Somer's Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

5 from 1 vote

Somer's Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

This easy vegan cream of mushroom soup is rich, savory, and packed with mushroom flavor, plus 14g protein per serving! Made with simple ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect with crusty bread for dipping! (gluten-free, soy-free with easy nut-free option)

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream of mushroom soup

Servings:

Author: Somer McCowan

Ingredients

For the Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided. Or broth fry for oil-free.
16 ounces mushrooms sliced 1/8” thick, such as white, cremini, oyster, shiitake, portobello, or any mushrooms you like. You can also use a mix of these.
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/4 cup sherry or red wine, see notes for wine substitutes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups vegetable stock or mushroom stock, divided
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3/4 cup raw cashews Soaked for 15 mins then drained

For Garnish

chopped green onion or chives
pepper flakes
sprouts

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown some of the mushrooms for garnish.

In a large, thick-bottom saucepan, Dutch oven, or deep skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in 1 to 2 ounces of the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Add a good pinch of salt, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside for garnish.

Make the cream of mushroom soup.

In the same pan, add the onion, garlic, and a good dash of salt. Mix and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion starts to turn translucent. If the pan dries out, add 1 tablespoon or more stock.
Add the remaining mushrooms, herbs, and the remaining salt and olive oil, and mix well. You can also add 1 to 2 teaspoons vegan butter at this point for additional flavor. Partially cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once in between, until the mushrooms start to pick up some color. Mix in the wine or balsamic vinegar. Cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes to cook out the alcohol or vinegar flavor, then reduce the heat to low.
Transfer about 1/3 of the mushroom and onion mixture to a blender.
Add 3 cups of the stock to the pan. Increase the heat to medium again, cover, and bring to a boil. Let the mushrooms cook for 8 to 10 minutes total, so they are completely cooked through, because they will stop cooking once you add the cashew cream mixture.
Meanwhile, add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, and 2 cups of the stock to the blender. Blend until smooth. I usually blend for 1 minute, let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes for the cashews to rehydrate, then blend again for 1 minute until everything is super smooth.
Once the mushrooms are cooked to preference, add the cashew cream mixture to the pan. Partially cover and bring back to a boil. If the soup thickens too much, add more stock and bring to a boil again. Taste and adjust flavor, adding more salt, black pepper, herbs, pepper flakes. For additional flavor, you can also add in some miso, vegan parmesan, and fresh herbs as desired.
Serve this cream of mushroom soup garnished with the browned mushrooms, chives or green onion, pepper flakes, and sprouts. Serve with sourdough bread, bakery bread, garlic bread, pita bread, or crackers.

Video

Notes

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Mushrooms don’t always freeze well, but because this is a creamy soup, it might work to freeze.

If you don’t have wine, substitute 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or a mix of 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar.

Variations: You can also add 2 teaspoons soy sauce to deepen the umami flavor.
To add more protein, you can use 1 cup white beans or 1 cup silken tofu to make the cream in the blender with the cashews. This will bump protein to 20+ g per serve. You can add hemp seeds, as well, for additional protein.

This cream of mushroom soup is gluten-free and soy-free. To make it nut-free, you can use a combination of tofu and hemp seeds or tofu and pumpkin seeds to make the cream.

Nutrition