Best Vegan Creamy Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

Incredibly flavorful and delicious, this earthy soup is creamy and simple to make. Perfectly oven roasted mushrooms and garlic make this beautifully hearty soup super tasty. This Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup recipe boasts loads of yummy wild and brown rice and is packed with mushrooms making it an ultimate Whole Food Plant Based soup, no oil, no sugar, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Ingredients:

Soup Base Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion (finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
• 3 carrots (finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons flour (we used gluten free flour)
• 1 cup white wine (we used Vegan sovereign blanc white wine or any Vegan dry white wine will work equally well – see recipe notes *)
• 3 cups mushroom broth (Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth - see recipe notes*)
• 3 cups water (see recipe notes*)
• 2 cup almond milk (unsweetened, plain plant milk of choice)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon thyme (dried)
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¾ teaspoon tarragon (dried/crushed)
• Pinch of rosemary
• Pinch of crush red pepper flake
• 2 ¼ teaspoons garlic paste (from roasting the mushrooms – see recipe notes*)
• 2 ½ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste*)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper (+/- to taste)

Oven Roasted Mushroom Ingredients (Roasted in the oven):

• 1 lb. white button mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
• 1 small garlic bulb (about 10 small garlic cloves – smashed, skins removed)

Cooked Rice Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice, uncooked (approx. 2 cups cooked +/- see recipes notes*)
• ½ cup brown rice, uncooked (approx. 1 cup cooked +/- see recipe notes*)

Instructions:

1. Rinse the uncooked rice well, then place into a rice cooker (with 2 ¾ cups water and a tiny sprinkle of sea salt) or cook on the stove top until done. Set aside. In the meantime, while the rice is cooking, proceed with the remaining soup instructions.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. Clean and slice all the mushrooms, then lay them onto a 14 x 20 parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Crush the garlic cloves slightly (do not pulverize them as you will use them later), remove the skins, then scatter them between the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms into a preheated 400 F oven and roast for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes has expired, switch the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes. The mushrooms should have released all their water content and have roasted with a nice brown color. Set aside. See Step 9 for instructions on the roasted garlic.
5. In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes until the veggies are tender. (If needed to prevent sticking, add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of vegetable broth or water). Make sure that the carrots are tender.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed veggies and cook the flour for a few minutes. The cooked veggies and the flour will be very lumpy, then add the white wine and stir. Cook for several more minutes. The alcohol from the wine will evaporate and you will only be left with this beautiful wine flavor which enhances the soup.
7. Add the mushroom broth and water and bring to a boil. See recipe notes on Mushroom Broth/Water Ratio. Stir well to incorporate the flour and to thicken the sauce.
8. Add all the remaining Soup Based Ingredients, increase the heat and bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer.
9. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the baking sheet where they were oven roasted with the mushrooms and place the roasted garlic into a mini-chop or small food processor and pulverize them into a paste, about 30 seconds, then add it to the soup. Stir well to incorporate.
10. Add the cooked rice and roasted mushrooms to the soup. Simmer over medium low for 10 minutes.
11. After 10 minutes, taste test the soup flavor. This is the time you can adjust flavors. Increase seasonings, if desired, to suit your personal preferences.
12. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the soup flavors have married.

NOTES:

• *Mushroom Broth/Water Ratio: We use Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients; however, this brand of mushroom broth has a beautiful mellow flavor. If you use another brand of mushroom broth, you may need to adjust the water/mushroom broth ratio accordingly if you are not using Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth. If you are using another brand, then taste the mushroom broth before adding it to the soup. Is the flavor strong or mellow? Make broth/water adjustments accordingly.
• *Vegan White Wine: The white wine flavor makes a difference. It totally makes this soup delicious. The alcohol burns off and you are left with this beautiful nuance of flavor.
• *Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
• *Serving: Makes 12 cups or approx. 6 servings.