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!
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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
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 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.