Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup {Vegan}

This creamy, hearty, and healthy mushroom and wild rice soup is the perfect bowl of comfort for a chilly fall day. It’s also completely vegan, reheats beautifully, and makes the best cozy meal with a big hunk of crusty bread. 

Things I did this week that I wish I could take back:

1. Hitting up the McDonalds drive through on my way home from work. I was hangry and if anyone saw me snarfing down a double cheeseburger in my car, well I’m sorry for that imagery #notcute. Also, as always, McDonalds makes me feel like I’m straight up dying. It’s a lesson I’ll apparently never learn.
2. Forgetting to do laundry. These socks that I’m wearing right now? So not clean.
3. Letting myself (like a chump) willingly believe that fall was actually upon us.

Let’s talk about that last one briefly. It was silly of me really. Every year PSL’s hit the Buck, apples replace peaches at the market, and the calendar misleadingly points to September 22nd as the day we can pack away our flip flops and pool floats. We are ready – for scarves, sweaters, and seasonal beverages…

And then it’s 90 degrees again. What in the actual hell? But honestly, I should know better by now (much like my occasional McDonald’s trip). Much like in life, transitions take time and don’t usually just change on a dime or in a timely fashion. So instead of ranting, I’ve actually made my peace with it. But I’m still gonna make soup – because EVENTUALLY it will be time.

Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

I love fall soups. But guess what? Not all of them have to be vibrantly orange and smell of cinnamon and spice. I’m giving you permission with this one to enjoy a hearty, creamy, vegan dream of a soup that will conjure up just as many images of wool socks and knitted beanies as all those pumpkin numbers inundating your Instagram feeds.

Making this soup isn’t rocket science, and it doesn’t take hours of long simmering and stirring, but that being said, it does take an investment of time. Luckily, most of this time is completely hands off. And if you have some friendly helpers (ie: children that can handle knives without imminent danger of a trip to the ER) then the effort is minimal at best.

Why this recipe for creamy vegan mushroom wild rice soup really works

1. It starts with a solid flavor foundation of umami rich mushrooms, fortified vegetable stock, and simple but effective root veggies.
2. Wild rice adds a nutty, chewy, earthy element that turns this soup from a starter to a full blown fall meal.
3. Easy cashew cream is one of my favorite plant based tricks (as evidenced in this creamy vegan rigatoni). But here it turns a pot of disparate veggies, rice, and broth into a velvety smooth, beautifully cohesive bowl of soup, that’s so satisfying you’d never guess it was vegan.

Ingredients for Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

These items are pretty straightforward and can all be found at your local grocery store.

• Fresh mushrooms – Use any kind you like, but I like a mix of cremini (baby portobellos) and shiitakes for their variety of flavor and texture.
• Dried mushrooms – I find these in the produce department at my grocery store (often near the packaged herbs). You can also pick these up for cheap at any Asian grocery store. I recommend buying them in bulk as they keep forever and add richness and depth to any number of dishes. Also, there no need to spring for the fancy dried porcini mushrooms, shiitakes are just fine and much more economical.

• Wild rice – This is technically not a rice, but a grass. It takes a little longer to cook than conventional rice, but it’s super easy. Just rinse a cup of it a few times under cold, running water. Then drop it into four cups of boiling water and simmer it for about 40 minutes, or until it’s tender and most of the water has been absorbed. It’s OK if some of the grains split – that’s totally normal.

• Cashews – These guys are the secret to a rich, creamy soup that screams fall comfort. Just make sure to buy raw cashews, not roasted. Whole ones are great, but if you can find raw cashew pieces or halves that’s fine too (and tends to be cheaper).

• Herbs – I like thyme in this, because it goes well with mushrooms, but you could use any herb you prefer. Just remember, woodsy herbs like rosemary or sage can come on quite strong, so use them sparingly.
• Vegetable broth – I like to use Better Than Bouillon which is a concentrated paste that you dilute with water. It keeps forever in the fridge and is so much more convenient than a clunky box of store bought stock, plus it tastes better.

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

1. Start by heating 2 cups of water and 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth in a medium pot. When the broth comes to the simmer add a 1/2 ounce of dried mushrooms. Turn off the heat, transfer to a large bowl and let steep for at least 30 minutes.
2. In the same, medium pot add 1 cup of cashews and enough water to completely cover. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Let the cashews sit in the hot water for about 30 minutes. Then drain, rinse, and blend with 1/2 cup fresh water until smooth and creamy.
3. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat some olive oil and sweat out some chopped onions and garlic. Once they begin to soften, add chopped carrots and your mushrooms. Cook until the carrots are just tender and the mushrooms being to brown a bit at the edges. Add the kale and cook until it just begins to wilt. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme sprigs.
4. Add mushroom broth mixture (being careful to leave any grit behind), cashew cream, wild rice, lemon juice, and soy sauce.
5. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

What to Serve with Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

A bowl of this with a big hunk of crusty bread and a simple cucumber salad makes a great weeknight dinner or a hearty lunch. It would also be stellar with some of my favorite Everything Bagel Pull Apart Bread, or paired with this gorgeous fall frittata and a crisp glass of white wine.

Pro Tips for Making Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

• Make things ahead! You can make the wild rice, mushroom broth, and cashew cream one day in advance. Just keep everything in the fridge and when you’re ready to roll you’ve only got about 30 minutes of actual cooking to do.
• Try out different veggies. Do you get one of those fun boxes that sends you seasonal veggies each week? Feel free to swap out whatever looks good this week. Radishes, swiss chard, golden beets, sweet potatoes, squash, or cabbage would all be delicious in this soup.

• Taste early and often. Soups are all about layering flavors. In my opinion, it’s always better to taste and season at each step of the process rather than just at the end. That way you can get a better picture of how the whole thing is going to turn out, and be able to make adjustments as you go. Which ultimately will make you a better and more intuitive cook!

Questions about Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

1. Can I make this ahead? Yes! Soup is perfect meal prep food. You can make several components ahead and store them until the night you want to whip this up, or make a big pot on a Sunday to enjoy all week long. Just be aware that the kale will start to lose its color as it sits, but that won’t affect how it tastes.
2. Can I freeze this soup? Yes. Make sure to completely cool down any leftovers before freezing. I like to put mine in labeled, zip top bags and lay them down flat in the freezer for stackable storage.
3. What can I substitute for cashews? I made this once with full fat coconut milk. The consistency was pretty lovely and it tasted great, but it does take on a much more Asian flavor profile.
4. If I make this how do I tell you (and the world) about it? I’m so happy when you all make and enjoy my recipes. If you want you can always snap a pic and post it to Instagram – if you tag me (@jo_eats_) I’ll see it and then I can show your beautiful creation off on my account too! But if social media isn’t your jam, I also love reading your comments here on the blog too, or feel free to send me an old fashioned electronic mail.

More Recipes Like This

Looking for more mushroom goodness? Or maybe some warm soups to get you in the mood for pumpkin patches and hay rides? Here’s some of my faves!

• Open Faced Mushroom Melts
• Creamy Vegan Mushroom Gravy (even better than the traditional stuff IMO)
• Carrot Ginger Soup with Mint Chimichurri
• Lightened Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Winter Green Goddess Soup

Print