This Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup offers all of the delicious mushroom flavor you're looking for in a bowl. This recipe is comfort food at it's finest!
If you're a fan of cream of mushroom soup, add this recipe to your arsenal. It brings tons of mushroom flavor to the table. It's also made with vegetable stock, which is what makes it a great vegetarian option. First time making creamy mushroom soup? This recipe offers all of the things you love from the classic cream of mushroom soup with a twist!
Coming from someone who was obsessed with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup growing up, you're likely to love the spin on the condensed soup. This isn't exactly the traditional cream of mushroom soup you know but it has quickly become one of my favorite recipes, which is why I'm so excited to share it with you.
To Meat or Not To Meat
Little known fact: I was a vegetarian from the age of 13 to 21. The reasons behind why I became a vegetarian and why I ultimately gave up vegetarianism are long and complicated so I will save the story for another day. Despite having reverted back to eating meat, I still regularly choose vegetarian meals. I thoroughly enjoy meatless meals when done right and this Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup is a perfect example.
Why Coconut Milk?
One of the secrets to this recipe is the use of coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Why is coconut milk so awesome? First, there's the obvious rich texture it offers. If you're looking to make a creamy soup minus the dairy, coconut milk is definitely a top contender. Second, there's the many nutrients it contains. Coconut milk is a great source of iron, manganese, magnesium and surprisingly protein. Does it need to be full fat coconut milk? No. While I did use the full-fat option, you can swap this with low fat coconut milk.
If you're looking for dairy-free options, I also enjoy using cashew cream, oat milk and unsweetened almond milk occasionally when cooking. There are so many non-dairy milk options out there nowadays that it makes it much easier to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Mushrooms: Not So Useless After All
For this recipe, I used both cremini and shiitake mushrooms. This isn't a health blog, or a health-related post even, but I would like to say that I get offended when people label mushrooms as a useless in terms of nutrition. Certain mushrooms are said to have cancer-fighting properties, can boost the immune system and can help lower cholesterol, among other things. They're hardly useless. If, for whatever reason, you'd like to read more on mushrooms, check out this article by the Harvard T.H. Chan. School of Public Health. These are just some of the reasons I love fresh mushrooms.
Also, random mushroom fact: did you know that white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms and portobello mushrooms are all the exact same type of mushroom botanically speaking? You may be wondering how that's possible since white button are white mushrooms, cremini are brown mushrooms and portobello are enormous mushrooms. All three are the same, just picked at different times. Does this mean you can use different mushrooms in this recipe? Of course. Just keep in mind that one type of mushroom may offer a different depth of flavor than another.
The Fresher, The Better
There are certain recipes where dried herbs lend themselves well. There's nothing wrong with using dried herbs in soups and sauces. This being said, I chose fresh thyme and sage for this creamy mushroom soup recipe. Should you decided to go with the dried variety, the measurement quantities will have to be modified. Instead of using 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme and sage, I suggest using 1 teaspoon of the dried herbs instead. I've added the information in the recipe card notes as well.
Bread: The Robin to My Batman
It's my belief that every good soup needs a side-kick. By this I mean bread. There's nothing better than a good crusty bread to dip into the broth or to wipe the bowl clean once the soup's all gone. I went with a cheesy, herby baguette. However, I would say that the type of bread that accompanies your soup is totally dealer's choice.
Special Equipment to Make It Creamy
There isn't a whole lot of special equipment needed for this recipe. If you have a large pot and immersion blender (aka hand blender), you're good to go. If you don't have an immersion blender though, do not despair. A regular blender works just fine as well! No blender either? A large food processor will do the trick. If all else fails, skip the blending step and enjoy it as a chunky soup instead.
What You'll Need For This Soup
The list of ingredients for this recipe may seem on the long side, but they're mostly simple items that can be found at your local grocery store. You will notice that I didn't use a thickening agent like corn starch in this recipe. With the wild rice, I just don't see the need. Here's the ingredient list needed:
- Butter
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Shallots
- Mushrooms
- Vegetable broth
- Wild rice
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh sage
- Coconut milk
- Black pepper
- Salt
What You'll Do
This recipe is pretty straightforward as far as preparation goes. Once the vegetables have been chopped, you simply heat your large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the butter to the pot and add the garlic and shallots once it's melted. Let the garlic and shallots simmer in the melted butter for about 2 minutes, then dump in the chopped carrots and celery. Sautee these for an additional 2-3 minutes before adding the mushrooms. I like to season the vegetables with salt and pepper at this point in the game. After about 5 minutes, reduce the heat to low and add the chopped sage and thyme. Allow this mixture to continue cooking on low heat for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add 4 cups of vegetable broth and the wild rice to the pot, cover and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. Lastly, scoop about 2 cups of the mushroom soup into a deep, heat-safe bowl. Add the coconut milk to the bowl, then blend the mixture with an immersion blender until a smooth soup consistency is achieved. Once smooth, add the mixture back into the large pot of soup and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste and voila!
Pro Tip: Be careful when using an immersion blender with hot liquids, as you don't want hot soup splashing onto you. This hurts, trust me.
Let's Make Vegetarian Cream of Mushroom Soup
And that's it! You can have a hearty bowl of Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup ready to enjoy in under 1 hour. Serve it with a side of your favorite bread and enjoy.
Scroll below for this Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup recipe and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe!
Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 3 Carrots chopped
- 2 Celery stalks chopped
- 2 Shallots thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 Lbs Mushrooms cremini and shiitake, roughly torn
- 1 tablespoon Thyme fresh
- 1 tablespoon Sage fresh, chopped
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 cup Wild rice
- 1 cup Coconut Milk full-fat
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the butter to the preheated pan and allow to melt. Once melted, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the fresh thyme and sage. Allow the mixture to cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and wild rice. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Scoop 2 cups of the soup into a deep, heat-safe bowl. Add the coconut milk. With an immersion blender, blend the soup mixture until smooth. Pour mixture back into soup pot and stir to blend. *If the consistency of the soup is too thick for your liking, add an additional cup of vegetable broth.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with your favorite side of bread and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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