This week’s cozy favorite is Creamy Wild Rice & Vegetable Soup, hearty, comforting and completely oil-free and dairy-free.
Earthy wild rice simmers with carrots, celery and herbs in a velvety broth. Blended potatoes or cashews create natural creaminess without butter, cream or oil. It’s nourishing comfort food you can feel great about.
Ingredients (Serves 4–6):
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice (rinsed)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed (for creaminess)
- 6 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup raw cashews (optional, for extra creaminess)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- In a large pot, add finely chopped shallot (or onion), carrots and celery with 2–3 tablespoons of water or broth. Sauté on medium heat for 3–5 minutes until softened and fragrant (shallots cook slightly faster than onions, use the water-sauté method, no oil needed).
- Add garlic, thyme and rosemary. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add wild rice, cubed potato and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 40–45 minutes or until wild rice is tender.
- If using cashews, soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes, then rinse and add enough fresh water to blend until smooth.
- For natural creaminess (if not using cashews), use an immersion blender to pulse the soup directly in the pot a few times, partially blending the vegetables and potatoes while leaving some texture. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly, then carefully transfer one ladle of soup to a blender, blend until smooth and return it to the pot.
- Stir in blended cashew cream (if using), lemon juice, salt and additional pepper to taste. Simmer 5 more minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy a cozy, creamy bowl of plant-powered comfort.
If you make it, reply and tell me how it turned out, I love hearing from you!
I started out over 10 years ago watching Forks Over Knives, decided to “try out” the plant-based meal plan and had shockingly incredible results. I’ve never turned back. I have lost nearly 50 pounds, and that is just one side effect that me, my family, friends and clients have experienced after making the change.
Having been an incredible cook my entire adult life, I started my own personal chef service, NuYu Nourish, to extend my help to others. I interned under a celebrity chef, became a celebrity chef myself and have been expanding my reach and goals ever since! My plan follows strictly and simply those of Dr. Mcdougall, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn.
