This Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup is an easy to make one-pot meal that’s full of bright herby flavors and is incredibly hearty! This soup is a rich broth-style, well-rounded and satisfying with veggies, rice, beans, herbs and spices. A great winter warming soup with leftovers easy to re-heat (soup is always better the second day!), you definitely won’t be hungry after a bowl of this wholesome soup!
Ingredients
- Wild rice — Having rice in this soup makes it hearty and adds great texture! Wild rice is flavorful, a little nutty, and has 30 times more antioxidant activity than white rice!1 Wild rice also has twice as much protein as other rice, with all nine essential amino acids — making it a complete protein! Wild rice is native to North America and Asia and is not actually a rice but rather an aquatic grass that grows naturally in shallow freshwater marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes.
- Mushrooms — White button, cremini, portobellos…use any mushroom you’d like because they are all the same, just at different growth stages! Mushrooms help give this soup a meaty texture and a savory umami flavor. Packed with nutrients and vitamins, mushrooms also contain a higher amount of protein than most vegetables (2 grams per cup). Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D (33% DV per 1 cup), which your body needs in order to absorb calcium.
Did you know mushrooms have anti-cancer properties? Studies have shown that the antioxidants in mushrooms have a strong protective effect against certain cancers, especially breast cancer, by inhibiting tumor growth! The presence of beta-glucans in mushrooms enhance the natural killer cell function in the body and increases immune defense against diseases and cancer.2 Mushrooms may also reduce risk of heart disease (the #1 killer in the U.S.) by reducing inflammation, cholesterol, and oxidative stress. - Spices — Don’t have one of the herby spices? Sub Italian seasoning instead! Italian seasoning is a blend with many of the same herbs that this recipe calls for. Don’t like spicy? Omit the cayenne! I love to add ¼-½ tsp for a hint of spice (it’s not spicy by any means) but feel free to omit entirely.
- Creamier — I like this soup to be a rich broth consistency, but if you’re looking for something much creamier, a cashew cream is quick and easy to whip up in the blender! Pour boiling water over ½ cup of cashews and soak for 10-15 minutes. Drain water and add cashews to a blender along with the 1 cup plant milk the recipe calls for. Blend the cashews up and add at the end of the recipe, when the 1 cup of plant milk is called for.
- Kale — I add the kale at the end so it softens but doesn’t get cooked to-death! Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s one of the best sources of vitamin K, it’s high in magnesium, potassium, and 1 cup of kale has more vitamin C than an orange! Kale is an excellent source of calcium, keeping bones strong and healthy. Spinach can be substituted instead, but kale is better.
- Beans — Cannellini beans, or white kidney beans, are a great addition to soups or stews! Beans adds to the soup’s heartiness, and makes it even more satiating and protein-rich! Great northern beans are milder but can be used in place of cannellini.
Are canned beans less nutritious?
Nope! It might feel like cheating, but don’t feel guilty for popping open a can of beans! Beans cooked from scratch are more flavorful in my opinion, but none of the nutrients are lost during the canning process. Just make sure to check the label to ensure there isn’t anything added other than beans, water, and maybe salt. And remember to rinse canned beans before cooking!
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Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup is an easy to make, one-pot meal that’s a little creamy yet brothy, full of bright herb flavors, and is incredibly hearty!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8–10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 of a medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cayenne powder (omit for no spice)
- 1 tsp salt (more or less to-taste)
- 1 cup plant milk, unflavored and unsweetened (I prefer soy)
- 1 – 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1–2 cups kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
- Garnish with parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot on medium heat and add mushrooms and balsamic vinegar, cooking until mushrooms have softened and moisture has cooked off, about 8 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- To the pot, add onions, carrot, and celery, cooking until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute.
- Push veggies to the sides of the pot, making space in the center. Pour in 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp flour, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in 4 cups vegetable broth and then 2 cups water. Add uncooked wild rice, all of the spices, and salt (starting with ½ tsp and adding more at the end if needed). Bring to a simmer and cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Once rice is tender, stir in cooked mushrooms, plant milk, cannellini beans, lemon juice, and kale. Cook several minutes until kale is bright green, tasting and adding any more spices or salt it may need. Enjoy immediately, serving with optional crusty baguette.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup and Chili
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
If you enjoyed this Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup, I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below! 🙂
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19630388/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17895634/
