This Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup is both hearty and healthy at the same time! It’s made with wild rice and loaded with mushrooms, and is super creamy thanks to the addition of milk and parmesan cheese.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by USA Rice and The Feedfeed. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site!
Though I tend to prefer summer as a season overall, I am ALL about soup season, aka the colder winter months. Today I’m sharing this wild rice soup recipe as part of my partnership with USA Rice and The Feedfeed, and it’s a good one!
I talked about it in this post, but I think it’s worth mentioning again: buying U.S.-grown rice is what we should all strive to be doing. Simply put, the quality is significantly better, and isn’t that what we all want for our food? Fun fact: wild rice is actually a semi-aquatic grass, meaning it grows in lakes, rivers and bays.
I love adding rice to soup rather than noodles for something different and a little bit heartier, in my opinion. If you like mushrooms and you like rice, this soup is for YOU.
WHY THIS WILD RICE SOUP IS SO GOOD
- It’s made in the Instant Pot, meaning the prep work and clean up is a breeze
- It’s loaded with mushroom and rice, making it a hearty vegetable soup
- Limited food miles because it's U.S.-grown and a sustainable crop
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT WILD RICE SOUP
As you might expect with an Instant Pot recipe, this recipe is pretty easy, though it does require a few steps vs. just throwing everything into the Instant Pot.
First, add the vegetables--onion, celery, carrots, and garlic--to the pot and sauté them until the onion is soft. Then, add the rice and half of the broth and pressure cook for 15 minutes, which will fully cook the rice.
While the rice is cooking, you want to cook the mushrooms separately. Why? Because you want then to be nice and crispy, and in order to make that happen, you have to cook them in a skillet with a decent amount of olive oil.
You’ll know the soup is done once the Instant Pot beeps and the timer is at 0. When that happens, turn the knob on top from “seal” to “vent” and release the pressure. Once it’s released, carefully open the lid, then add the milk, cheese and the rest of the vegetable broth, along with more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
WHAT KIND OF MUSHROOMS SHOULD I USE?
Honestly, you can use ANY kind, but my two favorites are shiitake and cremini, so that’s what I opted to use.
CAN I FREEZE THIS SOUP?
Yes! This wild rice soup makes a decent amount--at least 6 servings--so if you don’t eat it all at once, you’ll want to freeze it. Simply wait for the soup to cool, then pour it into a freezer-safe bag and it should last in the freezer for at least two months, probably longer (we ate ours after 1 month and it was delicious!).
OTHER TASTY SOUP RECIPES
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot/pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups U.S.-grown wild rice rinsed
- 64 oz. vegetable broth divided
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or more
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup milk any kind
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté, then add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, red pepper, salt, and pepper and sauté with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add rice and 32 oz. vegetable broth and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, cook the mushrooms: heat olive oil in a large skillet, then add the mushrooms and thyme and sauté until the mushrooms are crispy, about 5 minutes; set aside.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps, pressure release it and carefully open the lid. Stir in the milk, cheese, the rest of the broth, and HALF of the mushrooms.
- Divide soup into bowls, then top them with the remaining mushrooms. Enjoy!
Linda says
Can I put in some ground cooked sausage after the soup has cooked? Or could I sauté the ground sausage with the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, red pepper, salt, and pepper?
I'd like this soup to be extra hardy : )
It looks delicious as is but would like to add some meat.
Thanks.
Erin says
Yes! I'd sauté the sausage first, then remove it from the pot and cook the soup according to the instructions, then add the sausage back in at the end.
Ashley Martin says
I've been wanting to use my instant pot more and this was a perfect recipe to make now that the weather is getting cooler. Hearty, healthy, and delicious all in one! In general, mushrooms aren't my favorite but I loved them in this dish!
Laura says
Hello!
Can you make this recipe without an instant pot?
I would love to try it.
Thank you.
Erin says
Yes! Do you mean over the stove or in a slow cooker?
Amanda says
I would like to try it in a slow cooker. Thanks!
Erin says
Hi! You're going to want to follow the same instructions, but instead of pressure cooking for 15 minutes, cook it in your slow cooker on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Then, add in the milk, cheese and the rest of the broth. Let me know how it turns out!