For those days when you’re craving a cozy, creamy, comforting bowl of soup…I have the perfect new recipe for you. Wild Rice – Black Bean – Vegetable Soup made in the Instant pot with no pre-soaking involved. It’s wonderfully creamy, cozy and comforting, and plant based. Yup, it’s pretty darn incredible!

Ingredients:
serves 8
1/2 cup wild/black rice
1/2 cup brown rice medley (mine are from Trader joes and included black barley & daikon seeds)
1/2 cup black beans
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 green chillies, split into half lengthwise
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp vegan butter (or olive oil)
1 tbsp cumin powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coarse salt
7 cups vegetable broth
8 oz coconut milk
1 handful cilantro, fresh chopped

Method: Instant-pot
Heat the instant pot by turning on ‘saute mode’ and adjust to high. Add vegan butter (or oil) and heat for a few seconds. Next add garlic, chillies, and onions. Saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Then add chopped carrots, zucchini, followed by bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook this for another 10 minutes until the veggies soften. Keep stirring every couple of minutes.

Next add bay leaves, cumin powder, and salt. Let this cook until the spices toast.

Add measured black rice, brown rice medley and black beans. Mix everything together really well.

Pour in the measured vegetable broth, and add bay leaves. Let this cook on high heat for 15 minutes until the liquid is scalding, and is just about to boil.

Turn off heat by hitting the ‘keep warm/cancel’ button. Cover the instant pot, set the vent to sealed position, and turn on ‘manual cooking, on high pressure for 50 minutes.

Once cooking is complete, let is rest for another 15 minutes. Carefully release the remaining steam by opening the vent. Release all the steam. Uncover.

Mix, and stir in the coconut milk, and chopped cilantro. The heat of the soup will heat the coconut milk through.

Optionally: you could reheat it by turning the saute mode back on and letting it cook for a an extra 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes:
Stove top method substitutions: Since the wild rice and black beans are hearty and fiber filled, for making them on the stove top, I would recommend soaking them first. Soak the measured 1 cup wild rice, 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup black beans in hot water for 30-45 minutes (while you are prepping and cooking the rest of the soup)

Now follow the exact same steps as above, from sauteeing aromatics, onions, veggies and spices. Then add the soaked rice and beans along with the vegetable stock. Now cover and cook them for 70 minutes making sure it is simmering over low to medium heat. Stir them every 15 minutes or so. Check if the rice and beans are done, and cook more if necessary. To finish, stir in coconut milk and cilantro.