Okay, so I need to tell you about this pumpkin wild rice soup situation. Because honestly? I avoided making it for the longest time thinking it would be one of those “Pinterest-perfect but tastes like cardboard” recipes.
Spoiler alert: I was so wrong.
Last October—or was it November? Honestly can’t remember—my sister-in-law brought this soup to a family dinner and I literally went back for thirds. Which is saying something because I’m usually the person who brings store-bought rolls and calls it a day. Anyway, I begged her for the recipe, she sent me this confusing text with half the measurements missing (love you, Sarah), and I basically had to reverse-engineer the whole thing.
Table of Contents
Why This Pumpkin Wild Rice Soup Actually Works
Look, here’s the thing about pumpkin soup. It can go wrong SO fast. Too sweet and you’ve basically made dessert soup (learned that the hard way my first attempt when I grabbed pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree at the store—don’t even ask). But this version? It’s creamy without being heavy, savory with just enough sweetness from the pumpkin, and the wild rice gives it this nutty, chewy texture that makes it actually filling.
My 10-year-old who refuses to eat anything orange somehow devours this. Still haven’t told him there’s pumpkin in it. Shh.
The wild rice is KEY here. Don’t use a wild rice blend or regular rice or whatever shortcut you’re thinking about. Trust me. I tried that once because I was lazy and—disaster. Complete disaster. The texture was mushy and weird and my husband politely ate half a bowl and then ordered pizza.
What You’ll Need (Shopping List Real Talk)
For the soup base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever oil you have, honestly)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (white onion works too, I use whatever’s not sprouting in my pantry)
- 2 large carrots, diced (or those baby carrots if you’re feeling fancy, just chop them up)
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, diced (I use baby bellas but regular button mushrooms are fine)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (I always use like 6 because garlic is life)
The main stuff:
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed (IMPORTANT: Just plain wild rice, not the blend!)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling—check the can twice!)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth works too)
- 1 can (15 oz) coconut milk (the full-fat kind, don’t be shy)
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 big handfuls of kale, chopped (spinach works if your kids hate kale)
Seasonings:
- 1 sprig fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried—fresh is better but who always has fresh herbs?)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: a pinch of nutmeg if you’re feeling it
Good luck finding decent mushrooms this time of year. I swear they’re either perfect or completely slimy with no in-between.
How to Make It (Without Messing Up Like I Did)
Step 1: Sauté the Veggies
Heat your olive oil in a big pot over medium-high heat. And I mean BIG pot because this makes a ton and you’ll thank me later when you’re freezing leftovers.
Toss in your onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want them softened but not brown. Then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 4 minutes.
(Pro tip: Set a timer. I never set a timer and always get distracted by my phone and then panic when I smell burning. You’re better than me.)
Step 2: Add Everything Else (Except the Cream)
Now dump in your vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, wild rice, sage, and bay leaf. Give it a good stir—it’ll look kinda weird and lumpy at first but that’s totally normal, don’t freak out like I did the first time.
Bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and let it cook for about 30 minutes. The wild rice needs this time to get tender, so don’t rush it. I usually set this for 30 minutes and then forget to check it until minute 35 and it’s always fine.
Important: Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Been there, scraped that.
Step 3: Make It Creamy and Finish
After 30 minutes (or 35 if you’re like me), fish out that bay leaf and sage sprig. Add your coconut milk, beans, and kale. Stir it all together and let it cook for another 5 minutes until the kale wilts down.
Now taste it. Seriously, taste it. Add salt and pepper until it tastes right to you. I probably use way more salt than the recipe calls for but that’s just me.
My Random Tips That Actually Matter
The Pumpkin Thing: When you’re at the store, those cans of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling sit right next to each other like they WANT you to mess up. Check the can twice. I’ve grabbed the wrong one more times than I’ll admit.
Wild Rice Takes Forever: Yeah, 30 minutes seems long but wild rice is stubborn. It’s worth it though. The texture is so much better than regular rice. And honestly, once everything’s in the pot, you can just walk away and do other stuff.
Make It Ahead: This soup is actually BETTER the next day after all the flavors hang out together. I make a huge batch on Sunday and eat it all week. It freezes great too—just leave out the kale if you’re freezing it, then add fresh kale when you reheat it.
Coconut Milk vs Heavy Cream: Original recipe uses coconut milk (which keeps it dairy-free), but I’ve used heavy cream when that’s all I had and it was delicious. Use about 1/2 cup of heavy cream instead of the full can of coconut milk or it gets too rich.
The Kale Situation: My neighbor swears by spinach instead of kale because “kale is too chewy.” Honestly? Both work. Use what you like or what’s not wilted in your fridge.
Serving Suggestions from My Actual Life
I serve this with crusty bread for dipping. The kids eat it with goldfish crackers floating on top which is weird but whatever keeps them eating vegetables.
My husband adds hot sauce to everything, including this. Can’t say I recommend it but he’s happy.
Sometimes I’ll top it with roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) if I’m trying to impress someone. Most days I just ladle it into bowls and call it done.
Oh, and this is PERFECT for meal prep. I portion it into containers and grab one for lunch all week. Way better than spending $12 on mediocre soup at that place downtown.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
Too thick? Add more broth or water until it’s the consistency you want. I like mine pretty thick and hearty, but my mom likes hers more brothy, so just adjust.
Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes to reduce down. Or just add more pumpkin puree.
Rice still hard after 30 minutes? Keep cooking. Sometimes wild rice is just stubborn. Give it another 10-15 minutes.
Burned the bottom? (Been there.) Just carefully scoop the soup into a new pot, leaving the burned bits behind. Don’t stir the bottom or you’ll mix in the burned taste.
The Verdict
This soup has become my go-to when the weather turns cold and I actually want to eat something healthy but still comforting. It’s hearty enough that you don’t need much else with it, and it legitimately tastes like you spent way more effort than you did.
Plus there’s something really satisfying about serving a soup that looks this fancy but is basically just throwing everything in a pot and walking away for 30 minutes.
Is it the prettiest soup? No. That orange-y brown color isn’t winning any beauty contests. But it TASTES incredible and that’s what actually matters, right?
Try it and let me know what you think! Seriously, I want to know if your wild rice also takes forever to cook or if that’s just my stove being weird.
Happy soup season!
