Creamy Vegetarian Chicken Soup with Wild Rice

This Creamy Vegetarian Chicken Soup with Wild Rice is such a satisfying meal. It’s creamy, with a slightly nutty quality from the wild rice. It also packs a nutritional punch!

Newbies

When I first become vegetarian, I sought ways to make many of the dishes I ate before I became vegetarian meatless.  This meant I purchased a lot of fake meat products, or meat substitutes.

I think many new vegetarians do this, because it is natural.

But I didn’t do that for long – I was skeptical of many of the fake meat products, and really, back then (how am I old enough to use phrases like this I ask you?) they were nowhere near the quality they are now.

Frankly, while some of those veggie burgers make good sandwiches, I can make a way better veggie burger from scratch, and have tons of leftovers to eat, share, or freeze.

And for way less cost too!

But, Meat Substitutes have progressed, and I recently began sampling them again.

I recently tried Beyond Meat’s vegan chicken strips and was extremely impressed with them.  They pack a ton of protein, and the texture is pretty good.  They hold up well in dishes – meaning they don’t fall apart if you add them to a stir fry, or other dish.

This means I have been experimenting with a lot of meatless chicken dishes.

I have been making a vegetarian chicken noodle soup, and I already posted this Vegan White Bean and Chicken Chili.  One of the things my husband missed the most when we cut out meat was chicken soup, so finding a way to make vegetarian chicken soup has been so much fun – and so satisfying!

This is not a sponsored post by the way.

Beyond Meat isn’t paying me to do this.  I am simply recommending them because I genuinely like them, and I think if you are a vegetarian, or vegan, and haven’t already tried them, you might want to.

You could also use a different meat substitute, or no meat substitute at all.  You might try white beans or chickpeas instead of the fake chicken.

It isn’t JUST the meat substitute, though, that’s got me diving into the world of chicken, or chicken style recipes lately.  One, it has been. so. cold.

Seriously, I live in East Tennessee right now, and it was negative five here this week.  For this Florida born and Louisiana raised girl, that’s just too cold.

I’ve basically been hibernating, and making all of the soups, and chilis and stews I’ve been thinking about.

This Creamy Vegetarian Chicken Soup with Wild Rice is, essentially, everything I love in a soup.

Its creamy and satisfying and easy to make.  There are leftovers you WANT to eat.  And despite the fact that it is a creamy soup, it’s also nutritious, because it’s packed full of veg and protein.

It also passed the husband test.

If he asks me to make something again, I know I’ve got a winner.

Of course, my husband could eat chili every day of the week and be happy.  He loves hearty bean and lentil dishes, where I’m more of a creamy or broth-y soup person.

This vegetarian chicken soup, though, was a winner with both of us.

Tools

For this soup I used this no chicken bouillon.  This no chicken bouillon is what enables you to make a truly authentic tasting vegetarian chicken soup.  I served my mother some, and she thought I’d made the real thing.

I always keep some in the house, because it’s also good to use a little in stir fry dishes and other things.  Just be careful – like most bouillon it packs a sodium wallop, and you want to be careful not to use too much!

Next Up

I am making some vegetarian chicken and dumplings soon – this was my hands down favorite dish growing up, and I never cared whether there was chicken in it or not.  So thanks to this bouillon I think I can turn this recipe vegetarian – perhaps even vegan, and it will still be delicious.

Is this a recipe you’d like to see on the blog?  Let me know in the comments!

Creamy Vegetarian Chicken Soup with Wild rice

This Creamy Vegetarian Chicken Soup with Wild Rice is such a satisfying meal. It's creamy, with a slightly nutty quality from the wild rice. It also packs a nutritional punch! 

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine soup, Vegetarian

Servings 8 cups

Calories 124 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
• 3 Whole Carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 Stalks Celery, diced
• 2 Cups Wild Rice Blend I used Whole Foods Wild Rice Blend, but you could use any.
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tablespoons No Chicken Bouillon
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary or 2 tsp dried
• 1 Sprig Fresh Thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 6 Cups Water
• 1 Package Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips Or about 8-12 ounces chicken substitute.

Instructions

 

• Prepare wild rice according to package instructions.
• In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onion, carrots, and celery until softened.
• Add garlic and saute for one minute.
• Add water and 3 tablespoons no chicken bouillon.
• Keep the stock pot over medium heat, and allow vegetables to simmer while you proceed to the next step.
• In a separate, small sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter.
• Whisk in flour until a paste has formed.
• Slowly whisk in milk, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture is thick and creamy.  
• Add frozen chicken strips and wild rice and stir them in.
• Reduce heat to low on the stock pot.  Slowly stir the milk mixture in a few tablespoons at a time.
• Add fresh rosemary and thyme.
• Serve hot, preferably with crusty bread!