This creamy vegetable rice soup is nourishing, delicious and incredibly easy to prepare! It’ll warm ya right to your toes. Serve with a hunk of buttery bread for one belly satisfying meal.
Hey friends!
Bringing you another creamy vegetable soup today!
If you follow along Girl Heart Food, you know how much I love soup, especially in the middle of winter.
Can’t stop. Won’t stop.
This one has ‘cozy’ written all over it and I’ve already made it about 10 times so far this year!
It’s super thick, lush and belly warming…and with all those veg, it’s bound to fill ya up.
Snow clearing? You’ll want this soup.
Feel like you just can’t anymore with the cold weather. You’ll want this soup.
Watching a romantic comedy in cozy clothes…you get the picture.
Why This Vegetable Rice Soup is Great
- It’s chock full of nutritious veggies
- Plant based
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Made with humble ingredients, it’s pretty budget friendly
- Made in one pot for easy clean up
- It’s absolutely DELISH!
How to Make Vegetable Soup
Full details in recipe card below, but here are the basics –
- In a large pot, cook leeks and garlic in some olive oil.
- Add carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook for a little.
- Mix in diced sweet potato, some salt, pepper and herbes de provence.
- Add bay leaves, rinsed rice and veggie broth.
- Cover and simmer.
- Stir in baby spinach. It will naturally wilt with the hot broth.
- Add prepared cashew cream.
- Stir to combine.
- Now, dig in and enjoy!
Can I Use Dairy Instead of Cashew Cream?
Absolutely!
Sub out the cashew cream with about 1/2 to 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream.
What Type of Rice Should I Use?
I used a long grain and wild rice blend. My rice cook time was about 15 to 20 minutes.
Other delicious rice options are brown rice, jasmine or basmati.
Tip: If you use a rice with a longer cook time, you may way to delay adding those veg so you don’t overcook.
I wouldn’t recommend using, say, a quick cooking rice here.
More Helpful Tips & Variations
Opt for another green, if you like. Swiss chard or kale words lovely too. You just have to cook these a little longer to break down.
Unsalted vegetable broth was used here. If you use anything otherwise, like ‘low sodium’ or ‘regular’, you may want to use less added salt.
A little splash of vinegar in this soup upon serving is delicious! I may be a little biased here…huge vinegar fan.
Herbes de Provence was used (which is a mixture of herbs). You can find where you would get other dried herbs at your grocery. If you don’t have that on hand (or prefer to use something else), just use a mixture of herbs. Thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary and tarragon are all yummy.
Like this Hearty Vegetable Soup? You May Enjoy These Too!
Celery Root Soup – this hearty vegetable soup is chock full of root veggies and is a delicious cold weather warmer upper 😉
Roasted Red Pepper Soup – Roasted red pepper, tomato and fennel makes this soup super comforting. Delish with goat cheese crostini for dunkin’!
Broccoli & Spinach Soup – This veggie packed soup is creamy, flavourful and so tasty.
Hope you love this warming veggie soup as much as we do!
And serving with a hunk of crusty, buttery bread is a must, in my opinion! This rosemary and garlic bread from Dana of Killing Thyme would be awesome to go with…talk about a yummy meal!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon,
Dawn
Make this vegetable rice soup? That’s awesome! Love it if you left a comment and rating below. Many thanks!
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Vegetable Rice Soup (cozy and delish!)
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup unsalted vegetable broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Vegetable Rice Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small leek , cut in half and sliced into half moon slices
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 carrots , peeled and sliced into about 1/4 inch slices
- 3 stalks celery , sliced into about 1/4 inch slices
- 227 grams baby bella mushrooms , sliced
- 1 small sweet potato , cut into small cubes, about size of a dice
- 1.25 teaspoons salt , divided (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper , divided
- 1.5 teaspoons herbes de provence
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup long grain and wild rice blend , rinsed (see 'Notes' below)
- 7 cups unsalted vegetable broth (or more if you want a looser consistency, divided)
- 4 handfuls baby spinach
Instructions
Cashew Cream
- In a small pot, add cashews, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until cashews have softened. Drain & rinse. Blend with 1/2 cup of veggie broth and nutritional yeast until smooth (stop to scrape sides of blender,as necessary). Lay to one side.Note: A high powered blender works best here for the smoothest consistency. Note: If you'd rather not use the cashew cream, you can omit OR stir in 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream instead.
Vegetable Rice Soup
- In a large pot (I used a dutch oven) on medium heat, add olive oil.
- Once oil has heated, add leek and garlic. Cook 5 minutes.
- Add carrot, celery and mushrooms. Stir to combine and cook 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add sweet potato, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and herbes de provence. Stir to combine.
- Add bay leaves, rice (see note below), and 7 cups of veggie broth. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low simmer, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies and rice are cooked. Remove bay leaves and discard.Note: A par-boiled long grain and wild rice blend was used here. My rice cook time was about 15 to 20 minutes. If you use anything that takes a little longer, you may way to add the rice first and then add the vegetables during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cook time so you don't overcook.
- Uncover and stir in baby spinach until wilted.
- Stir in reserved cashew cream (or half and half or heavy cream if you are using dairy), remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add more seasoning, if desired. If you want a looser consistency, add a little more broth. Enjoy! Note: Soup will thicken slightly as it cools. Yields 6 to 8 servings. Nutrition information (estimate only) is based on 8 servings.
Notes
- Opt for another green, if you like. Swiss chard or kale words lovely too. You just have to cook these a little longer to break down.
- I used a long grain and wild rice blend. My rice cook time was about 15 to 20 minutes. If you use anything that takes a little longer, you may way to start cooking the rice and add the vegetables during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cook time so it doesn’t don’t overcook.
- Speaking of rice, I wouldn’t recommend using, say, a quick cooking rice here.
- Unsalted vegetable broth was used here. If you use anything otherwise, like ‘low sodium’ or ‘regular’, you may want to use less added salt.
- A little splash of vinegar in this soup upon serving is delicious!
- Herbes de Provence was used (which is a mixture of herbs). You can find where you would get other herbs at your grocery. If you don’t have that on hand (or prefer to use something else), just use a mixture of herbs. Thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary and tarragon are all yummy.
Nutrition (estimate only)
I can’t get enough soup these days – and now you’ve made it even easier for me to eat it more!! 😉 I can’t believe you used casher cream to thicken. This is going on the menu stat! xoxo
Same here! Thank you Annie! Enjoy 🙂 XOXO
What an interesting and fun idea to use cashew cream to thicken this soup, Dawn. I’m on board! I love a good creamy soup…especially during this time of the year. (Who am I kidding? I love creamy soup any time of the year!) This one sounds delicious, and I could go for a bowl at lunch today. Do you deliver? Say around 11:45am? 🙂
Lol! Wish I could!! Thanks David 🙂
Soup is definitely the ultimate go to warm up comfort food during the winter seasons, and you’re right, can’t get enough of it! This creamy, packed full of veggies is one to make, over and over again. Perfection!
Thanks so much, Kevin!
So many beautiful and fresh ingredients in such a comforting cozy dish. Wishing this was already read on in my bowl. 🙂 I’m ready to be warmed right to my toes! 😉 Valentina
Yay! Thank you Valentina 🙂
I love how healthy and nutritious this is, whilst still being full of flavour! Delicious 🙂
Thank you Alexandra! It’s a yummy one for sure 🙂
I looove warm and cozy soups like this one Dawn!! It’s so hearty! My kids would actually eat it too, I would just have to remove some of the liquid. They’re weird like that, haha! You definitely need soup with the weather you guys have been having! Stay warm and safe!! XO
Me too! Lol! Too funny! Thanks Katherine…back at ya 😉 XO
You’re so right Dawn! This soup looks totally cozy. Hearty and stick to your bones delicious. Pinned!
For sure! Thank you Mary Ann!
I’m with you, Dawn! Can’t get enough soup right now. And this one has so much good stuff – hearty, creamy, comforting!
For sure! Thank you Marissa!
What a lovely bowl of soup and I love this creamy version of the classic. Looks perfectly filling and delicious 🙂
Totally! Thanks Jennifer 🙂
Oohhh I can’t wait to try this one! Nothing beats soup in the winter! I could definitely go for a big bowl of this today. Hope you’re staying warm!
Yay! Hope you love it, Kelsie! Thank you 🙂
Cashew cream is my favourite way to thicken soups! This one looks so hearty with all the rice. We could sure use all the soups this week! Comfort food on repeat! Can you believe we’re into day 7 of the state of emergency?! Hope you’re staying safe Dawn! Pinning!
Can’t believe it! Thanks Leanne! Same to you 🙂
This is comfort food in a bowl! THere’s nothing better than a bowl of soup on a cold day! I love that this is so yummy and good for you too! Double win!!!
I agree…thank you Kathy!