Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

vegan mushroom soup in a blue bowl with chunky slices of baby bella visible on top.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings:6 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This Vegan Cream of Mushroom tastes to luxurious yet is surprisingly healthy! Dried porcini mushrooms are steeped with rosemary then blended with cashews, while fresh mushrooms are slowly sauteed with onion and garlic. The result is a deeply satisfying dairy-free cream of mushroom soup worth savoring.

Yield: makes 8 cups

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

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.

Video

Notes

Dried mushrooms: Often sold in 1 ounce packages, this allows you to make 2 batches of soup from one pack. Substitution: Ir you don't have dried mushrooms, increase the fresh mushrooms to 2 lbs (32 oz), and blend a portion of them after sauteing.

Condensed option: For a thicker, condensed mushroom soup omit the 2nd cup of water and dissolve the starch in the broth instead. This condensed mushroom soup can be used as a sauce for pasta, or simmered with vegan meatballs, tofu, tempeh, etc.

Store: Refrigerate leftover soup for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to one month.

Nutrition