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Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with mushrooms and spinach- a healthy vegetarian soup recipe that is easy, fast, and vegan adaptable! Gluten-free. Video.
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
We kept the soup pretty basic, with simple ingredients you most likely have, but what I love about this recipe is how you can just as easily 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 recipes you may like:
- Instant Pot Chicken Artichoke Soup with Wild Rice
- 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 with Mushrooms and Spinach
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- 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.
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
Keywords: wild rice soup, instant pot wild rice soup, vegetarian wild rice soup, gluten free wild rice soup, healthy wild rice soup, wild rice soup with mushrooms,
Made the soup because I wanted to make something fancy as a celebration. It was definitely worth the very expensive wild rice(I bought 100% wild rice not the mix). It I had a very rich flavour, is nourishing and pleasing to the eye. My sister liked it as well even tho u she is neither a soup nor wine person. The only thing is that the veggies got very soft, which I don’t like so much. I wonder if it would be possible to shorten the cooking time
And maintain some more texture by soaking the rice maybe? Any other ideas on how to keep the veggies crunchier? Thanks for the recipe! Will make it again 🙂
★★★★
Thanks, Isabel. You might try soaking the rice, yes, or even par cooking it a bit?
So good. I did not change a thing in this recipe.
★★★★★
Great to hear Peggy!
First time Instapot and what a recipe!! Easy-peasy! So, was trying to decide IF I needed an Instapot because I have a lovely Dutch Oven that accomplishes the same results…boy was I wrong or maybe it was just another one of Sylvia’s delicious recipes that makes the instapot shine! Forgot the bayleaf and couldn’t find my thyme and the flavors still sang out and melded together like girlfriends at a Sunday brunch….Can’t wait to try the other Instapot recipes…oh, and it turns out you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks!! This 64 year old has a new gadget and thankfully a trusted cooking website who never once has failed to share amazing recipes!!
★★★★★
Awww… thanks Karen. Glad you gave the Instant Pot a go. I find, that learning new things keeps our brain young!
Can I use white rice? I don’t have any wild!
I wouldn’t Jesse, I think the white rice would turn to mush here!
This is a question, not a comment. I recently purchased a 3 quart instant pot and would like to know how to modify these recipes to make them in a smaller portion. I haven’t used it yet and am excited to try some of these wonderful looking recipes. Thanks!
Hi Carrie- I use a 6-quart instant pot for all of the instant pot recipes. What if you halved them?
So simple and delicious. I omitted the wine, but will definitely use it next time. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks and great to hear Mary!
This was delicious! I followed it closely, with the exception of using less carrots. We made the cashew cream, and everyone added it to their bowl. I wanted to be able to freeze some for a quick healthy meal when I’m not feeling up to spending time in the kitchen.
★★★★★
thanks Penny- glad you enjoyed this!
I am making this soup tonight. I have a question. Do I add the seasoning packet in that comes with the rice? Looking forward to eating this soup!
No Lisa, do not add it, unless you want to at the end when tasting and adjusting flavors.
A family favorite! To deepen the flavor, I use soy sauce instead of salt.
Perfect Kara- love it!
So you think I can freeze this soup to eat later?
Hi Nicola- soups with dairy can separate after freezing. No always, but sometimes. What about freezing a portion with out the sourcream, then adding that in after thawing?
Bravo Sylvia! The white wine is an important ingredient in my book – lovely flavour.
★★★★★
Thanks Julie!
One of the best soups we’ve ever made. Absolutely delicious.
so happy you enjoyed this Alex!
Thanks for the recipe; we really enjoyed it. Mine definitely was not as pretty and just looked like gloop, as we are wfpb, sos-free and I blended some white beans to thicken at the end. I will shave off a few minutes next time as my veggies and rice were a tad too soft. I used balsamic instead of lemon to brighten and I think that maybe next time I will try a little ground fennel for a bit of a sausagey flavor! Yum.
★★★★
Thanks for the feedback CJ. 🙂
Followed this as written, and it was fantastic, but then we added the Gremolata and it sent this soup over the top! I so appreciate your recipes- my son is home from college and we’re trying new, healthy options for him to attempt in his first apartment next year. This made the list!
★★★★★
Love this Jenny! and the gremolata is magic, isn’t it!
I’ve made this a few times and absolutely love it. I’m wondering if i need to cook it longer in instapot if i double the recipe. Please advise. Thankyou!
★★★★★
Hi Patti, you should not need to increase the time, theoretically, but I have not tried doubling. What if you add an extra minute? 🙂
My My is this so yummy. I did not make the instant pot method. My husband and I are not vegetarians but have enjoyed adding more and more vegetables to our diet. This recipe is a home run. Great flavor and easy to make. I made it exactly as the recipe stated.
★★★★★
Love it Peggy! Thanks!
This was absolutely wonderful! Easy to make and great flavor. This recipe is definitely one to keep!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it Peggy!
We really enjoyed this recipe, but did make a small modification. The broth (mushroom / veggie stock) was great all on its own so when it came time to add the cream element, we skipped it. We did include the optional spinach. I will make this again, likely with a little more rice next time.
★★★★★
Perfect! glad you made it your own!