Mushroom Soup with Wild Rice
We decided to host a lunch for our neighbors and try something new: soup! Which soups to make? Split pea? Quinoa curry lentil? Gypsy? Carrot? Something new? I asked Wanda what her favorite soup was, and she said mushroom with wild rice. Huddling with Elsa and Pat after our workout class, carrot soup and mushroom soup generated the most excitement. So I got Wanda’s recipe, looked at a few others, and created this vegan version of mostly-Wanda’s recipe. Delish!
Ingredients
- 6 T vegan butter (or canola oil)
- 1 large yellow onion or 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 3-4 carrots, finely chopped
- 3-4 celery, finely chopped
- 1 C wild rice (dry)
- 24 oz mushrooms (e.g., maitake, baby bella, crimini, oyster, button)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 C vegetable broth
- 3 C kale or spinach, chopped (optional)
- 1 C cashews soaked in water to make cashew cream
Spices to taste:
- fresh thyme
- fresh sage
- parsley
- salt
- bay leaf
- black pepper
Topping (optional):
- Sauteed mushrooms (set aside)
- Olive oil
- Cashew cream drizzle
Instructions
Soak cashews in water and set aside.
Chop the onion/leek, carrots, and celery and garlic and set aside. Clean the mushrooms. Slice thinly or into small stalks, depending on what types you are using. Optionally set aside a few mushrooms for topping (saute separately).
Heat butter or oil in stockpot, add onion and salt and cook about 6 minutes. Add carrot and celery and cook a few more minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and stir to combine. Cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden.
Add wild rice and stir to coat. (Or, can cook it separately and add in later.)
Add spices and broth. Bring mixture to a low boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Make the cashew cream. Once rice is tender, add the cashew cream. Optionally put a few cups (up to 1/4 of the soup) into the cashew cream blender and blend it up and add it back to the pot to thicken. Add greens, if using.
Serve up in bowls optionally topped with sauteed mushrooms and drizzles of cashew cream and olive oil.
