Creamy Cauliflower Wild Rice Soup
This fan-favourite, creamy vegan cauliflower wild rice soup is packed with nutrition, easy to make and perfect for warming up on a cold day.
Table of Contents
Features
- quick and easy: minimal prep required and about 45 minutes of cooking time (if you have cooked wild rice on hand, it will be faster)
- dietary needs: vegan, gluten-free, nut-free
- nutrition features: low-fat, high in protein and fiber
- 5-star reviewed: this recipe has dozens of raving reviews so you can cook with confidence!
Ingredient Notes
- wild rice – any wild rice or wild rice blend works, it will be cooked separately from the soup so various cooking times don’t matter
- broth – any homemade or store-bought broth works, I like using bouillon cubes since they’re easy to keep on hand
- nutritional yeast – adds a cheesy, nutty flavour to the soup, this recipe was developed specifically for nutritional yeast so if you don’t want to use it I’d suggest checking out a different cauliflower soup such as this cauliflower sweet potato soup or cauliflower potato soup (wild rice could be added to this one)
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Start cooking the wild rice according to package instructions. Most varieties take about 45 minutes to cook.
Step 2. When you’re ready to start the soup, add the onion, garlic and celery to a soup pot with a couple tablespoons of water and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Stir in the thyme and oregano and cook for another couple minutes.
Step 3. Add the cauliflower, carrot and broth and lightly simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots and cauliflower are tender. Stir in the nutritional yeast.
Step 4. Carefully scoop half of the soup into a blender. Start blending on low and then increase to high for 10-20 seconds until the soup is smooth and creamy. Make sure you allow the steam to escape while you’re blending.
Pour the blended portion back into the pot with the rest of the of the soup.
Stir in the wild rice then serve with fresh lemon juice and thinly sliced green onion.
Notes and Tips
- Since you cook the rice separately and stir it in at the end, any variety works. If you don’t have wild rice on hand, try brown rice, long-grain white rice or a wild and brown rice blend.
- Amount of broth can be reduced or increased to adjust the consistency. If you like your soup very thick, reduce the broth to 4 cups. You can always add more at the end if it’s too thick.
- Potatoes work well in place of or in addition to cauliflower for a different twist. Use an equal of amount of peeled, cubed potatoes in place or cauliflower or do half cauliflower, half potato.
Storing
- Fridge: Let cool then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let cool then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.
Related Recipes
- Healthy Kale and Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup
- Curried Lentil Soup
- Vegan Cashew Carrot Soup
- Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
PrintCreamy Cauliflower Wild Rice Soup
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Prep Time: 10 mins
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Cook Time: 45 mins
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Total Time: 55 minutes
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Yield: 6
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Category: Soup
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
This creamy, vegan wild rice soup is the ultimate comfort food. The flavours are wonderful, it’s full of nutrition and makes the perfect way to warm up on on a cold day.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped celery (150 g)
- 1 medium white onion, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups, 215 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp each ground thyme and oregano
- 2 cups peeled and diced carrots (300 g)
- 4 heaping cups or 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets (450 g)
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (30 g)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (250 g)
- 1 tsp each sea salt and black pepper, or more to taste
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice (1-2 tbsp)
Instructions
- Cook the wild rice according to package instructions. While it’s cooking, proceed with making the soup.
- Add the onion, garlic and celery to at least a 7.5 qt soup pot with 2 tablespoons of water and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until starting to soften, stirring often (alternatively, you can saute the veggies in 1 tbsp of olive oil). If the pot starts to dry out at any time, add another tablespoon of water. Add the thyme and oregano, stir to combine and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower, carrot and all of the vegetable broth and simmer over medium heat until the carrots and cauliflower are tender. This should take approximately 20 minutes.
- Stir in the nutritional yeast.
- Scoop half of the soup into a blender. Make sure you leave a crack in the lid to let the steam escape. Start blending on low then increase to high and blend until smooth and creamy. Once it’s blended, pour it back into the soup pot with the rest of the soup.
- Stir in the cooked wild rice.
- Season with the salt and pepper and if desired, a squeeze fresh lemon.
- Serve right away with chopped fresh chives or green onion or store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Storing: Let cool then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Reheat stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe (350 g)
- Calories: 125
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
Keywords: cauliflower wild rice soup, vegan wild rice soup
Originally published on February 19, 2018. Updated with new photos and text on November 17, 2020.
one of my family’s favorite recipe. thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
So glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know.
We’ve made this so many times and it’s a huge hit! Even our 4 & 2 year olds love it.
★★★★★
Hello
I’m wondering how you think this would be without the nutritional yeast? I could add a bit of miso. I looked through the comments to see if anyone else had omitted it, but didn’t see that. Thanks so much.
It’s quite a big part of the recipe so I’m not sure. I think it would still be good, just very different from the original. Let me know if you try it.
Omg!!! This came out so awesome!! This will be a regular at home… I just used more garlic because we love garlic!!! Great instructions and easy to follow. Love it with the wild rice. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks, Iris! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
OMG loved this soupe, did not change anything.
Might try different grains next time.
Love that you put grams beside the vegetable.
Anybody tried this with brocoli or green beans ?
Thanks for this 😉
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it! If you wanted to add broccoli or green beans, add them when you add the wild rice and simmer for a few minutes to cook lightly. Let me know if you try it!
Wow, what a comforting soup! Loved the flavor! My sister had surgery and this is one of those perfect recovery soups! Even her wife liked it and she normally hates anything with cauliflower! I substituted the wild rice for bulgur wheat which had fun texture as well! Is there a reason it says to use a 7.5 quart pot? That freaked me out at first but I used like a 5 quart pot and was just fine.
★★★★★
No, there’s no reason, some people just like to know what size of pot was used in creating the original recipe. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I’m making this soup today. I added some chili flake to spice it up a bit, roasted garlic (I planned on making your garlic and cauliflower soup but I thought it maybe too much garlic), and an extra stalk of celery. If I make it again, I might try adding Italian seasoning instead of thyme and oregano. I also used brown rice instead of wild rice, I didn’t have wild rice at the time, but now I want to have it.
I have a lot of allergies and now I’m trying to get rid of candida in my gut.
Yep, it’s the end of May but I still made this soup today. It is SO. GOOD! I ended up blending most of it (adding rice after blending) because I’m sharing with my parents and my Mom loves really creamy soups. But, I can’t imagine it being any better than it is! The nutritional yeast really finishes it off. So good! I’ll keep this in rotation for sure!!
★★★★★
This is sooo good!! Well worth the effort of first having to cook the wild rice and then having to blend half the soup!! I used 4 cups of stock as I prefer a thicker soup, and it worked well. Such a great recipe, thanks Deryn!
★★★★★
Incredible flavor! Made the soup according to recipe. Just delicious. This will be in my rotation of easy and savory soups. Thanks so luch
★★★★★
This soup was exactly what I needed on the snow day. I can’t believe how creamy it was from the nutritional yeast. Absolutely delicious and satisfying. I brought my dad a container of it, and he loved it too. Best part is that you eat it and it’s so delicious that you think it’s not healthy. It’s rich, creamy, delicious and healthy!! Totally recommend this recipe.
★★★★★
Loved it! Perfect for a cold snowy day. Making the wild rice ahead of time definitely sped things up.
★★★★★
Definitely! It’s pretty quick if the rice is ready to go. So glad you loved it!
My daughter and I made this soup today. She’s 8 and loved it so did the rest of the family. It is a fast and easy recipe to make. Thank you it was delicious
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know.
This soup is really good. Stands on its own, no bread or crackers needed, even though I forgot the lemon. Super easy to make too.
★★★★★
So glad, Leah! Thanks so much for the review!
I’ve been looking over this recipe for a few weeks and finally made it, using leeks instead of celery, upping the garlic, and, adding a little salt & pepper after blending. I make my soups in the morning to give them time to flavor-meld by dinner, but we could have eaten it for breakfast 🙂 This soup is really REALLY good! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Heidi! I’m so glad you finally decided to give it a try. Thanks for the review!
I accidentally forgot to add salt, pepper and lemon juice…. BUT HAVE NO FEAR! This soup was so flavourful and comforting with out it. Tastes even better the next day.
Haha, that’s awesome…good to know! Thanks for the review, Sarah!
Delicious! I never knew the amazingness of wild rice before making this recipe!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Rhianna! Thanks for leaving a review.
Ok, so….. this is BY FAR one of the best recipes on Pinterest! This is my third time making it and it’s a HIGHLY requested soup in our home!! The 1/2 potato 1/2 cauliflower was a game changer! Suchhhh a great soup, easy instructions, and the taste is out of this world. Thank you for this!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so happy you love it. Thanks so much for the kind review!
Perfect soup for the first day of meteorological winter! When it’s cold and blustery, this soup is the best warmer-upper!
★★★★★
Definitely! The perfect warmer-upper! Thanks so much for your review!
This is a fantastic soup! I have made it several times, and have never felt the need to deviate from the original recipe. It is always good, especially with some crunchy bread! Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks, Lauren! So glad you enjoy it…and I’d agree, crunchy bread is key for soup!