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!

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with mushrooms and spinach- a healthy vegetarian soup recipe that is easy, fast and vegan adaptable! 

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

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.

wild rice soup ingredients

How to make Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (see full recipe below):

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with mushrooms and spinach- a healthy vegetarian soup recipe that is easy, fast and vegan adaptable! #healthy #wildricesoup #instantpot #vegetarian

 

More favorite wild rice recipes

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with mushrooms and spinach- a healthy vegetarian soup recipe that is easy, fast and vegan adaptable! #healthy #wildricesoup #instantpot #vegetarian

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

Sylvia

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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!

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 78 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • 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

Units Scale
  • 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)
  • 34 cups carrots, chopped large
  • 34 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
  • 1/81/4 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

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Comments

  1. 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. 🙂

    1. Hi Phoebe- the recipe and timing are designed specifically for wild rice in the instant pot. So don’t think swapping out would be good here- unless you cooked it on the stove top?

  2. Just made this soup and it is amazing! I’ve been trying to find a vegetarian soup that’s not boring or lacking flavor and this is definitely it! Love it.

  3. My new favourite soup! Thanks for another fantastic recipe. I cooked it on the stovetop and added a can of rinsed borlotti beans for protein.






  4. Absolutely delicious. I just finished making it in my dutch oven and I may have mixed up a step or two (i.e. i didn’t saute the rice first, lol), but it has turned out so good. I haven’t put in a cream yet, but it’s still so delicious and my husband who typically doesn’t like soups or stews said he’d eat this for sure! It’s going to be in my rotation. 🙂






  5. It was Soup Day here and your Wild Rice Mushroom Soup took the 2nd cue….. Absolutely Delish.

    We have a large pantry room off of our kitchen where I have all my cooking appliances setup, including the IP — whenever something cooks back there it lingers in the air…..

    Today my wife was in heaven walking in and out of that back room into our fine French Restaurant Kitchen…..

    I’ve bookmarked the recipe — had it for our dinner with a thick slice of our Sourdough Bread…… Happy Bellies, Thank You.






  6. I made this and followed everything excpet I didn’t use the wine and I used the coconut milk. When I added all the broth, it didn’t come close to covering the vegetables. I ended up doubling the water/broth. I used my instant pot, but not sure if I screwed up somewhere or if it’s supposed to be thicker and not so much broth.

    1. Hi Vivienne- yes, it should be a thicker soup, and the broth does not need to cover the veggies- I will note the recipe. 🙂

  7. 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 🙂






    1. Thanks, Isabel. You might try soaking the rice, yes, or even par cooking it a bit?

  8. 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!!






    1. Awww… thanks Karen. Glad you gave the Instant Pot a go. I find, that learning new things keeps our brain young!

  9. 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!

    1. Hi Carrie- I use a 6-quart instant pot for all of the instant pot recipes. What if you halved them?

  10. So simple and delicious. I omitted the wine, but will definitely use it next time. Thank you for this recipe!






  11. 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.






  12. 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!

    1. 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?

  13. 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.






  14. 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!






  15. 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!






    1. Hi Patti, you should not need to increase the time, theoretically, but I have not tried doubling. What if you add an extra minute? 🙂

  16. 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.






  17. This was absolutely wonderful! Easy to make and great flavor. This recipe is definitely one to keep!






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