Instant Pot Creamy Wild Rice with Kale and Mushrooms
Oliver turned four, Frances had her first taste of stuffing in California last week, and the weather’s cold enough for wool hats. Here we are. A new season, somehow. I didn’t expect to be quiet for so long here but, as Sam and I are known to say: #life. My sister had a baby four months ago and he’s going through the famed 4 month sleep regression. She texted me the other night: “Will we make it?!” And I wrote back: YES YOU WILL. We just keep on keepin’ on. Kids have birthdays, holidays pass, first bikes are acquired, first baths are taken, and we all make it out just fine, somehow.
I made and photographed this recipe the day before we left to visit my Dad in the Bay Area last week, fully expecting to get it up on the site before Thanksgiving as it truly makes the perfect vegetarian side dish. Thankfully though, there’s no reason it needs to be relegated to the holiday table.
It has so many good things going for it: it’s simple (thank you, Instant Pot!), hearty and packed with whole grain nutrition, full of tender mushrooms and flavorful leeks, and creamy thanks to a generous handful of goat cheese (you can leave this out if you’re vegan).
Sam and Oliver took the train down for Thanksgiving and Frances and I flew. Sunday afternoon we got home and were met with a barrage of catalogs, a porch light that had blown out, a car that had died and needed a jump start, and leftovers. I cooked a soft egg and chopped a bunch of parsley and added it to the top of my bowl, Frances picked out the mushrooms and devoured them, banging on the wall when she wanted more. She’s got opinions, my girl.
I hope you all love this as much as she did.
Instant Pot Creamy Wild Rice with Kale and Mushrooms
- Yield: 6 servings
- Prep time: 15 mins
- Cook time: 1 hr
- Total time: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
Instructions
Add the olive oil to the pot of the Instant Pot and press the Saute function. Once the oil is warm, add the leeks, shallot, and celery and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme and salt, and cook until mushrooms are just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the wild rice and vegetable broth. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and place the pressure release handle in the Sealing position. Cook for 45 minutes on Manual / High Pressure. When the rice is done cooking, release the steam.
Fold the kale and goat cheese into the pot. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it sets.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. Leftovers are great for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Welcome to A Sweet Spoonful, my blog devoted to seasonal cooking, whole grain baking, and casual gatherings in our Pacific Northwest home. My name is Megan Gordon and I'm so glad you're here.
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Linda
This looks delicious!
If I'm using a saucepan instead of an Instant Pot how long do you suggest it cooks for?
Mandy
How would you do this in the slow cooker?
megang
Hi, Linda! You know, I'd just follow the normal cook time for the rice. If it still seems liquidy, let it cook down a bit further. Enjoy!
megang
Hi, Mandy! I actually haven't made it in a slow cooker, so I can't advise there. So sorry!
Anne-Marie
Looks delish! But Megan, what is your go-to vegetable broth brand? I can’t seem to find one that tastes good to me, so usually substitute chicken.
megang
Hi, Anne-Marie! I've been buying Imagine lately. It is SO hard to find a good one, isn't it?
Rachel
We made this for a small gathering a while back and absolutely loved it. We used a mix of crimini and chanterelles. I kept the goat cheese on the side as we had some dairy free guests, which worked well. Will definitely be repeating.
Barbara Bennett
Hi Megan!
I haven’t seen your blog for years... couldn’t remember the details but amazing how the internet helps in certain instances. Glad to know you’re still ‘out there’! And your Kids are growing... last time I remember seeing your blog you had just moved out of California. And I had just bought the boots that you put on your blog… LOL. Still love them! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve just retired and I’m so excited to finally be able to focus on creativity and cooking. On the note of broth… I use better than bouillon. They make a no chicken vegetarian base that is a paste. It does have 650 mg of sodium per teaspoon… 27%… So that’s a little scary but it’s a wonderful flavor and if you don’t use it heavy-handed it’s quite nice.
All the best!
Barbara
megang
Hi, Barbara! Sorry for my delay! Wonderful to have you back and congrats on your retirement! Yes, in my day job marketing over at Simply Recipes we just did a broth taste test and left out better than bouillion but our readers were NOT happy with that decision. I need to try it! Enjoy your weekend, and thank you for the note!