This vegan wild rice soup is loaded with vegetables, nutty wild rice, mushrooms, and tender chunks of jackfruit! The broth is extremely creamy without using any butter, heavy cream, or cashews! Thanks to a slow cooker, you can get this gluten-free and oil-free meal on the table with very little effort.
This vegan wild rice soup is my veganized version of classic chicken and wild rice soup! I love love love it! It’s super-rich and creamy without using any butter or heavy cream, and the meaty chunks of jackfruit are the perfect replacement for chicken. This vegan soup is loaded with lots of vegetables, nutty wild rice, mushrooms, and a decadent sunflower cream broth that really puts it over the top!
This gluten-free and oil-free soup is incredibly quick to assemble and easy to make in a slow cooker. Just wait until you taste how creamy the broth is after you stir in the sunflower cream. It’s unbelievably yummy and it’s sure to please anyone who tries it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This creamy vegan soup is made in a large slow cooker using a combination of fresh vegetables and pantry staples. Let’s talk about the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need it.
- Wild Rice: Wild rice adds a really nice texture, nutty flavor, and color to this soup. You can substitute 1:1 any type of rice you have on hand, just make sure to rinse it first. I’ve made this recipe using a wild rice blend, brown rice, basmati rice, quinoa, farro, and pearl barley.
- Canned Jackfruit: I used canned young green jackfruit as the chicken replacement. It’s chunky, tender, and it shreds just like a slow-cooked chicken does. The flavor is mild, so it picks up all the seasonings in the soup. Did you know that you can also use unripe jackfruit to make a delicious stroganoff, enchiladas, tacos, or BBQ sliders? It’s so versatile! You could substitute canned chickpeas, great northern beans, artichoke hearts, or vegan sausage for the jackfruit.
- Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds are magical! Once boiled and blended, they make anything super creamy. Raw cashews are the best substitute for sunflower seeds. If you use cashews, you need to boil them for 10 minutes prior to blending too.
- Mushroom Variations: You can use any variety of mushrooms. Cremini, white button, portobello mushrooms, shiitake, or a blend of wild mushrooms can be used. Fresh or frozen mushrooms are fine.
How to Make Vegan Wild Rice Soup
Combine all the chopped vegetables, jackfruit, wild rice, dried seasonings, vegetable broth, and just enough water to cover everything in a large slow cooker (Photo 1). Cover with the lid and set it to cook for 4 hours on High.
In a medium saucepan, boil the raw sunflower seeds in water for 10 minutes (Photo 2). Drain any excess water and then blend the seeds with fresh water until it’s smooth and creamy (Photo 3). Stir the sunflower cream and fresh lemon juice into the slow cooker (Photo 4). Garnish with chopped chives before serving.
What Goes With Wild Rice Soup?
I usually serve bowls of this vegan wild rice mushroom soup with a big side salad drizzled with ranch dressing and a baked potato loaded with dairy-free sour cream and lots of chives. Any of the following recipes would be a delicious side dish to serve with the soup.
- Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Scalloped Potatoes Florentine
- Roasted Beetroot Feta Salad
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, this creamy vegan soup freezes and defrosts perfectly! Store the leftovers in an airtight and freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3-4 months for the best quality. It’s ok to freeze the wild rice in the soup. The soup will have a thicker consistency after you freeze and defrost it.
How to Reheat It
From the Freezer: To reheat, take the container out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop.
From the Fridge: You can reheat the soup in a covered bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Or you can warm it up in a medium-sized saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s warmed through. If the consistency is too thick (the wild rice will soak up some of the broth), add 2-3 tbsp of water or vegetable broth to thin it out.
Notes & FAQ
- Can I cook the soup on the Low setting for longer? Yes, you can cook it on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.
- What type of jackfruit should I use? When using jackfruit as a meat replacement, you need to use canned young green unripe jackfruit in brine, not syrup. Don’t use fresh or sweetened jackfruit in this soup because it will taste sweet instead of savory.
- Do I need to remove the jackfruit seeds? Nope! They will become very tender after cooking for 4 hours. The seeds are 100% edible, so you don’t need to remove them.
Success Tips
- Only use canned green jackfruit in brine, not fresh or sweet jackfruit that’s packed in syrup.
- Make sure to rinse and drain the canned jackfruit and wild rice very well before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Boil the raw sunflower seeds for 10 minutes before blending them so they’re soft and easier to blend into sunflower cream.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Want More Vegan Soup Recipes?
Hearty White Bean Cabbage Soup
Vegan Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
- Large Slow Cooker
- Medium Saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 large celery stalks sliced
- 4 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 10 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- (2) 14 oz cans young green jackfruit (in brine) rinsed and drained
- 1 cup wild rice rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp Italian seasonings
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp salt (add more to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water (enough to cover everything in the slow cooker)
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chives
Instructions
- Put the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, jackfruit, wild rice, Italian seasonings, bay leaf, salt, pepper, vegetable broth, and 2 cups of water into a large slow cooker. Stir to combine. The liquid should just barely cover all of the vegetables.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to cook for 4 hours on High.
- Put the raw sunflower seeds in a medium saucepan and cover it by 1-inch with clean water. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water. Put the boiled sunflower seeds in a blender cup (I used a Nutribullet) along with 1 cup of fresh water. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Store the mixture in the fridge or make it right before the soup is done cooking.
- After cooking for 4 hours, remove the lid and stir in the lemon juice and sunflower cream. Add a little bit more water to the blender cup and swirl it around to get any leftover sunflower cream out and add it to the slow cooker.
- Taste and add more seasonings if necessary. I added a little bit more salt and black pepper. Garnish each bowl with chives before serving.
Notes
- Only use canned green jackfruit, not fresh or sweet jackfruit packed in syrup.
- Make sure to rinse and drain the canned jackfruit and wild rice very well before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Boil the raw sunflower seeds for 10 minutes before blending them so they're soft and easier to blend into sunflower cream.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published on 11/13/17, but I updated it on 11/10/20.
