2 cups (500 mL) of the broth and whisk until it begins to thicken. If you add all of the broth at once, it will be difficult to incorporate all of the flour without clumps forming.
I like to use a vegan “beef” bouillon dissolved in hot water for soups like this that are best with extra umami flavor. Otherwise, mushroom or your favorite soup stock would also be delicious!
Step 5: Add the Rest of the Ingredients (Except the Kale & Mushrooms)
At this point, we add the rest of the broth, the vegan milk, vegetables (except the kale) and the rice. Bring to a simmer and cook for as long as the package your rice comes in directs. If you’re using simply wild rice or brown rice, the cooking time will be much longer than a wild rice blend and so you may need to add more broth to make up for the extra evaporation.
Step 6: Stir in Kale & Mushrooms
Easy, right? Add salt and pepper to taste, and dig in!
How to Make Mushroom Wild Rice Soup in the Instant Pot:
Follow steps 1 through 5. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release vent to the “Sealing” position. Cook on High Pressure manual for 20 minutes. At the end of cooking, do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes then do a quick release by manually venting the steam from the Instant Pot – set the valve to venting – watch out for the very hot steam. Once the pressure button goes down, remove the lid. Set to Sauté, add the kale. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the kale is bright and softened. Stir the mushrooms. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
I love wild rice blend in this soup. It cooks much faster than straight wild rice…which isn’t actually rice! It’s a grain harvested from one of four species of aquatic grass! Go figure.
So what if you don’t have a wild rice blend? You can use any rice you love in soup. Simply follow the cooking times listed on the package that the rice (or wild rice) comes in. The only types of rice I would not recommend for this soup are: arborio rice, sushi rice, black rice, or any other glutinous rice.
As mentioned, if you choose a longer cooking rice (like brown rice) or wild rice, you may need to add extra broth. With a longer cooking time comes more evaporation and a much thicker soup.
Yes! Simply use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in lieu of the all-purpose flour.
I used a mix of creminis (or baby bellas) and shiitakes, but any mushrooms you love would work in this soup. Examples may include porcinis, chanterelles, chopped portabellas or even button mushrooms although they are a little less flavorful than most other varieties. No matter which mushroom type(s) you chose, just make sure that you slice them approximately the same size for even cooking. Wild mushroom mixes or chef blends work well in this recipe – they add additional flavor and elements of interest.
Yes, although it won’t be as flavorful where the rice will not have had the benefit of cooking in the flavorful broth. That said, it’s still tasty! Reduce the broth by about 2 cups (500 mL) to make up for the broth not used to cook/rehydrate the rice. The cooking time will be reduced to only 5 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are cooked. Add the rice when you add the kale at the end.
How to Store, Reheat and Freeze Mushroom Wild Rice Soup:
As this soup contains rice (which requires special care in terms of food safety, it needs to be refrigerated within an hour of cooking and cooled quickly – to do this, use shallow containers and don’t stack them. It’s best to eat the leftovers within 3-4 days of making the soup. If this isn’t possible, freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months in an airtight freezer safe container. Let thaw in the fridge or use the defrost setting on the microwave before heating it on the stove. Otherwise, you can reheat from frozen – add some broth to a soup pot to prevent sticking, and reheat from frozen over low heat moving the block of soup around so it thaws quicker.
To reheat from chilled, gently heat over medium-low until hot. Add more broth as needed to get the consistency you desire. The rice will have continued to soak up the broth in the fridge and the soup will become quite thick, like risotto.
What to Serve with Mushroom Wild Rice Soup?
This is a hearty soup which needs little else than a nice crusty piece of bread along side it. We love this No-Knead Dutch Oven bread for dipping in creamy soups like this! While you start it the day ahead, it basically makes itself with most of the time being idle. If you’re really hungry, this Roasted Vegetable and Kale Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing would be an amazing side!
More Vegan Soups and Stews:
- Vegan Mushroom Miso Ramen
- Sweet Potato Lentil Curry
- Creamy Corn &; Potato Chowder
- Creamy Curried Carrot, Ginger and Red Lentil Soup
If you make this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup, please give it a rating in the recipe card and leave a comment below! Follow along on Instagram where you can tag me in your creations using my recipes! You can also follow me on Pinterest for vegan recipe inspiration and on Facebook. Thank you for reading!
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 14 oz mushrooms*, sliced (approximately 6 cups sliced)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried rosemary, chopped
- ¼ tsp powdered/ground sage
- ½ cup white wine (may use vegan broth instead)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (or 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)
- 5 cups vegan soup stock/broth (or 5 cups water + 2 beef-style vegan bouillon cubes)
- 1 ½ cups vegan unsweetened milk (I use soy but also recommend oat. Avoid rice milk which is quite thin.)
- 2 celery stalks, sliced (~ 2/3 cup)
- 2 carrots, diced or cut into half-moons (~1 cup)
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 7 oz frozen chopped kale (or ~3 cups/1 bunch fresh deveined, chopped kale)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make on the Stove-Top:
- In a heavy bottomed pot or 3-5 quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the mushrooms and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until cooked and caramelized in spots. Add the balsamic vinegar, cooking for another few minutes or until the moisture has mostly evaporated and the mushrooms are glazed. Place the mushrooms on a plate for later.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining 5 tablespoons (75 mL) of oil. When shimmering, add the onions. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage, cooking for 30 seconds. Deglaze with the wine (or equal amount of broth), cooking until most of the moisture is cooked off.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stirring frequently for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Pour in 2 cups (500 mL) of broth, whisking constantly to prevent flour lumps from forming, until the mixture thickens.
- Add the rest of the broth, dairy-free milk, celery, carrots, and rice and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for as long as directed on the rice package – this will vary depending on the blend you're using.
- At the end of cooking, add the kale. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the kale is bright and softened. Stir the mushrooms back into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
To Make in the Instant Pot:
- Set a 6-quart (or larger) Instant Pot** to Sauté ,and add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of oil. When shimmering, add the mushrooms and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until cooked and caramelized in spots. Add the balsamic vinegar, cooking for another few minutes or until the moisture has mostly evaporated and the mushrooms are glazed. Place the mushrooms on a plate for later.
- Add the remaining 5 tablespoons (75 mL) of oil. When shimmering, add the onions. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage, cooking for 30 seconds. Deglaze with the wine (or equal amount of broth), cooking until most of the moisture is cooked off.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stirring frequently for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Pour in 2 cups (500 mL) of broth, whisking constantly to prevent flour lumps from forming, until the mixture thickens.
- Add the rest of the broth, dairy-free milk, celery, carrots, and rice.
- Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release vent to the “Sealing” position. Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. See blog post notes if using another variety of rice which may need a different cooking time.
- At the end of cooking, do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes then do a quick release by manually venting the remaining steam from the Instant Pot (set the valve to "Venting") – watch out for the very hot steam. Once the pressure button goes down, remove the lid. Set to Sauté, add the kale. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the kale is bright and softened. Stir the mushrooms back into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Info:
Notes:
The Nutrition Information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the Nutrition Information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
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Anne
Wednesday 17th of January 2024
If I’m not using a wild rice mix, can I use straight wild rice? Or what proportion of wild rice and other rice(s) do you recommend? Thanks!
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel
Tuesday 13th of February 2024
Hi Anne! I haven't experimented with using straight wild rice in this recipe, but I don't see why it wouldn't turn out - it may be slightly thinner as wild rice has less starch to release into the soup. The wild rice blend I tested this recipe with contained: Long Grain Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Wehani Red Rice, Black Rice (in order from most to least.) As it was a store-bought blend, I'm not sure what the proportions were. The varieties listed (as well as brown basmati rice) all cook at around the same rate so experimenting with these varieties based on your personal preferences should give you great results. I wouldn't use refined rice varieties (white rice) though as they cook much quicker and can make the soup a bit stodgy. Enjoy! ~ Bronwyn
Ellen
Sunday 8th of October 2023
You mentioned cashews but didn’t give any measurements. How do I make a roux with cashews? I’m trying to minimize oil. Thank you.
Shelley
Tuesday 24th of January 2023
A good replacement for the wine?
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel
Thursday 2nd of February 2023
Hi Shelley! I've used dry apple cider with great results, but if you'd like to leave out any alcohol based ingredients, you could just use more vegan broth. The wine contributes liquid, but I mainly added it b/c I like the flavor. I hope you enjoy the soup! ~ Bronwyn
Joyce
Wednesday 9th of November 2022
I made this delicious soup today.It’s delicious, with an added benefit of being easy to prepare. I don’t expect there to be leftovers for tomorrow.
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel
Monday 14th of November 2022
Thanks, Joyce, I'm glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for taking the time to rate it and to share your thoughts! ~ Bronwyn
Amie
Sunday 6th of November 2022
On of the first times I have ever left a recipe review. This is fantastic! I added a little extra balsamic vinegar at the end.
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel
Wednesday 16th of November 2022
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know, Amie! I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup! ~ Bronwyn