This is the perfect fall soup with in nutty wild rice and vegetables. A hearty soup perfect on a cool autumn evening.

The inspiration

This soup is inspired by my trip to Philadelphia to visit my sister last year. On the day we arrived my sister had made a giant pot of wild rice vegetable soup. It was the perfect soup on a chilly Philly evening!

About the recipe

Butternut squash, sweet potato, celery, onion, carrots and wild rice along with herbs and coconut milk make this a delicious vegan main course soup. Add kale or Swiss chard for extra goodness. Serve it with farm bread and a glass of wine and it’s just perfect on a cool fall evening.. Banu shared the recipe which she picked up from food blogger Givemesomeoven.

Cook’s Notes

This soup requires an herb blend called Old Bay Seasoning. Banu shared that she was able to find this at Costco. Another tip she shared is about the wild rice blend. She got hers from her local grocery store – she suggested that it have some black rice and red rice since these don’t get mushy. And her recommendation “BTW this is so easy in the instant pot.”

“I used butternut squash instead of sweet potato . I also use whatever greens are growing in my garden- kale, Swiss chard, broccoli rabe, collard greens- or a mix of these. You can get old bay seasoning at Costco. Or maybe your grocery store. This is a great vegan meal.” sister Banu

Wild Rice Mushroom Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe from Givemesomeoven.com -autumn-wild-rice-soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced or butternut squash
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning (or any herb blend of your choice)
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

Instapot method

Switch setting to saute function on the instapot. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Saute onions until translucent. Then add the garlic and combine. Add the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir briefly to combine.

Pressure cook.  Switch the setting to pressure cook. Cover and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest and naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.  Then carefully open the vent and quick release the remaining pressure.  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.

Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

Serve warm with farm bread and extra black pepper

Stove top method

1. Sauté the veggies. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
2. Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
3. Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
5. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!