An unlikely trio of fresh kale, nutty wild rice, and cranberries make up the base of this delicious plant-based soup. A brothy soup you can make in your Instant Pot that uses coconut milk and vegetable broth. You can top this kale, cranberry, and wild rice soup with your favorite crunchy toppings.
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Kale, Cranberry, & Wild Rice Soup
I bought the obligatory fall/winter bag of cranberries last week at the grocery store. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it; I don’t like cranberry sauce- homemade or otherwise. And like…that’s the first thing I think of when I see a bag of cranberries. So it hung out in the refrigerator for a day while I thought about it.
I also make soup on repeat during the cold months. Do you do that? Especially when it rains…I make soup every time…the power of rain compels me. So last week it was cold and rainy and begging for soup. I looked sideways at those cranberries and thought…they don’t really have to be something sweet, right? I mean they aren’t inherently sweet, just tart. So I threw them into this easy (and cozy) Instant Pot kale, cranberry, and wild rice soup.
That’s the long story of how this soup happened. I was really unsure about the cranberries, but once we ate it, we were hooked. SO GOOD! The cranberries are a little punchy and bright in this otherwise normal-ish kale and wild rice soup. I am still so shocked. Shook, if you will. I made it a couple more times, tweaking the recipe to share with you.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR THIS PLANT-BASED VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN SOUP RECIPE
You can totally substitute many of the ingredients that make up this vegan kale, cranberry, and wild rice soup. Make it your own but don’t skip the cranberries!
- Onions + Garlic: The flavor base of all soups.
- Kale: I love kale, like with all my heart…but you can substitute spinach.
- Fresh Cranberries: No substitute. I used about a cup and a half but the more the merrier, use as much as you want.
- White Wine: Gives the soup more flavor and a little tang. The alcohol gets cooked out, leaving the flavor behind.
- Wild Rice: I like wild rice in the fall/winter but you can also use brown rice. If you want to use white rice, reduce the cooking time to 7 minutes (vs. 18).
- Vegetable Broth: If you like chicken broth, you can use that too!
- Coconut Milk: The most yum. If you don’t like coconut milk, you can use half and half or heavy cream.
- Salt + Pepper + Grapeseed Oil: Upping the flavor profile, don’t skip the salt and pepper. I used grapeseed oil because the Instant Pot has no chill on the saute setting, and I didn’t want the onions to burn. You can use any oil that you have on hand.

HOW TO MAKE THIS VEGAN KALE, WILD RICE, & CRANBERRY SOUP IN YOUR INSTANT POT
- Saute: Saute the onions and garlic in grapeseed oil until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant- about 5 minutes.
- Add wine: Add wine and cook another 3-5 minutes or until wine is reduced.
- Add ingredients: Add kale, wild rice, cranberries, and broth.
- Seal: Seal the Instant Pot lid and flip the toggle on top toward “sealing”.
- Cook: Set the Instant Pot to “manual” and adjust the time to 18 minutes.
- Vent: Release the pressure of the Instant Pot by flipping the toggle toward venting*.
- Finish: Stir in coconut milk and serve.

THIS COZY SOUP GOES GREAT WITH:
- Panera Copycat Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
- Authentic Italian Focaccia Bread
- Savory Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
- Gourmet Banana Bread At Home
- 100% Whole Wheat Bread In The Bread Machine
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Kale Cranberry And Wild Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 5 bowls of soup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An unlikely trio of fresh kale, nutty wild rice, and cranberries make up the base of this delicious plant-based soup. A brothy soup that uses coconut milk and vegetable broth. You can top this kale, cranberry, and wild rice soup with your favorite crunchy toppings.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 medium onions, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine
9 cups fresh kale
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups wild rice
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1 can coconut milk, light or full fat *I used light*
Instructions
- Saute: Saute the onions and garlic in grapeseed oil until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant- about 5 minutes.
- Add wine: Add wine and cook another 3-5 minutes or until wine is reduced.
- Add ingredients: Add kale, wild rice, cranberries, salt, and broth.
- Seal: Seal the Instant Pot lid and flip the toggle on top toward “sealing”.
- Cook: Set the Instant Pot to “manual” and adjust the time to 18 minutes.
- Vent: Release the pressure of the Instant Pot by flipping the toggle toward venting*.
- Finish: Stir in coconut milk and serve.
Notes
* I use a long-handled wooden spoon to flip the toggle toward venting, keeping my hands far away from the steam.
** Use your favorite toppings on this soup. I toasted some pepitas and pine nuts but croutons, walnuts, pecans, etc. would have been delicious.
- Category: lunch
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: North American
Keywords: vegan, vegan soup, vegan wild rice soup, plant based soup recipes, vegetarian, kale soup, kale, kale wild rice soup, healthy vegetarian lunch ideas, instant pot, instant pot soup,
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