The heartiest vegan soup recipe
This chickpea and wild rice stew is hearty, cozy and chock full of good for you vegan ingredients. It is perfect for a Wintery day or when Fall's first chill begins to settle in. This vegan soup is super easy to make, comforting and filling. The hearty broth is made by cooking down the fall vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes and aromatics with thyme, tomato paste and spices. Smoked paprika gives it a smoky undertone that compliments the sweeter veggies like corn and carrots. Lastly, chickpeas and wild rice make a winning combo that is both nutritious and filling. Bonus, this recipe is oil-free!
What is wild rice?
Wild rice is not actually rice, it is seeds of a species of grasses. It's higher in protein and fiber and lower in carbs and calories than white rice. Wild rice's texture is chewy and firm and the flavor is earthy and a little nutty. I love using wild rice in soups and salads because it doesn't break down and get mushy like simple white rice. Wild rice is a great base for this chickpea and wild rice stew.
Ingredients for Chickpea and Wild Rice Stew
This vegan and oil-free soup recipe has all the usual suspects. I always start any soup or stew with onions, celery and carrots as the flavor base. This soup cuts some corners by using onion powder instead. It cuts out a full step of sautéing the onions to make this into a one pot soup. Then this one gets a flavor and vitamin infusion with hearty sweet potatoes, butternut squash and corn. These are all basic ingredients that should be easy to find at the market.
- wild rice
- thyme leaves
- water
- sweet potatoes
- butternut squash
- corn
- carrots
- celery
- chickpeas
- salt
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- oregano
- bay leaves
- tomato paste
- black pepper
How to Make Chickpea and Wild Rice Stew
This oil-free stew is really easy to make. I skip the saute step of making this stew because all the veggies, spices and aromatics cook together with the wild rice until it is tender.
- In a large pot on high heat, bring wild rice, fresh thyme and water to a boil.
- Meanwhile chop the sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, and celery. Add to the boiling soup.
- Add the chickpeas, corn, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Continue to boil until rice and vegetables are tender. This will take 45-60 minutes from start to finish.
Other delicious vegan soups
Chickpea and Wild Rice Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 10 cups water
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 cup butternut squash, fresh or frozen cubed
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped in rounds
- 1 stalk celery cut thin
- 15 oz chickpeas canned, drained
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot on high heat, bring wild rice, fresh thyme and water to a boil.
- Meanwhile chop the sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, and celery. Add to the boiling soup.
- Add the chickpeas, corn, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Continue to boil until rice and vegetables are tender. This will take 45- 60 minutes from start to finish.
- Enjoy within 5 days when cooled and stored properly in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.