I love soups, and soups are regular in our household, irrespective of the season. This wild rice and mushroom soup is our recent favorite, and I can see myself making it, over and over, this season.  I love adding carbs like noodles or rice to my soup. Soups that are filling make a complete meal on their own, and they are perfect for lunch or dinner.  This mushroom soup loaded with the goodness of wild rice, bella, and shiitake mushrooms, is one such comforting and filling soup, and you can easily make it in the Instant Pot. It’s a saute – dump and go soup recipe. We need to saute the onions and garlic first. Then dump in all the ingredients and let the Instant Pot take care of the rest. Once the cooking is complete, we add the slurry and the milk and let the soup thicken. That’s it. It’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe too.  Let’s talk about the two main ingredients – wild rice and mushrooms. 

What is wild rice

Actually, wild rice is not rice! Interesting right? It’s aquatic grass with edible grains, and this grass resembles more like regular rice. Wild rice is nutrient-dense and loaded with anti-oxidants. It has a pleasant nutty, and earthy flavor. (It doesn’t taste like quinoa) While I don’t want to compare the tastes, we can compare their nutritional benefits. You can check both quinoa and wild rice’s nutritional benefits here. 

Mushrooms that I used

I love to use a combination of mushrooms, and I went with bella mushrooms/cremini mushrooms and fresh shiitake mushrooms. You can use porcini mushrooms too. Dried mushrooms work well but make sure to soak them in warm water till they soften and use water you used for soaking in the soup; no need to discard. 

Ingredients 

While wild rice and mushrooms are the essential ingredients in this soup, we also add other veggies. Here they are.  We need one tbsp of oil for this soup, and I went with olive oil. Like most of the soups, we start by sauteing onion and garlic. And then we add vegetables. I included some carrots and celery.  Spices: Apart from salt and pepper, I added onion powder, Italian seasoning, and some curry powder for the spicy kick. But it’s optional. Liquid: I did not use any vegetable broth. I used water. But you can use low-sodium vegetable broth or homemade broth. If you are using dried mushrooms, use the water you used to soak the mushrooms. For slurry: To thicken the soup, I used corn starch slurry. You can use all-purpose flour too. And to add the creamy texture, I used oat milk. Opt for any plant-based milk of your choice. 

Dietary specifications and serving suggestions

This wild rice and mushroom soup is a vegan and nut-free soup recipe. I am using oat milk here, and make sure you use gluten-free labeled one for a gluten-free version.  While this soup is filling on its own, you can also serve it with rustic bread or breadsticks.

Freezing and storing suggestions

As the soup cools down, it thickens. The leftover soup will be very thick. You can thin it down by adding vegetable broth and making sure to adjust the seasonings.  Do not add the corn starch slurry or the milk if you plan to freeze. Once the soup is ready, let it cool and freeze it. When planning to serve, thaw it and add the milk and serve. If needed, add the slurry.  Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this mushroom and wild rice soup. 

How to make mushroom and wild rice soup in Instant Pot

Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion softens a bit.

Now turn off the Instant Pot. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, soaked and drained wild rice.

Then add the spices, including salt, ground pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and curry powder.

Now add the water and mix well. Close the Instant Pot. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the soup in “soup” mode or at high pressure for 30 minutes, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure. 

Then carefully open the Instant Pot. Set it in saute mode.

Mix the corn starch and water without any lumps. Add this slurry and the milk to the soup.

Mix and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the soup thickens.

That’s it; the soup is ready. Serve warm.

Recipe notes

Frequently asked questions

Explore other Instant Pot vegetarian soup recipes

PS:  If you try this wild rice and mushroom soup, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

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