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!
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.
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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
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
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.
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.
Step 4: Add the black pepper, minced garlic, and tamari to the sauteed onion and mushrooms, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
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.
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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
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.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
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.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Recipe Video
Tap to play the video and see how the soup is made!
I hope you love this vegan cream of mushroom soup as much as we do. If you try the recipe, be sure to comment below and let us know!
Recipe
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms - See Notes
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon 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
Instructions
- Combine the dried porcinis and rosemary in a small bowl. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, and pour over top. Set aside to steep for 20 minutes.
- Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ cup of broth. Stirring occasionally, cook 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms, and continue to cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- While the mushrooms cook, in a high-speed blender combine the steeped mushroom-rosemary mixture (including the liquid), cashews, and 2 whole cloves of garlic. Blend until completely smooth, adding a splash of broth to keep it moving, if needed. Set aside.
- To the soup pot add 2 cloves of minced garlic, tamari, and season with black pepper. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the moisture has evaporated.
- Add the remaining broth to the soup pot and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the blended mixture.
- Dissolve the arrowroot in the remaining cup of water. Add this to the soup pot, and continue to whisk/stir. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Nancy L
Another awesome recipe! This was so easy and absolutely delicious. I did not have dried porcini mushrooms but I used 2 tsp of mushroom powder added to the soaking cashews and rosemary. Also, my husband is not fond of big mushroom pieces so I used the immersion blender to break some up. He commented that it was really good. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
Craig
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. My wife who is plant focused, not vegan like me, said it tasted as good as my pre-vegan recipe of cream of mushroom soup that I used to make. I did add 2 tbsp of marsala wine to mushroom and onion mixture to deglaze the pot. I also had Trader Joe's Truffle Soy Sauce which added another level of unami to the dish. One note - when looking at the metric value of the ingredients the cashews are way off. It says 645g when it should be approximately 75g.
Lori
Thanks so much for pointing our that typo in the metric amount! Glad you and your wife both enjoyed the soup!
Dana
This is without a doubt the best mushroom soup. I have tried about 10 or so different recipes. Over the top with rosemary mushroom tea.
Thanks for sharing!
Jenny
I've made this 4 times now. The first time I made it exactly as written and its the yummiest mushroom soup I've ever had, vegan or not. Another time I had some leeks that I needed to use and added those with the onions and the taste was amazing. The last time I made it, I ran out of arrowroot but added 3/4 cup of barley when I added the broth and the nut mixture to the mushroom mixture and let it simmer on low for about 1/2 an hour till the barley was done. It got nice and thick and one bowl was a nice belly full with the Barley added. Great recipe!!
mppaul
Would this work with portabella mushrooms
Lori
Yes, absolutely.
Andrea
I’ve made mushroom soup for years, the traditional way with butter and cream. While looking for a vegan, oil free version to use some dried mushrooms I had on hand I landed on your recipe and all I can say is wow!! I can’t believe how rich and creamy it is, better than my traditional recipe and healthy enough to enjoy anytime!
Lori
What a wonderful review! Thanks, Andrea. I'm so glad you loved it.
Michelle
My favourite mushroom soup recipe! (Vegan or not)
Lori
Thanks, Michelle! So glad to hear it. 😀