Soup is such a great food. So easy, so filling (if you do it right!), a great way to use up leftover ingredients, and the flavor possibilities are endless. I recently discovered how delicious vegetable broth and coconut milk are together (see Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen) and I knew I had to experiment with that combo some more. So when I saw a bag of wild rice blend on sale this week, I snatched it up to make this super delish Creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup!
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Choose Your Broth Wisely
The type of vegetable broth used in this soup will greatly determine the end flavor, so make sure you use a quality broth. A weak broth will give you a weak and unexciting soup. If you’ve been hanging around here a while, you probably already know that my favorite is Better Than Bouillon. I can keep it on hand indefinitely (refrigerated), make any amount of broth I need, and it comes in tons of varieties (organic, low sodium, etc.). Mushroom broth would also be really good in this soup, but that’s not one I usually keep on hand, so I used vegetable flavor.
What Kind of Coconut Milk is Best for This Wild Rice Soup?
Full fat coconut milk (in the can, not the kind in a carton intended as a dairy milk substitute) is the best choice here. While you can use light coconut milk, it will be a lot less creamy, so just keep that in mind. I used a brand called Field Day Organic this time and it was great. I’ve also tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen and Goya. The Goya is the only one I wasn’t a fan of because the coconut milk was not smooth and left a grainy appearance in the soup. It tasted fine, but it wasn’t pretty.
This is NOT a “Thick” Soup
A lot of wild rice soups are a really thick, almost gelled consistency. This soup is not that texture. This is a brothy soup. I did make one of the test batches a thick version by cooking some oil and flour in a skillet until the flour was lightly browned, then whisking it into the soup, but I didn’t feel like it added a lot to the overall enjoyment of the soup, while adding a lot of extra work. So that step got nixed. :)
Can I Skip the Mushrooms?
IMHO, the mushrooms are critical to the overall flavor of the soup. Something about the way the mushrooms and coconut play together really make this soup hit home. So, while I wouldn’t suggest skipping or substituting the mushrooms, that might have to be a personal call.
What Kind of Wild Rice Blend Did you Use?
I used a brand called Lundberg. It’s a mix of wild rice, brown rice, and other rice varieties, so there is a lot of color and texture to the blend. Wild rice isn’t the cheapest thing around, but luckily I got it on sale. Scout those sales and stock up when they hit!
Creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
Servings 4 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms ($1.69)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.37)
- 1/2 lb. carrots ($0.45)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp dried sage ($0.03)
- 1 cup wild rice blend (uncooked) ($1.55)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
- 1 13oz. can full-fat coconut milk ($2.49)
Instructions
- Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add the olive oil and mushrooms to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms are fully wilted and browned on the edges (cook until all the moisture is released, evaporated, and the mushrooms begin to actually brown for the best flavor).
- While the mushrooms are sautéing, mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and peel and slice the carrots.
- Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and sage to the pot with the mushrooms. Continue to sauté for about five minutes more, or until the onions are soft.
- Finally, add the wild rice blend and vegetable broth, and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes with the lid in place (or however long the instructions on your brand of rice suggests for cooking).
- Once the soup has simmered and the rice is tender, add the coconut milk. Stir to combine and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes more. Finally, taste the soup and add salt if needed (I did not add any, but this will depend on the salt content of your broth). Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup – Step by Step Photos
Start by washing and slicing 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms. Add them to a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until they are browned. The key here is to not just cook until they’re limp, but keep cooking until all of their moisture has evaporated and they actually begin to brown on the edges.
While the mushrooms are sautéing, mince two cloves of garlic, dice one onion, slice 3 ribs celery, and peel and slice about ½ lb. carrots. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, ¼ tsp dried thyme, and ¼ tsp dried sage to the pot with the mushrooms. Continue to sauté a few minutes more, or until the onions are soft.
This is the wild rice blend I used. Depending on what brand you have, it may suggest different cooking times. This brand suggests 45 minutes, so I simmered my soup for 45 minutes. Adjust the soups’s cooking time according to the rice blend you are using.
Add 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend and 4 cups vegetable broth to the pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the pot simmer for 45 minutes (or for the suggested cooking time for your rice blend).
After simmering for 45 minutes, the rice blend is tender and it’s time to finish up the soup!
Add one 13 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk (not the dairy milk substitute kind—that stuff is super watery). Make sure to get all the solid fat out of the can. Stir the coconut milk into the soup and then let it simmer for about 5 minutes more. That last bit of simmer time will take the sweet edge off the coconut milk and help the flavors blend together.
And now the Creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup is finished! Give it a taste and add salt if needed (I did not add any).
Enjoy hot with some crusty bread or crackers for dipping!
I only had white rice on hand so I cooked it separately. To serve, I put the rice in the bowl, ladled the soup over top, and stirred to combine. For leftovers, I kept the rice and soup separate and when it was time to reheat, I added them together in the pot. I also added two extra cups of broth for two reasons 1) I like a soupy soup 2) I accidentally made too much broth. Great, great recipe!
I probably make this once a month. Everyone I’ve made this for or shared the recipe with has loved it as well! I do find that the rice usually needs to cook a little longer for my preferred doneness.
Just made this for my weekly dinner meal prep and already had a second bowl. I added leeks and a little chili garlic sauce for a kick!
So, I hate, HATE mushrooms. I decided to try this soup anyway skipping the mushrooms and using a mushroom broth instead. I otherwise cooked it as written and at the end added a can of white beans and pulsed a few times with my immersion blender. IT IS AMAZING. This might be the best soup I’ve ever had.
This soup is always in my rotation for meals during the fall and winter. I made it for the first time in a few months this weeks and served it with the soda bread that was posted here recently. So good!
I didn’t have sage and I added extra firm tofu for more protein and it’s delicious. Easy, simple, so good!
This was delicious! The wild rice adds a nice nutty flavor.
This soup is fantastic!! I discovered it in quarantine during the winter of 2020 and just bought ingredients to make it again this week! One question, though… has anyone tried freezing it and if so, is it freezer friendly??
I’ve frozen it in small portions many times- freezes well!
Thank you for sharing! :)
This soup is already insanely delicious. But listen: if you substitute the bella mushrooms with same amount in oyster and shiitake mushrooms, brown them a little bit by themselves, then right after add a tablespoon or two of Mirin (Japanese cooking wine) to deglaze the pan, it becomes the most powerful soup in the universe. This website rocks btw.
After a description like that, I HAVE to try it!!
I planned on making this vegan because we’re trying our hardest to be whole grain plant based this year but we had chicken thighs that we didn’t want to waste so we added 4 of them and doubled the recipe. Other than adding the chicken everything else was kept the same. Also, I did this in the Instant Pot and added everything but the coconut milk before cooking. I cooked it for 35 minutes and then quick released. Also added 2 cups of kale and a cup of peas after finished in the Instant Pot then added the coconut milk. This was really great on a cold Saturday night. Thank you.
So easy and ridiculously good! The coconut really adds some great flavors. I didn’t have wild rice so used orzo instead and added in a dash of coconut aminos for an extra umami taste. Very delish!
This soup is ridiculously good, thank you for this website, it makes vegan cooking feasible.
I’m looking forward to making this, do you think I can omit the sage or sub for it? I don’t have it on hand.
Do you think potatoes would add well to this soup?
Yes you could give them a try. But with the rice together it may be a little starchy. It’s up to you!
My family and I adored this! I’m not a huge fan of coconut normally, but the flavor was just so subtle and paired so well with the herbs, and the rice was just the right texture, I couldn’t put the bowl down! I plan on making this again for my roommates and I (all of whom are vegetarian or vegan! Couldn’t recommend highly enough, especially for a broke college student!
Hi, I love homemade soup and am going to try this recipe soon. One question always comes up for me when reading new recipes – how well does it freeze and is it just as good after freezing? I am single and most recipes are for at least 4 servings. It would be really appreciated if the food writers made a point of noting how the dish maintains its quality after freezing and for how long. Thank you!
Hi Pat! It should freeze wonderfully. We’ll work on adding some additional freezing instructions on the recipes.
Thanks for bringing this up, Pat! I’m also always wondering if a recipe freezes well, or how long it will hold up in the fridge (since I’m also cooking for one and often cooking on Sunday a dish that will be my lunch everyday through Friday!!). Looking forward to this info being consistently available on these recipes!
I just tried this but i had to replace the wild rice with noodles and it still worked. It was very tasty and also the flavour of the coconut milk wasn’t too powerful which is great.
I made this in a single serve last night (I have very little fridge space, so I can’t easily store leftovers). Wow! One of the most delicious meals I have ever cooked. I used long grain white rice, so the cooking time was actually quite short and it turned out incredible. I’ll be making this a lot!!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it four times at this point. The coconut flavor does not come through heavily and compliments the sage really well. It gets better in the freezer over time. It’s a great one to meal prep! I’ve prepped a huge batch for the arrival of my baby as I will not feel like cooking for a while after he is born. I’ve paired this soup with Beth’s Black Pepper and Rosemary Drop Biscuits! SO GOOD.
My boyfriend and I LOVED this soup! Thank you for sharing ❤️ We paired with garlic bread and a salad :)
Five stars from someone who has shunned mushrooms for 34 years.
I was feeling adventurous (and in need of a warm soup), and who doesn’t love wild rice? I chopped the mushrooms into teeny-tiny pieces so future me would not be able to tell there were mushrooms at all, used only about half the mushrooms called for, and holy cow: this hit the spot big time.
So flavorful, but not full of mushroom flavor. Tasty as hell, and I made a huge batch, so it lasted and lasted!
I made a small portion of this for my toddler. We both loved it! I chopped the mushroom small and used jasmine rice, it came out like rissoto and she ate it all! I could definitly hide more vegetables in it next time, Thank you, thank you for the recipe!
Love hearing that Anna!
I made this in my instant pot. I set it for 20 minutes, then natural release for 10. The rice was perfectly cooked and I used the brand you featured. I doubled the mushrooms, added 1 additional cup of broth, used the Beef Better than Buillion, and it was great. I sprinkled a little smoked paprika on my serving. It was yummy!
Thanks for sharing these modifications Colleen! Very helpful to know about cooking it in the Instant Pot.
Oh my word! This soup was so delicious! Loved the fact that it was easy and cheap to make. Definitely making this one again :)
Happy to hear it!
Made this as the side of the Simple Herb RoastedPork Loin. Pork loin was out of this world, but this soup was a bit too plain for me to keep it in the meal rotation. Oh well, so many other dishes to try. Thanks, Budget Bytes!
Sorry to hear that Erin! Great idea to make it as a side. You could always play with the soup as the base and add things to your liking!
Such a yummy soup! I bumped up the herbs and added some frozen veggies I needed to use up (peas, green beans, and chopped collard greens) because mama needs her veggies!
Looking forward to making the creamy chicken and wild rice soup!
Great work Petrina!
I’m not usually a vegan person but this soup is delicious! My rice only took about 20ish minutes to cook on med-high heat and I added extra broth to mine after reading some of the comments. I also added a pinch of salt and pepper which really helped enhance the flavor.
Happy to hear it Tyler! It’s pretty delicious!
I’m not too sure about this soup. Mine is definitely more like a casserole than a soup, it’s darker than the photos, and it doesn’t have much flavor. The only difference is that I omitted carrots, because I forgot to buy any. I can’t imagine leaving out carrots would make so much difference in the flavor. I’ll try this one more time before I write it off. The good news is that I’ll only need mushrooms (and carrots) to try it again.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected Julia! Let me know if I can help troubleshoot with you.
I really love this one! While I’m not vegan myself I do like to find tasty vegan and vegetarian recipes, both for the benefit of friends who prefer those and to enjoy them myself. I made this one with the recommended bouillon and coconut milk, but I used the Ralston Family Farms “Nature’s Blend” rice, a mix of purple, red, and brown rice. Deliciously savory, and it reheated well too, though after sitting in the fridge overnight the leftovers were less broth-y and more risotto-esque – not a bad thing! Will definitely make this one again.
Happy to hear that you like it! I’ll have to look out for that rice blend.
Oh my goodness this was AMAZING. I also added a little bit of shredded chicken breast to the recipe and it was perfect.
Happy to hear it Taylor!
This is tasty and very filling, but I definitely had the same problem as Kayla. By the time 45 minutes had passed, I was left with almost no broth. Whether because the rice had absorbed it all or I simmered it at too high a temperature, I’m not sure. However, I can always add water to the leftovers to make it more “soupy” before I microwave it, or just eat it as kind of a wild rice risotto :).
This was good. Unfortunately my rice soaked up all the liquid so I ended up with a rice dish versus a soup.
Oh no! Glad to hear you still enjoyed it.
Just made this- it’s so yummy. I wasn’t sure I had sautéed my mushrooms long enough but I did it for about 20 min so I think so? The finished product is flavorful. I used full fat Trader Joe’s coconut milk brand w good results. I used the exact same brand package of Wild rice (3.74 at my local Walmart grocers). I did add about 5 min of cook time to my rice to ensure no crunch crunch pieces- I have a horrid electric stove that doesn’t conduct heat evenly.
Another great recipe! I also used a red onion instead bc I had one on hand and left out celery bc I don’t care for it.
I loved this recipe! This is a perfect soup for a cool fall evening. I eat mostly vegan, but this recipe would be homerun whatever your dietary choices may be. I will be making this recipe again in the near future.
Thank you Tara!
This was excellent. According to Beethoven!, “only the pure of heart can make a good soup.” Beth, you are pure!!! :)
Another seriously great soup to add to many others from Budget Bytes. Thanks.
Oh well thank you Sue!
could unsweetened coconut cream be substituted for the milk? I have both at my local grocery store and was just wondering if I should stick with the milk or go for the cream.
Stick with the milk. The coconut cream is a different consistency and much thicker.
Could you sub brown rice for the wild rice? How would that affect the cooking time?
The rice blend I used included brown rice, so you could potentially just use straight brown rice. You’ll probably still want to simmer it for about 45 minutes, but you can check sooner to see if it’s tender before that.
Hi Beth,
I would like to try this recipe but don’t have any wild rice on hand can this recipe be made with any other type of rice like Basmati rice?
I wouldn’t use any type of white rice. You want to use something with the bran intact, so the rice doesn’t just dissolve into the soup. So, if anything, use a brown rice. :)
I have about 2.5 cups of leftover wild rice from another recipe. Do you think I could maybe throw in the cooked rice for about 15 minutes at the end and still get good results with this soup?
I’ve done that with other recipes and it’s been fine – but I make sure to use less broth than the original recipe calls for because the cooked rice won’t absorb any liquid out of the soup.
Yes you could but wild rice can take longer to cook. Or is it already cooked? Then yes you could add it in the last few minutes.
I’m allergic to coconut :(
What non-dairy liquid can be substituted for the 13 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk? Could I add more veg broth with a cornstarch slurry to help thicken up the soup? I assume that’s what the full-fat coconut milk does? (I’m also gluten-free too.)
Can you do dairy? If so you can swap with heavy cream.
Unfortunately I cannot do dairy :( that’s why I asked for a non-dairy substitute. any ideas?
Sorry I misread the non-dairy! You could tried pureed cannellini beans like Beth uses here with the liquid https://www.budgetbytes.com/secret-ingredient-tomato-soup/
Would this soup freeze well? i’ve never frozen anything with coconut milk in it before.
Yes it will freeze wonderfully.
Can we substitute half/half or heavy cream instead of coconut milk?
I did this once with the vegan ramen and it was okay but not nearly as yummy.
Yes you could.
I’m another fan of the Lundberg rice mixes! And the BTB mushroom flavor is always in my refrigerator. Many folks who dislike mushrooms actually object to the texture of mushrooms–or the taste of condensed mushroom soup. Sometimes it’s a good idea to revisit things disliked in childhood as our tasters do change over time. Two of my children hated the slippery feel of mushrooms in their mouth in childhood, but started to enjoy them as adults.
I had a couple of strong dislikes when I was growing up, and although neither of those particular foods is now a favorite, I no longer object to anything but raw onions–I think the sulfurous taste I experience with them is a genetic thing, and that awful taste goes away if onions are cooked or pickled. I do get a bit of that from time to time, particularly if ground into something like cole slaw. My mom always thought if she could just cut them tiny enough she could slip them past me–note to restauranteurs–keep those pieces big enough for me to pick out!
I’ve actually used full fat coconut milk in your Zuppa Toscana recipe with great results when we were trying to pinpoint an allergy in the family and had to eliminate dairy. Thanks for the kitchen inspiration Beth! Your blog is my fave.
Just wanted to let you know the amount of vegetable broth isn’t listed under the ingredients. I’m going to make this tonight:)
Sorry, just fixed it! It’s 4 cups. :)
Not a fan of mushrooms. What other vegetables can be substituted that won’t greatly alter the taste of the soup?
IMHO, the mushrooms are a major flavor player here. I wouldn’t try to substitute them with anything, I’d just leave them out. But it will definitely be better with the mushrooms.
Vegetable broth is not in the ingredients list. Could you give an estimate of how much you used.
Never mind. I see you used 4 cups in the directions.
Sorry, just fixed it! :)
Looks great! Going to make this today. Just a heads up, I don’t see the veggie stock in the ingredients list.
Just fixed it! 4 cups. :)
Did you stir at all while the soup is simmering? I know that you’re supposed to leave rice alone at that step. Does that apply to this soup as well? Also, I got a good deal on just wild rice a while back. Do you think this soup would suffer if I didn’t use a blend?
You can stir and it won’t hurt this one because the thick bran on wild rice keeps the starchy inside from dissolving into the soup like white rice would. :)
You could stir but I wouldn’t overly stir.
Hey Beth and team! I’ve got plans to make this in just a couple days. What other veggies do you think would do well in this? You think I could add kale? Soup is one of the only ways one of my kids will eat veggies, so I really like to pack them in when I can!
Kale would probably be good, yes! :) Maybe peas or corn?
Oh yes a little sautéed kale would be delicious!
I added the kale along with the rice and my entire family was in love! I did also have to add a tiny bit more stock, but I think I had my heat on too high. I’m sure we will make this again, so I’ll turn the burner down and see if that keeps some of the liquid from evaporating. This was so good! Approved by my 6, 4, and 1 year old kids!
Happy to hear it Ashley!
Funny story. I forgot I added kale in this a few years ago and came to check the comments to see if I could do exactly that… turns out you can. 😂
This is a great recipe, but the ingredients list is missing the 4 cups of vegetable broth!
Sorry, just fixed that! :)
Hi, how much vegetable broth do you use? The instructions mention broth but it’s not in the ingredients list…
Sorry, just fixed it, 4 cups! :)