Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Name: Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms (See Notes); 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried; 2 cups water, divided; 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced (or white button ); ½ cup raw cashews; 4 cloves garlic, peeled (leave 2 cloves whole and mince the other 2); 4 cups vegetable broth; black pepper (to taste); 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce); 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (or corn starch)

This Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup is luscious, smooth, and full of rich, savory flavor! Made with a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms and a hint of rosemary, this soup is easy enough for a busy weeknight, yet elegant enough for holidays and special occasions. It's perfectly creamy and satisfying without coconut milk, butter, or oil!

a bowl of thick and creamy vegan mushroom soup on a wood surface.

Are you ready to fall in love with a soup? I promise, it's that good! This isn't just some copycat of the congealed-looking, condensed stuff from a can that we all grew up with. This dairy-free cream of mushroom soup is truly a celebration of mushrooms!

Shoutout to my friend Andrew for the inspiration. After connecting over our love for healthy plant-based cooking, he and I decided to collaborate on a creamy mushroom soup. From the first look at his recipe notes, I knew we had a winner!

The recipe is quite easy to make, and the result is a delicious non-dairy cream of mushroom soup without any oil, butter, all-purpose flour, or coconut milk.

If you love mushrooms as much as I do, check out my Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms, Shiitake Mushroom Pasta, and Mushroom Veggie Burgers next.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
What You'll Need
How to Make Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Serving Suggestions
Equipment
FAQs
Helpful Tips
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Recipe Video
Recipe
💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

Easy to Make: With simple-to-follow steps, you'll have this tasty soup on the table in just 30 minutes!
Gluten-Free: Using arrowroot or cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup means it's also great for your gluten-free friends and family.
Perfect for Meal Prep & Making Ahead: The soup keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge, so you can whip up a batch in advance of a big holiday meal or dinner party.

What You'll Need

Dried mushrooms and other ingredient needed for the ultimate vegan cream of mushroom soup.

Here are a few ingredient notes. See the recipe card below for amounts and full step-by-step instructions.

Button Mushrooms: I used fresh baby bella mushrooms , also known as cremini, but white button mushrooms are also great. Sautéing them with the onion until caramelized really brings out the umami.
Dried Porcini Mushrooms: These mushrooms have a concentrated, earthy flavor that adds depth to the soup. Steeping them with rosemary creates a sort of "tea" that infuses the soup with a savory, umami richness.
Fresh Rosemary: This fragrant herb is combined with the porcinis, which enhances their flavor and the overall flavor of the soup. Fresh is best, but if you've only got dry on hand, it will work in a pinch.
Yellow Onion: Caramelizes with the fresh mushrooms, which brings out the onion's natural sweetness and adds flavor to the soup.
Raw Cashews: Blended with the mushroom-rosemary mixture, this is the "cream" element in our dairy-free soup.
Garlic: Minced garlic cooks with the mushrooms, adding another layer of savory flavor, while raw garlic blends with the cashew cream, giving it a pungent kick.
Vegetable Broth: Creates the base for the soup and is used to help blend the cashews. You can also use some for sautéing the mushrooms if needed.
Tamari: Adds an umami flavor as well as some saltiness to the soup. If you don't need the soup to be gluten-free, feel free to use soy sauce instead.
Starch: You can use either arrowroot starch or cornstarch for thickening the soup.

How to Make Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Steeping dried mushrooms and rosemary in boiling water.

Step 1: Steep the dried mushrooms and rosemary in boiling water for about 20 minutes.

Step 2: In a soup pot, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the cremini mushrooms and cook until softened, about 15 minutes.

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Step 3: To a high-speed blender, add the steeped mushroom-rosemary mixture, garlic, and cashews, and blend until completely smooth. Add a splash of broth to help with blending if needed.

Adding garlic and soy sauce to the sauteed mushrooms.

Step 4: Add the black pepper, minced garlic, and tamari to the sauteed onion and mushrooms, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Finishing the soup by whisking in the cashew cream and starch slurry.

Step 5: Add the remaining broth to the soup pot and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the blended cashew mixture.

Step 6: Finally, dissolve the arrowroot or cornstarch in water and whisk into the soup. Continue to stir and heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

This velvety rich soup is amazing by itself with some crusty bread on the side for dipping, but it's also fantastic served over brown rice or quinoa with a side of steamed broccoli, Roasted Broccoli, or Air Fryer Broccolini.
It also pairs well with satisfying salads like Roasted Gnocchi Salad, Creamy Vegan Kale Salad, and this Roasted Broccolini Salad .
Make a condensed version of this soup to use as a sauce for pasta dishes, similar to this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta. You can also use it in casseroles, or simmer it with vegan meatballs, tofu, tempeh or some Homemade Seitan.

Equipment

You'll need a high-speed blender for blending the cashew and porcini mushroom mixture and a soup pot for cooking the soup.

FAQs

What if I can't find dried porcini mushrooms?

If you're unable to get your hands on dried mushrooms, increase the fresh mushrooms to 2 pounds, and blend a portion of them after sautéing.

How do I store leftover soup?

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

close up of soup in a blue bowl showing the creamy consistency.

Helpful Tips

Don't add the starch directly to hot soup. When using arrowroot or cornstarch it's important to dissolve them in a cool liquid first because as soon as they hit the heat, they start to thicken. If you add them directly to the hot soup, you'll end up with clumps of starch, and no one wants that!
For a thicker version. For a thicker, condensed mushroom soup, dissolve the starch in some of the broth instead of using additional water.
For a lighter color: For a lighter colored soup, more reminiscent of the canned cream of mushroom, reduce the soy sauce and add salt or miso, to taste.