COURSE:
British, Lunch, Main Course, Recipe Page, Recipes, Soup
Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle
This Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle is the ultimate bowl of autumn comfort. Creamy, nourishing and rich in flavour, it combines sweet roasted pumpkin with hearty wild rice for a satisfying texture and a natural earthiness that makes every spoonful feel like a warm hug. Finished with a drizzle of nutty brown butter infused with crispy sage leaves, it’s an elegant twist on a seasonal staple.
The base of the soup is blended to a velvety smoothness, bringing out the pumpkin’s natural sweetness, while the wild rice adds bite and a lovely contrast. The brown butter drizzle isn’t just for show – it lifts the entire dish with its deep, aromatic richness and that unmistakable fragrance of toasted sage. It’s a clever addition that takes this comforting soup to restaurant-quality levels, with minimal extra effort.
Ideal as a starter for a dinner party, a warming lunch, or a cosy midweek meal, this recipe is a brilliant way to embrace seasonal produce. It’s naturally vegetarian and can be made vegan with a few simple swaps – just use plant-based butter and skip the dairy in the soup base.
The Instant Pot makes it all remarkably simple. It cuts down cooking time significantly, ensuring the rice is tender and the flavours are beautifully melded without the need for constant stirring or checking. Whether you’re feeding guests or just want a soothing meal for yourself, this soup is as beautiful to serve as it is to eat. Comforting, wholesome and full of character – it’s autumn in a bowl.
Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Servings:
4
Product:
Instant Pot Multi-Cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup wild rice (or pearled black rice)
- 2 cups water
- Generous pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 15 sage leaves
- 1 onion
- 2 ribs celery
- 200 g baby mushrooms
- 500 g butternut squash
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tsp flaked sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (hot)
- 1 tin (400 ml) coconut milk
- 1 tin (400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 125 g kale
- 1 ½ tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water (slurry)
- Olive oil as needed
Instructions
- Place the ½ cup wild rice, 2 cups water, and a generous pinch of salt in the Instant Pot, making sure the water tastes seasoned. Secure the lid, select Pressure Cook, set to 18 minutes, and press Start. Once the rice is cooked, drain well and set aside.
- Cancel the cooking function and select sauté (medium heat, level 2). Add 2 tbsp butter and fry the 15 sage leaves until crisp. Pour the butter and sage into a bowl and set aside for serving, leaving the pot lightly greased. Add a little olive oil if needed.
- Add the 1 onion, 2 ribs celery, 200 g mushrooms, and 500 g butternut squash. Sauté for 5–8 minutes until the onion is translucent and the celery has softened. Stir in the 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp chili flakes, pinch of nutmeg, and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes more until the garlic is fragrant.
- Cancel sauté. Add the 500 ml hot stock and 1 tin coconut milk. Secure the lid, select Pressure Cook, and set to 1 minute. Perform a quick release once finished.
- Stir in the reserved rice, 1 tin cannellini beans, and 125 g kale. Whisk the 1 ½ tbsp cornflour slurry into the hot soup and stir until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and drizzle with the reserved brown butter sage to serve.
Notes
You can swap the pumpkin for butternut squash or sweet potato. Coconut milk can be replaced with 125 ml cream for a richer finish. To keep the recipe vegan, use vegetable stock and replace the butter with olive oil for frying the sage.
Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle
COURSE:
British, Lunch, Main Course, Recipe Page, Recipes, Soup
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Servings:
4
Product:
Instant Pot Multi-Cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup wild rice (or pearled black rice)
- 2 cups water
- Generous pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 15 sage leaves
- 1 onion
- 2 ribs celery
- 200 g baby mushrooms
- 500 g butternut squash
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tsp flaked sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (hot)
- 1 tin (400 ml) coconut milk
- 1 tin (400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 125 g kale
- 1 ½ tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water (slurry)
- Olive oil as needed
Instructions
- Place the ½ cup wild rice, 2 cups water, and a generous pinch of salt in the Instant Pot, making sure the water tastes seasoned. Secure the lid, select Pressure Cook, set to 18 minutes, and press Start. Once the rice is cooked, drain well and set aside.
- Cancel the cooking function and select sauté (medium heat, level 2). Add 2 tbsp butter and fry the 15 sage leaves until crisp. Pour the butter and sage into a bowl and set aside for serving, leaving the pot lightly greased. Add a little olive oil if needed.
- Add the 1 onion, 2 ribs celery, 200 g mushrooms, and 500 g butternut squash. Sauté for 5–8 minutes until the onion is translucent and the celery has softened. Stir in the 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp chili flakes, pinch of nutmeg, and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes more until the garlic is fragrant.
- Cancel sauté. Add the 500 ml hot stock and 1 tin coconut milk. Secure the lid, select Pressure Cook, and set to 1 minute. Perform a quick release once finished.
- Stir in the reserved rice, 1 tin cannellini beans, and 125 g kale. Whisk the 1 ½ tbsp cornflour slurry into the hot soup and stir until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and drizzle with the reserved brown butter sage to serve.
Notes
You can swap the pumpkin for butternut squash or sweet potato. Coconut milk can be replaced with 125 ml cream for a richer finish. To keep the recipe vegan, use vegetable stock and replace the butter with olive oil for frying the sage.
Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle
This Pumpkin and Wild Rice Soup with Brown Butter Sage Drizzle is the ultimate bowl of autumn comfort. Creamy, nourishing and rich in flavour, it combines sweet roasted pumpkin with hearty wild rice for a satisfying texture and a natural earthiness that makes every spoonful feel like a warm hug. Finished with a drizzle of nutty brown butter infused with crispy sage leaves, it’s an elegant twist on a seasonal staple.
The base of the soup is blended to a velvety smoothness, bringing out the pumpkin’s natural sweetness, while the wild rice adds bite and a lovely contrast. The brown butter drizzle isn’t just for show – it lifts the entire dish with its deep, aromatic richness and that unmistakable fragrance of toasted sage. It’s a clever addition that takes this comforting soup to restaurant-quality levels, with minimal extra effort.
Ideal as a starter for a dinner party, a warming lunch, or a cosy midweek meal, this recipe is a brilliant way to embrace seasonal produce. It’s naturally vegetarian and can be made vegan with a few simple swaps – just use plant-based butter and skip the dairy in the soup base.
The Instant Pot makes it all remarkably simple. It cuts down cooking time significantly, ensuring the rice is tender and the flavours are beautifully melded without the need for constant stirring or checking. Whether you’re feeding guests or just want a soothing meal for yourself, this soup is as beautiful to serve as it is to eat. Comforting, wholesome and full of character – it’s autumn in a bowl.
