This Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup recipe is cozy and comforting! Loaded with mushrooms and spinach- it’s a hearty, healthy vegetarian soup that is easy, fast, and vegan-adaptable! Gluten-free. Video. Looking for more? Check out 50 Best Vegetarian Recipes and Our 40 Best Mushroom Recipes!
Hey friends, if you are like me, you probably have some wild rice hiding out in your pantry along with a hundred other things. Here is an easy recipe for Wild Rice Soup, made even easier in the Instant Pot. It’s kept vegetarian and loaded up with mushrooms, with a couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach, tossed in, right at the end.
Creamy and earthy, this is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup, and vegans will have an easy way of adapting it. And of course, you can make this on the stovetop, just go to the recipe notes. Because wild rice takes about 45 minutes on the stovetop, I really do like using the Instant Pot for this recipe.
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup | Video
Wild rice soup Ingredients
We kept the soup recipe ingredients pretty basic, with simple ingredients you most likely have: wild rice blend, carrots, mushrooms, celery, spinach, and onions – but what I love about this recipe is how you can just as quickly toss in other veggies to the mix. Veggies like fennel bulb, parsnips or other root veggies would work well here too. Comb through your fridge and see what you have.
How to make Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (see full recipe below):
- The essential step to getting the most flavor is browning the onions and garlic in the instant pot, but after that, you are basically good to go.
- Add the remaining ingredients, pressure cook on high for 24 minutes, then stir in the creamy component, in this case, sour cream (or coconut cream or cashew cream).
- Right before serving toss in the fresh baby spinach.
No need to make a roux here with butter and flour, we are simplifying it with the sour cream.
Creamy delicious goodness.
More favorite wild rice recipes
- Instant Pot Risotto!
- Our 25 Best Instant Pot Recipes | Easy Pressure Cooker Meals
- 25 Delicious Vegetarian & Vegan Soup Recipes
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
On the homefront: Many of us have been experiencing a little cabin fever as of late, myself included. The days are short and nights are long. By the time 5 pm rolls around, it feels like it should be bedtime. I miss being able to go out to dinner, and see friends if only to break up the week a little – I’m feeling a little stir-crazy. Anyone else? 😉
The thing that helps me most, besides getting outdoors, is finding a way to be creative in some small simple way. Cooking and baking does this for me. It’s surprising how much satisfaction this brings, and thankfully Brian doesn’t mind too much either. Somehow cookie baking seems perfectly reasonable this time of year- if only for the pure act of it.
Hope you enjoy this simple Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach – a simple weeknight dinner that is easy to put together. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
xoxo
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Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: vegetarian soup
- Method: instant pot, stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with mushrooms and spinach- a healthy vegetarian soup recipe that is easy, fast and vegan adaptable! Gluten-free! (Inspired from Pinch of Yum)
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter or ghee)
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini, button, portobellos)
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
- 3–4 cups carrots, chopped large
- 3–4 cups celery, chopped
- 4 cups veggie broth (or 4 cups water plus 2-3 teaspoons veggie bouillon)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ( or 1 teaspoon dry thyme)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- pinch cayenne, optional
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon turmeric, for a golden color.
- ————
- 1/2 cup sour cream (or sub coconut milk, or cashew cream-see notes)
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped (optional)
- Optional Garnishes: chopped flatleaf parsley and parmesan or try Gremolata or Arugula Pesto
Instructions
Set Instant Pot to Saute Function and add the oil and onions and mushrooms, stirring for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, then cook a couple more minutes until the liquid cooks off, and mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic, saute 1-2 minutes.
While the mushrooms are cooking, chop the carrots and celery. When the onions and mushrooms soften add the rice and saute for one minute. At this point, you could deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits if the pan seems dry, (or skip it), and then cook this off for 1-2 minutes.
Add the carrots, celery, veggie broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, cayenne and turmeric. Give a good stir, again, scraping up any browned bits. The broth need not cover the veggies.
Set Instant Pot to High for 24 minutes. Naturally release, for 10 minutes, then manually release.
Stir in the sour cream (or coconut milk or cashew cream), and taste, adjusting for salt and pepper.
***If going the vegan route– keep in mind, sour cream adds a nice tanginess- which you can replicate by adding a few drops of lemon juice or AC vinegar to the soup to brighten it up.
Stir in the fresh chopped spinach just before serving.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of fresh Italian parsley, parmesan or other optional garnishes.
Notes
Cashew cream: Blend 1/2 cup soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water until smooth and creamy. (If no time to soak, simmer cashews in boiling water 10-15 minutes before straining and blending.) You may not need all the Cashew cream in the soup – so add incrementally to taste. Add a few drops lemon juice or AC vinegar.
Stovetop Version: In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, saute onions and garlic until golden. Add mushrooms, release their liquid and begin to caramelize. This will take a little time. Add the rice and saute for one minute. Add the wine if using and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add the remaining ingredients- carrots, celery, veggie broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and turmeric. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently on low heat until the rice is tender about 35-45 minutes. Stir in the sour cream or vegan alternative. Taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
If your soup lacks depth or flavor- it is most likely your veggie stock-try adding another bouillon cube, more salt or even a little miso paste. 😉
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups ( made with sour cream)
- Calories: 256
- Sugar: 8.7 g
- Sodium: 698.3 mg
- Fat: 9.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.7 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 11.3 mg
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it. 10/10 delicious! I’m already looking forward to having more tomorrow. I did the instant pot/sour cream/spinach option. This is definitely going to become a staple around here. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
So glad to hear this Ginny! Appreciate the review!
Delicious! Made this today and everyone loved it. I served it with cut up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. It was so delicious. I did the cashew cream! Turned out perfect. I will definitely make this again!
Great to hear this Cindy!
Could you put raw chicken breasts on top (like your Chicken Tortilla Soup) and then shred at the end? Would the 25 minutes in an InstaPot be too much?
Just my husband and I for Thanksgiving so I thought I’d keep it simple and yummy.
Hi Beth, I bet that would work just fine!
Oh man!! This might be the best thing I have ever made. No joke. So delicious. Esy too. I made it using Sylvia’s recipe provided for cashew cream and served it with homemade sourdough bread (also her recipe). I used diced garlic for an add-ins, in the bread and sprinkled Everything But the Bagel spice on top of the bread. It was the perfect complement to the soup. Thank you Sylvia!
Such a helpful review Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed!
I haven’t tried this yet but it was recommended by my sister who raves about it! I am looking to add a bit more protein to it per serving…is there a type of meat you would recommend? Thank you!
Chicken would be yummy!
Love this soup….third time making it and just realized we forgot the cashew cream at the end. Still delicious. Though this time it was much thicker than previous times, will add more broth to the leftovers.
Glad you liked this Claire! Appreciate the review!
Excellent! Tastes great as written! I didn’t add the extra cup of water as the water from the mushrooms didn’t cook off much from mine and it was great! Good way to use up some extra carrots and celery!
yay! great to hear Julie!
If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would…it was that good! I prepared it exactly as written, used straight wild rice (not the wild rice mix as shown in the photo). Both my husband and I loved it with a drizzle of gremolata and served with homemade bread with cranberries and walnuts. This recipe has been added to our rotation. Thanks so much!
Glad to hear this Ceejay!
My favourite kind of recipe; nutritious, quick and easy to make and most of all very delicious! I made this on the stove top. Already looking forward to cooking and eating it again.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the review!
WOW this was delicious. I ate this all week for lunch and it was just as tempting every single day. It was also very filling. I used an 8oz package of cremini and a 8oz package of wild mixed mushrooms.
So glad to hear this Jules!
I doubled and made this delicious soup in October 2023 and froze 2 quarts. Just pulled one quart out for lunch today, March 2024, and it was just as delicious. My boyfriend kept raving about how good it is, and I agree! Thank you for this keeper!!
Oh love that! So glad you both enjoyed.
great!
Does this soup freeze well?
Should freeze great!
Hi, just to be sure-you state to use wild rice, yet the picture posted is of a wild rice blend, 2 different things. Can you clarify which one you used in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Ashley- I used a wild rice blend in this recipe.
Easy. Fast. Amazing flavor. Even kids loved it. Thank you! Your website is amazing!!
Thanks so much JJ!
Love this recipe. It works well and is forgiving if you add less then the called for amount of celery and carrots. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed Bana!
This soup is SO good. This was
easy in the instant pot.
I wanted to get a little more depth of flavor by adding some miso with the cashew cream, but it’s still super delicious. ❤️
That sound delicious. Glad you enjoyed!
This was yummy! Is the 3-4cups each of celery and carrots a mistype? I used 4 celery stalks, and 4 carrots and that was plenty. Love your recipes!
Thanks Mary- no not a mistake, yes it a lot… but it cooks down by half. I am glad it turned out for you!
Tried this last night using Lundberg blend on stove top, but with only 5 cups liquid total it was not soupy.Added 2 cups more of veg. broth to get soup which tasted good.
Ok, thanks! Just to clarify, so on the stove top, you needed more liquid? Did you cook this covered or uncovered?
Yes added 2 cups v. broth and it was covered,I do not own a I/P but have a 10qt. Fagor stove top P/C. Cooked this in my 5.5qt. All-Clad dutch oven.
I think the Instant Pot keeps more of the liquid from evaporating. I will have to try this on the stove top- will note the recipe- thanks so much!
Made this soup for the first time tonight! Swapped out sour cream for unflavored greek yogurt, which worked really well.
Oh perfect!
Made without an instapot, sour cream, celery and most of the salt. Came out beautifully without those things.
Good to know! Glad you enjoyed!
so easy, and my roommates LOVE when i make this. i like to add some red pepper flakes because i’m a spicy girl, and i definitely recommend adding some coriander to add some sweetness – goes really nicely with all of the savory / umami flavors!! i also use kale instead of spinach, and add it into my pot with the garlic.
Nice! Love all your renditions!
Can I sub the cashew cream for something else if allergic to cashews?
Thank you! Excited to try this recipe for company coming over this week. 🙂
Hi Martha, You could use sour cream, or vegan sour cream?