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!
Mmmmmmm.. Truly delicious. Will make it again..
Just made this soup, but used swiss chard and 2% milk as subs for kale and almond milk since that’s what I had on hand. OMGGGG so good! Would totally add even more mushrooms next time! Was a big hit with my 1.5 year old daughter…could not believe it!! Shared the recipe with my aunt who is a vegetarian and know she will def be making this. YUM, thanks!
This is definitely one of the best soups I’ve ever made! It reminds me of a certain restaurant chain’s cream of chicken and wild rice soup that I used to love before I was a vegetarian – but this one is better and healthier! Thanks for another great recipe!
A+. I’ve made this several times and it’s amazing. I’ve used non fat dairy milk instead of almond milk and I’ve also subbed homemade chicken broth. This soup freezes well.
I grew up eating cream of wild rice soup at the Boundary Waters restaurant in Mpls. This is a cleaner and more delicious version! My mind is blown that you can use cashews and miso instead of heavy cream.
Hi Stacey, I’m so glad you’ve loved the soup so much!
*****
This dish is fabulous. Requires some prep work but sooooo good.
Didn’t want to waste the white beans and put the entire can in the blender.
Remember, do NOT boil the miso or it will kill it’s enzymes.
Used a wild rice blend cooked in vegetable broth.
Yum…
This is an amazing soup! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it!
WOW. This was amazing. I used homemade chicken stock instead of almond milk, subbed scallions for a leek and used red miso instead of white. Oh, and used flageolet beans.
I love the cashew sauce to thicken instead of cream: this is a great trick.
I’ll definitely make this again and keep playing with the ingredients (more mushrooms next time!)
Hi Stacey, I’m so glad you loved the soup! Let me know what other combos you come up with!
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Hi Sarah – about 4 days – it also freezes well.
This was a much heartier meal than it looked! The flavors are wonderful and it made enough for lunches the next day. Highly recommend giving this a go!
Hi Ashley, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
I’ve been obsessing over your blog ever since I found your grillable veggie burgers ? I just made this soup and it’s delicious! I’m currently sick so it’s a perfect soothing soup that’s not too heavy. Thank you 🙂
Hi Holly! I’m so glad you loved the soup (and the veggie burgers). Welcome!!
Hi! I have some hacho miso but no white miso. May I use this instead?
yep, that should be fine!
Thank you!
This soup has amazing flavors that keep you thinking about how delicious it was a days later. I did not have miso but looked up substitutes and molasses was a low sodium option. I will make this recipe again…so good.
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Sorry, used voice to text ….hopefully you got the drift!
This was incredibly delicious! I made beans from scratch in my Insta pot, cooked the rice and worked on the veggies in it all came together well! I love the almond milk bass, and we’ll try that technique in other recipes that call for a “cream of…”
This will be a family favorite for sure!
Just made this and it was so delicious! Such a creative recipe, and all the flavors come together beautifully. I’ll definitely make this again!
great recipe, this has all (almost, might have to nix the rice or not since it’s only a cup) of the stuff I’m eating these days, love these ingredients in a soup, so thank you for this recipe
Adding this to my soup arsenal!
Well, writing from Down Under we neither celebrate Thanksgiving nor are having to heat our homes 🙂 ! Absolutely moreish soup and a clear video to make certain we know how to toe the line . . . Le Creuset – oh, fell in love with the brand forever ago and would rather use one of the wonderful pots on my stove for an aromatic ‘long cook’ than resort to modern ‘machinery’ cluttering up my kitchen benches . . . 🙂 !
Oh my gosh!!! It is a cold snowy afternoon in NH and I had to try this soup, it was absolutely delicious!!! I added the red pepper, parsley and scallions on top and the soup liked beautiful. Our belly’s are full and we are warm and grateful! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad that you loved it! Happy snowy days to come 🙂
I am allergic to tree nuts. Do you think this would have good texture if I subbed in 1 1/3 cup whole milk? It looks DELISH and I plan to make it after thanksgiving!
Hi Katherine, I would try 1 cup of regular cream and then wait to add the lemon until the very end. The cashew blend is a bit thicker than whole milk, and it yields 1 cup. I hope that helps!