Vegan Wild Rice Soup in the Instant Pot

Our family motto, if you haven’t heard it yet, is “delicious and nutritious.” Because the food found in supermarkets these days is not the same nutrient level as it was even 30 years ago, we try and focus on high-nutrient foods and meals.

This soup takes the cake on that one! Two of the main ingredients are chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and wild rice.

As a mom, a cook, a human being, in today’s world, I’ve found that it’s very important to go back to our roots and putting whole, nutrient dense food into our bodies.

That’s what’s going to give us health.

And you guys know I’m a big fan of quick and easy. I don’t like to mess around in the kitchen. I’m in the 5 minute sandwich gal. Delicious, nutritious, and ready to go!

I’m all about knowing the why and the big picture. When I was first learning (and still now), it’s hard to keep track of just which vitamins and minerals and nutrients do what for your body.

Just reading a list of why something like chickpeas is good for me doesn’t do it. I don’t know if you’re like that, or not but you’re going to want to read ALL of this. Trust me, it’s going to have you looking for more ways to incorporate chickpeas and wild rice into every meal!

Chickpeas Galore

We love chickpeas in this house. They’re an excellent source of plant-based protein (protein helps prevent diabetes and aid in weight loss). And they also: improve digestion (high fiber), prevent heart diseases, stabilize blood pressure levels, and lower the risk of chronic and genetic health issues.

They are a rich source of antioxidants and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, folate, and phosphorous. The nutty seeds also have a number of essential vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, A, B6, B12, and vitamin K.

Chickpeas have actually been cultivated for about 7,000 years, making them the oldest and most popular legumes on the planet. And they’re farmed locally to us which makes me very excited on our sustainable and self-sufficient journey!

High in Antioxidants

Then there’s this thing called manganese in chickpeas. It’s an antioxidant that prevents wrinkles by reversing the damaging effect of free radicals. Uh, yes please!

This legume also contains the element molybdenum, which eliminates sulfites, providing a detox effect on the skin. Other vital nutrients like folate, zinc, and vitamins repair UV damage and toxin overload while keeping the skin supple and glowing.

The antioxidants in chickpeas are awesome! Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress in the body and prevent chronic diseases. Antioxidants seek out free radicals, the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism, which can cause healthy cells to mutate. These antioxidants may also have the potential to protect the body against chronic diseases. So, you always want to be eating foods with high levels of antioxidants as much as you can!

Other Amazing Benefits

• Bone health: iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and zinc
• Chickpea consumption can also have anticancer effects do to the fatty acid butyrate. Butyrate is credited with reducing colorectal cancers.
• Good source of B vitamins – folate, especially during pregnancy.  Getting folate from a food source is better than supplementation because the way the food works together to naturally digest the vitamin, and how your body absorbs it is different than how a synthetic vitamin works. You also don’t have all of the supplement fillers to worry about.
• Choline in chickpeas is a macronutrient that plays a vital role in the body’s ability to fight chronic inflammation. It also regulates your sleep cycle, increases the range of movement in the muscles, as well as boosts learning and memory.

They’re also incredibly versatile and take on the flavour you cook them with. We use them for flour, in soups, desserts, even pudding!

They can even help with menopause and postmenopausal symptoms like night sweats, mood swings, and hot flashes!

You ready to incorporate chickpeas into your diet now? They’re super versatile, as I said, so it’s not difficult at all! Check out some of our other favourite chickpea recipes:

Wild Rice

The most important health benefits of wild rice include its ability to improve digestion and heart health, stimulate growth and repair throughout the body, slow the signs of aging, protect against chronic diseases, strengthen bones, boost the immune system, and help with weight loss.

Today, many varieties of wild rice have gained a great deal of attention due to their high antioxidant, protein, mineral, vitamin, and dietary fiber content, almost all of which are considerably higher than traditional white rice. It is low in gluten and fats as well. It is extremely valuable due to its selective accessibility and high nutritive value.

For all of the reasons we love the nutrients in chickpeas, wild rice is the same! It’s another powerhouse, nutrient-dense food that’s delicious and nutritious.

It’s also a great source of vitamin C which is what your body needs to fight against colds and boost your immune system. Vitamin C is also needed to produce collagen which helps repair muscles and cells.

Basically, eat this soup! And because of the beauty of the instant pot, there’s really no work in preparing it. It freezes well too so you can make pot after pot and never be without!

Every time we take that first, second and third bite we ALL groan.

It’s that good.

I can’t wait to hear your reviews! Share them in the comments!

Get my guide: 3 Ways Being “Unconventional” and “Crunchy” Can Give You Freedom, and learn how you can put this lifestyle to work for you. (…#3 had me feeling 10 years younger in a matter of months!)

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