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a satisfying vegetarian wild rice soup filled with mushrooms, wild rice, & kale. this creamy wild rice soup is thickened without using any dairy or a flour roux thanks to a totally healthy secret ingredient...cauliflower! {plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free} #wildricesoup #vegetarianwildricesoup #mushroomwildricesoup #wildricesouprecipe #dairyfreewildricesoup #souprecipes #healthysoup #veganrecipes #vegansoup #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreesoup

creamy mushroom vegetarian wild rice soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 8 reviews
  • Author: jess larson | plays well with butter
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Soup, Stew & Chili recipes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Description

a satisfying vegetarian wild rice soup filled with mushrooms, wild rice, & kale. this creamy wild rice soup is thickened without using any dairy or a flour roux thanks to a totally healthy secret ingredient…cauliflower! {plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free}


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 810 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 small cauliflower, quartered (see Recipe Notes)
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 bunch kale, destemed & finely shredded
  • optional: 1 cup milk of choice (see Recipe Notes)
  • Kosher salt & ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the aromatics: Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the yellow onion, carrots, and celery, stirring to coat. Season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, about 5-7 minutes. Once softened, add in the mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme – I like to leave the herbs whole, using kitchen twine to tie all the herbs together into a little bundle for easy removal. Season with another 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms get nice & juicy, about 3-5 minutes.
  2. Toast the rice: Once all the veggies have softened & the herbs are fragrant, add the rice to the pot. Stir to combine, then cook for 2-3 minutes to toast.
  3. Assemble and cook the vegetarian wild rice soup: Nestle the quartered cauliflower into the pot, then pour the vegetable stock over top. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (Note: wild rice naturally has a chewier texture than, say, brown rice does. It will still be a little chewy even once it’s cooked through).
  4. Thicken the soup: Carefully transfer the quartered cauliflower to a high-speed blender, along with 2-3 cups of the broth. The cauliflower will be very tender so if a few florets fall off into the soup in the process, that’s totally fine. Blend until the cauliflower is pureed, then pour it back into the soup pot. Add the kale to the soup and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the kale softens.
  5. Serve the vegetarian wild rice soup immediately, topped with fresh herbs and alongside some crusty bread, as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Dutch oven: I like making this vegetarian wild rice soup, and all the soups & chilis I make, in a nice Dutch oven. The heaviness of the pot retains heat well & evenly. This is the Dutch oven pictured in this post. I love it. I also own this Dutch oven, which is a little more budget friendly & works great!
  • Cauliflower: The size of your head of cauliflower obviously plays an important role in the thickness of your vegetarian wild rice soup since the cauliflower thickens the soup. The larger the cauliflower, the thicker the soup. I try to grab the smallest one I can find at the store (see photos, above). If your soup ends up being thicker than desired, stir in some extra vegetable stock or water to reach your desired consistency.
  • Want an even creamier vegetarian wild rice soup? You can stir in 1 cup of your milk of choice once you add the cauliflower puree into the soup in Step 4. Be sure to taste and season additionally as needed – the creaminess of extra milk will beg for another pinch or two of salt!