Well, we had a few nice days of autumn here in Winnipeg, but apparently we’ll be getting snow soon. I think I might be the only person in the city who is excited for that! To prepare us all for the cooler days, I thought I would share the recipe for my Creamy Wild Rice Soup, which is also vegan and gluten-free! And yes, the soup is totally dreamy!
How to make vegan Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Wild rice can take a while to cook, but otherwise this soup is really easy to make. Sauté all your onion and leek, then add your garlic, celery, and carrot and cook some more. Add your wild rice, broth, and herbs. Once you bring that to a boil, you’ll turn down the heat and let it simmer for abut 45 minutes, or until your wild rice has cooked to your liking. Then add your cashew cream, corn, and chickpeas. Season to taste and voila!
Cashew Cream
To make this soup creamy, I like using homemade cashew cream. I find sometimes non-dairy milks can be too thin, and when they get heated they can separate a bit. It doesn’t make for a pretty soup! The cashew cream is great because it doesn’t separate or get weird. The richness of it also helps to get that really creamy taste.
As always, it’s best to soak your cashews for the best blending. You can, in a pinch, boil water and let the cashews soak for 15 minutes, strain, then blend. Make sure to blend the cashew long enough — no one wants chunks of cashews in their creamy wild rice soup!
I like to add chickpeas to this creamy wild rice soup to bump up the protein content. With the chickpeas, you get a really well rounded meal. Sometimes soup just isn’t filling enough for me — but with chickpeas, rice, and veggies, this soup is great!
You could forgo the chickpeas, but then I would reduce the broth by about 1 cup or it will be too thin. You could, alternatively, bump up the amount of wild rice!
Make sure to use a good sized soup pot, as this recipe does make a decent amount. The good thing is that this soup also makes for a great lunch!
Looking for more (vegan and gluten-free) dreamy, autumn recipes? Check these ones out!
- 1 tbsp neutral tasting oil, like canola
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup wild rice
- 5 cups veggie broth
- 1 15oz can of chickpeas
- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- salt + pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours*
- 1 cup veggie broth
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Warm the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and leek. Saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Saute for another 5 minutes.
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Add the bay leaves, thyme, wild rice, and broth and bring to a boil.
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Once it has come to a boil, simmer over low-medium heat, covered, until the rice is cooked -- about 45 minutes.
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Prepare the cashew cream by placing the cashews and broth in a high powered blender. Blend until smooth -- this is important! No one wants bits of cashews in their soup.
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When the rice is cooked, add the chickpeas, corn, and cashew cream. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
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Let the the corn cook and the chickpeas warm through, about 10 minutes. Then, serve and enjoy!
*If you haven't soaked your cashews, you can cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 15 minutes.
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I’m definitely not as excited about the snow, but this soup is perfect for this time of year!
I think I spoke too soon! We were hit with a terrible storm in Winnipeg this past weekend — definitely soup weather! 🙂
I love using cashew cream to create a creamy soup. This one looks ultra creamy, rich and comforting. It’s a cold and damp day here today so I could totally go for a bowl of this soup for lunch! Pinned!
Thanks, Leanne! Stay warm and cozy!
This is a super yummy (and easy) recipe. I like the addition of the chickpeas to make a complete vegan meal, thanks!
Thanks, Sabrina! 🙂
This soup looks so cozy and delicious! There is something about a creamy soup that is just extra comforting. I was so windy and rainy here earlier and this soup would have been perfect for lunch.
Thank you! Hope you stayed cozy 🙂
YUM! Cashew cream sounds like such a great idea for thickener. I’ve also had a great vegan tomato soup that was thickened with sunflower seeds. I guess that’s a good alternative for nut free folk.
Oh that’s such a great idea — thanks for sharing, I’ll have to try that!
This looks like such a delicious and comforting soup, especially for the chillier days ahead in Winnipeg. I’m from Winnipeg too, so I know how cold it can get!
I hope you did okay during the storm!! Stay cozy 🙂
I’m all over soups and this one is particularly catching my attention! The chickpea and rice makes it so satisfying and full! Yum!
Thanks, Melanie 🙂