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Home » Vegan Soup Recipes » Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup

October 11, 2021 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 33 Comments

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This creamy vegan wild rice soup is perfect for warming up on a chilly autumn day. It’s my favorite kind of comfort food: satisfying and full of flavor, but unexpectedly packed with nutrition!

Overhead view of creamy vegan wild rice soup in a bowl, garnished with oyster crackers and chopped parsley.

I decided to create this vegan wild rice soup after suffering from a very bad hangover after my cousin’s wedding in North Dakota. I was driving back through Minnesota on my way home the next day, splitting headache and everything, and it seemed like wild rice soup was everywhere, and it sounded AMAZING, but I knew it would never be vegetarian and dairy-free.

I had to take matters into my own hands to finally close the loop on my hangover and the dairy-free wild rice soup that I came up with is something that I’d prefer over the original any day.

  • It’s packed with nutritious ingredients to create a creamy, dairy-free base
  • There are no mushrooms anywhere to be found (I’m really not a fan)
  • You can even add cauliflower to create a creamy cauliflower wild rice soup and it will be undetectable!

Cashews, white beans and cooked potato in a blender, before and after blending until smooth

 

Wild rice is kind of an odd food, as it’s not actually a “rice” (like brown rice, etc.). It’s a grass that grows on water. Most of the United States’ wild rice crop is grown in and around Minnesota. I found a small box of it in the rice and beans aisle at my regular grocery store, and it should be at most natural grocers. Sometimes you’ll find it sold mixed with other forms of (actual) rice. It is a bit pricey per pound, but a little goes a long way flavor-wise and so it’s common to use it as part of a rice mix.

In this soup I use 50/50 wild rice and regular brown (or white) rice. If a wild rice blend is what you have, simply substitute it for the full quantity of rice in the recipe.

Initial steps for making vegan wild rice soup: chop vegetables, soak and drain wild rice and saute onion in a pot

Wild rice is high in protein, fiber, lysine, and several vitamins and minerals. So it’s a great option for vegan diets.

This vegan creamy wild rice soup starts with the classic aromatics (onion, garlic and celery). The rice is then gently toasted in the oil and cooked until tender, before stirring in a luscious cashew cream base made with white beans and potatoes. Because the wild rice has such a unique, nutty flavor that I wanted to let shine, I held back with the spices and just used salt, pepper, and a couple of ingredients to add umami.  The result is an absolutely addictive, rich soup. Every time I make it, it seems to be EXACTLY what I was craving. 🙂

Steps for making vegan creamy wild rice soup: toast rice with onion and celery; add vegetable broth and simmer; stir in cashew cream

Vegan wild rice soup in a white bowl on a teal background with a metal spoon

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5 from 6 votes

Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup

This vegan wild rice soup is hearty and flavorful, and gets its richness from a nutritious cashew cream.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword vegan wild rice soup
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
Soaking Time 2 hours hours
Total Time 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 376kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked for 2 hours to overnight
  • 1 small potato cooked
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp white or yellow miso
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked white beans rinsed and drained (equal to 1 standard can)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 1/2 cup wild rice soaked for 2 hours to overnight
  • 1/2 cup brown rice soaked for 2 hours to overnight
  • 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
  • 4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • fresh parsley and soup crackers (optional, for serving)

Instructions

  • Before making the rcipe, soak the cashews in a bowl of water. In another bowl, soak the brown and wild rice. Soaking the cashews softens them so they can blend to a smooth consistency, and soaking the rice helps it cook more quickly. Leave the bowls soaking for 2 hours to overnight.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, cooked potato (feel free to leave the skin on), miso, nutritional yeast, and white beans until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. This may take a few minutes. Add water as needed to blend.
  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery, along with a sprinkle of salt, and stir. Continue cooking until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the wild rice and brown rice and stir. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the white wine if using, and cook for a couple of minutes or until starting to dry out.
  • Add the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and cook while stirring occasionally, until the rice is nearly tender (15-30 minutes, depending on how long you soaked the rice for and your rice chewiness preference).
  • Stir in the cashew cream mixture. If you're not using a high-speed blender, you can pour the mixture into a mesh sieve first, using a spatula to push it through, to get rid of any lumps.
  • Simmer the soup on low until the mixture is heated through and the rice is fully cooked to your liking. Add water or broth to thin out the soup if desired. Add the vinegar and black pepper.
  • Season the soup to taste with salt. For me, this soup needs plenty of salt because it's so rich.
  • Serve hot, with fresh parsley and crackers if desired.

Notes

If you have a high-speed blender, you could skip soaking the cashews and rice, and just cook the rice for longer until tender.
White rice can be substituted for brown rice - just don't soak it beforehand.
I made a lower-fat version of this soup by reducing the raw cashews to 1/3 cup, and adding half of a small head of (cooked) cauliflower to the puree mixture. I like this version just as much, if not more!
This soup's consistency is really more like a 'stew' or 'chowder'. To make it thinner like a soup, just increase the amount of broth.
VARIATIONS: Add separately-cooked vegan chicken or sauteed mushrooms to the finished soup. Add hearty greens such as kale along with the vegetable broth. Add a quick-cooking vegetable such as spinach a few minutes before cooking is completed.
SOY-FREE: If you need to keep this recipe soy-free, use chickpea miso or omit the miso paste completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 7.4mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3.8mg

If you loved this creamy wild rice soup, then you’ll love these other recipes:

Curried Cauliflower Chowder

Vegan Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Originally published in 2014. Updated in 2021 with new step-by-step photos and improved recipe instructions.

Filed Under: Autumn, Popular, Soup, Winter Tagged With: gluten-free, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, refined sugar-free, soy-free, sweetener-free

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Comments

  1. Dan says

    May 15, 2023 at 22:35

    There is a typo on the Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup recipe.
    Before making the rcipe, soak the cashews]

    Reply
  2. Malissa says

    November 15, 2021 at 03:41

    5 stars
    Not ever try any recipe with rice like this. Well, look so great taste. I will try this soon. thank you much for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Nicole says

    September 20, 2019 at 15:10

    5 stars
    My mouth has been watering since I found this recipe and I finally made it! I cooked my wild rice ahead of time in my Instant Pot to save time and I omitted the brown rice. I made it without oil or salt to be Nutritarian and I added mushrooms and water chestnuts. I am from MN and wild rice soup must have mushrooms! I was going to add some carrots too but I forgot. I use Trader Joe’s organic low sodium vegetable broth which is very yellow so my soup is very yellow in color. I didn’t have the miso either. It was delicious and I added a little low sodium soy sauce to my bowl for a salty taste. I will definitely make this again and will try the broccoli variation next! Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Hanusia says

    December 7, 2018 at 11:31

    5 stars
    I finally made this soup last nigt and it was soooooo good!! I’ve been getting over a cold this week and it was just what the doctor ordered. I added some carrots and used a vegetarian “chicken” flavored broth but otherwise made as directed. Delicious!! My roommates loved it, too. I’ll definitely be making this one again!

    Reply
  5. Katie says

    November 18, 2018 at 10:36

    5 stars
    This is hands down my favorite soup. I’ve made it several times with varying portions and substitutions and you can’t go wrong. I like to use the suggested amount of cashews and a bag of steamed cauliflower rice. I also add a bit of poultry seasoning. My husband usually doesn’t think soup is filling enough but he asks for this one all the time. Thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Rachel says

    February 19, 2018 at 16:00

    5 stars
    I just made this, and used only cauliflower + potato for the creamy part (omitting cashews). It’s fantastic! Great recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      March 12, 2018 at 22:11

      Oh great! I was just about to ask this! My daughter is allergic to tree nuts, so I wanted to see if it could be traded for something else!
      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  7. Katie says

    January 1, 2018 at 13:54

    This looks fantastic, and gets rave reviews from my friend! But the nutrition facts would be more meaningful if you defined how much “1 bowl” is.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 1, 2018 at 15:43

      I don’t have a specific volumetric measurement for the recipe, but 1 bowl in my calculations is defined as one quarter of the recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Wildonion says

    December 18, 2016 at 16:56

    5 stars
    Wow. I just made a big pot (I doubled the recipe) and it’s fab! I used 1 c of cashews, and steamed a whole head of cauliflower, and it’s very creamy and rich. I also added a good long squirt of sriracha. I think next time, I’m going to roast the cauliflower, to add even more flavor. Thank you so much for this yummy soup recipe!

    Reply
  9. Kimmie says

    December 12, 2016 at 12:40

    This recipe was amazing. I took the lazy way out and didn’t soak the cashews, but ground them up until the they couldn’t be ground any more. I used Rex Goliath Pinot Grigio wine. I also didn’t use the miso because I couldn’t find it in the store. I used a rice cooker and just added it in at the end to make sure it ended up fully cooked :). I still boiled it 15 minutes before hand so the celery would soften. I find being vegan can be be low energy sometimes. This recipe was amazing and full of protein!

    Reply
  10. Ellen says

    November 20, 2016 at 23:39

    This soup might be the best soup I have EVER had – vegan or non vegan! I got a stomach ache because I couldn’t stop eating it. I served it with fresh bread on the side. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth G. says

    April 2, 2016 at 11:08

    Thank you for a great weeknight recipe! As non-vegans, my husband and I loved it! We followed your suggestion to sub cauliflower for some of the cashews in the creamy base, and it was great. (Meaning it just tasted creamy – not cauliflower-y) We had it with some fresh rye bread. Delicious!

    Reply
  12. Megan says

    November 26, 2015 at 20:46

    If I leave out the white wine.. Would it affect the flavor too much?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 27, 2015 at 06:25

      Hi Megan, I think the white wine adds a nice note to the soup, but it is still great without it. It’s only 1/4 cup, so not a huge impact on the flavor.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 9, 2016 at 19:36

        Made this for my vegan kids. Delicious! We served it in bread bowls. As a non-vegan who’s relatively new to vegan cooking, I’m always astounded at what can be done with cashews and how well it substitutes for dairy. Thanks for a wonderful “keeper” recipe.

  13. Rachel Ward says

    October 5, 2015 at 20:27

    Made this killer soup tonight and it is addictive, I had a hard time putting the spoon down!

    Only adjustment was out of necessity: used sunflower seeds and hulled hemp hearts in place of the cashews to make a cream.

    Golly, this is a keeper!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      October 23, 2015 at 20:28

      So glad you liked the soup, Rachel, and thank you for letting me know that your substitution worked well! Cheers 🙂

      Reply
  14. Sanne says

    October 13, 2014 at 07:31

    Oh, this looks like such a warming delicious autumn dish! Sounds yum!
    I really like your blog, I think you have very nice recipes :).
    X

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      October 13, 2014 at 15:46

      Thank you so much! That’s very sweet 🙂

      Reply
  15. rika@vm says

    October 13, 2014 at 00:57

    My comfort food right now…. this looks absolutely stunning!!!!!

    Reply
  16. Panda With Cookie says

    September 29, 2014 at 18:31

    Yes! I love wild rice but not mushrooms. Totally bookmarking this one.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      October 2, 2014 at 09:36

      Haha, I knew there were more of us out there! Hope you enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  17. Cece Leskova says

    September 28, 2014 at 18:02

    This looks so comforting and delicious!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 29, 2014 at 11:24

      Thanks, Cece!

      Reply
  18. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says

    September 28, 2014 at 09:23

    I love the background story to this soup 🙂 It looks different to any soup I’ve had before – and really appealing, especially as the weather cools down!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 29, 2014 at 11:23

      Thank you! 😀

      Reply
  19. Kelly G. says

    September 27, 2014 at 19:40

    This looks like it’d make a great belly-warmer during the winter months!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 28, 2014 at 07:26

      Thank you – it definitely does!

      Reply
  20. Kallie Schaefer says

    September 27, 2014 at 12:50

    This looks amazing! I love that you use cashews, potatoes and white beans to make it thick and creamy — I would’ve never thought of something like that. Genius! I have some wild rice mix in my cabinet that I picked up a while back, not knowing what exactly I wanted to make. This is definitely going to be it! Once our second coming of summer ends too — 85 degrees today. Yuck.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 28, 2014 at 07:22

      Haha, yep. It was around 85 here yesterday too. I had the one perfect soup day and then it was back to the humidity… oh well 🙂

      Reply
  21. Sara says

    September 27, 2014 at 11:25

    This looks so great! I love thick and creamy soups but unfortunately my husband doesn’t, but maybe I can add some more liquid to his as you suggest 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 28, 2014 at 07:21

      Thank you – me too! I like a soup that fills me up. I guess I’m lucky that my partner prefers them that way too. 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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