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Loaded with veggies and herbs, this Nourishing Pumpkin Wild Rice Soup is perfect for keeping you warm and full on chilly Fall days! Try this vegan recipe today, because even if you’re a carnivore like me, you’re going to love it.
The weather’s about to get nice and chilly, so you know what that means! Soup season is officially upon us! Now that Fall’s here and the holiday season is just around the corner, it’s time to break out all the tried and true comfort food recipes.
So many comfort foods are exactly that – comforting!
However, comfort doesn’t always have to translate to unhealthy! With this easy to make vegan pumpkin soup that’s chock-full of vegetables, you can curl up with something warm, cozy, and nourishing for your soul.
The medley of veggies in this soup aren’t just healthy. They’re flavorful, too!
Plus, their natural flavors are enhanced by other natural ingredients like thyme and garlic. So if you’re like me and find yourself needing a break from all the super hearty casseroles and stews this Fall season, indulge in a way your stomach will thank you for with this pumpkin and wild rice soup!
When we think of pumpkin, we often times think of sweet pumpkin recipes like pumpkin cream cheese muffins or pumpkin cake or even a pumpkin cold brew.
There are so many creative ways to use pumpkin in savory dishes too like my pumpkin pasta or cheesy pumpkin stuffed shells.
This pumpkin wild rice soup is no exception! I love using pumpkin in savory dishes because it helps the dish become naturally creamy without the added fat from cream or other dairy. Additionally, pumpkin has a mild flavor and an excellent canvas for adding your favorite Autumn flavors. Pumpkin puree is so convenient to purchase these days in cans. A quick ingredient like that can easily be transformed into a flavorful weeknight meal with just an addition of some other ingredients.
For this recipe, I was craving something nourishing and cozy with lots of Fall flavor. I wanted something hearty as well to stick to my bones, as one would say. I also wanted something dairy-free because I have found that it does better with my body.
You wouldn’t be able to tell that this was dairy-free. There is not one bit of heavy cream or dairy in this. It is velvety smooth and creamy from the pumpkin and coconut milk.
I love the hearty chunks of vegetables and beans throughout the soup. In one spoonful, you’ll get wild rice, beans, and butternut squash. It’s honestly so nourishing and full of rich, Earthy flavor that is undoubtedly Fall!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Wild Rice Soup
- Olive oil – Avocado oil also works.
- Yellow onion – In a pinch, you could use a white onion instead.
- Carrots – Chop up some medium carrots, or just buy a pre-chopped baggie.
- Celery – Make sure to rinse it prior to chopping.
- Garlic – Pre-minced is fine, but fresh garlic will yield more flavor.
- Pumpkin puree – Always double check that it’s pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
- Vegetable broth – I usually opt for a low-sodium option.
- Wild rice – This rice is actually pretty dense with nutrients!
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
- Herbs – I like to use both fresh and dried thyme. And of course a bay leaf, because what soup would be complete without one? Add in some rosemary and sage too if you like.
- Beans – Cannellini beans are the best.
- Milk – To keep this soup vegan, use a dairy-free option like coconut milk. You can use almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk, or even a creamer option like NutPods if you don’t have coconut milk on hand. There are many dairy-free/plant-based milk options out there!
- Butternut squash – This helps make the soup taste even more Fall-friendly and hearty.
Side dish suggestions for pumpkin wild rice soup
- Bread. I love sopping up creamy soups with bread. This rosemary olive oil bread would be perfect for that job or if you want extra bold flavor, this extra garlicky bread would be delightful as well!
- Salad. For a touch of freshness and light flavor, serving this soup with a harvest chopped salad would pair nicely.
- Roasted vegetables. If you want even more vegetables with your soup, I can’t recommend roasted vegetables enough. Roasted vegetables bring out a unique and extremely flavorful side of veggies that you can’t get when you steam or sauté them. 9 times out of 10, I will always roast my vegetables. My favorite are a medley of roasted vegetables, roasted brussels sprouts, or this addicting roasted cauliflower.
What are some of the health benefits of pumpkin wild rice soup?
I’m no expert in the medical field but you hear all the time how great veggies are for you and this soup is chockfull of them.
All the veggies in this soup have a long list of vitamins and minerals that benefit our bodies and nourish it to keep us going and living a healthy lifestyle.
For example, carrots are a good source of nutrients like potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin A (source). Butternut squash is rich with antioxidants and vitamin A while high in fiber (source). A quick Google search of these ingredients will make you feel great about going back for seconds!
How long will pumpkin wild rice soup stay fresh?
In an airtight container in the fridge, this autumnal soup will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
While it reheats pretty well in the microwave, I recommend popping your leftovers back on the stove top and reheating over medium heat until warmed through.
Stay warm this Fall with more of my favorite soups recipes!
Harvest Corn and Pumpkin Chowder
Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Squash
Instant Pot Autumn Harvest Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Nourishing Pumpkin Wild Rice Soup (Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion
- 3 chopped carrots, about 1 ½ cups
- 3 stalks chopped celery, about 1 ½ cups
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree
- 5 cups (1183 ml) vegetable broth
- ⅔ cup (107 g) wild rice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 ounce (425 g) can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans
- 1 cup (237 ml) coconut milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- 1 ½ cup (210 g) frozen butternut squash or freshly diced/cubed
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice and place it in a cup or jar with water covering it to let it soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and carrots. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the celery and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin puree and 4 cups of the vegetable broth. Drain the wild rice and add it to the pot along with the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf. Give a stir and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
- Allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully take out the thyme and bay leaf. Stir in the remaining cup of broth along with the salt, pepper, thyme, beans, milk and squash. Cover the pot again and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and a little more broth or milk if you’d like a thinner soup. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and enjoy!
Very yummy! I blended about 1/4 of the soup so it would have a creamier texture. I also added in red pepper flakes for some spice.
This soup turned out great!!! It’s quite cold here in NJ today and this hit the spot! I did add additional spices to bump the flavor a bit! A yummy, hearty soup!!
Julie,
first the picture of your soup got me right off to want to try it. Just finished making it for supper. OMG is it ever good. I usually stick to a new recipe but I just had to do two things different. One I have my own butternut squash from the garden and I roasted it, half went into cubes and then I pureed w/some coconut milk the rest. The second thing is I cooked the wild rice in water and then added it. Can’t wait to enjoy more of it for supper. Thanks for the recipe.
Is it the cook time long enough to cook the wild rice?
it should be since it gets soaked before cooking and that helps with the cooking process!
Hi, this sounds delicious and was wondering if I could substitute cream for the coconut milk?
Thank you
you definitely could! just fair warning it will be a pretty heavy soup with 1 cup of cream.
I don’t think butternut squash can cooked via 20 minutes of simmering…
Am I missing a step somewhere?
you aren’t. i made it with frozen butternut squash so it does cook in 20 minutes. if it’s fresh butternut squash, it can cook in 20 minutes if it’s a smaller dice. of course, feel free to adjust timing based on how big/small your squash cuts are! :)
This was delicious. I added several large handfuls of baby spinach and used crumbled tofu instead of beans.
Does this call for the canned coconut milk or the cold kind in a carton? I’m so excited to try this!
for this, if you’re replacing it for the regular milk and you want a non-dairy option, you would use the cold kind in a carton!
Made this for dinner and it was great for lunch leftovers the rest of the week! Will definitely keep this soup on winter rotation.
Does this soup freeze well?
yes, it would freeze very well! just a note that since there is rice in this dish, it will likely be ‘mushier’ if you reheat…so if you know you’re going to freeze it, what I would do is when the rice is halfway done cooking, scoop out what you want to freeze then continue cooking what you are going to eat. to reheat, i’d add a little more broth or water.