Creamy vegan mushroom soup is a delicious dairy-free alternative to traditional cream of mushroom soup! This dairy-free cream of mushroom soup is made with a blend of flavorful mushrooms, savory herbs and a vegan cashew cream. An easy vegan mushroom soup recipe without cream is all comfort food and sure to satisfy your cravings.
This post has been updated from the original posted April 24, 2019.
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I love mushrooms, but hubby doesn’t like them…so I go easy with the mushroom recipes, even though I know mushrooms are a vegans best friend in the kitchen! This recipe for dairy-free cream of mushroom soup is perfect the mushroom lover in your life, or those looking to get started with mushrooms.
Here’s a shocker: he LOVES my vegetarian chopped liver which is essentially all mushrooms. It’s been the only mushroom recipe I’ve ever gotten him to try and he actually asks me to make it all the time.
Enter this dairy-free creamy mushroom soup….winner winner. I now realize he must have been fed some bottled marinated mushrooms as a child…well, duh, I don’t like those either…but give me some roasted or sauteed mushrooms that are full of umami flavor and satisfying texture…and I’m IN!
Those who say they don’t like the texture of mushrooms haven’t had mushrooms like those in this delicious creamy soup, nor have they tried my incredible vegan mushroom stroganoff recipe. Period. End of story.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are my top choice for this soup, but porcini mushrooms, white button mushrooms or baby bella are also great choices. generally don’t buy pre-sliced mushrooms but if you’re looking to save time, go for it! The kind of mushrooms you use isn’t as important as the saute to build that mushroom flavor into your soup.
- Onion: Leeks or garlic would be great additions as well.
- Carrots and Celery
- Fresh Herbs: fresh thyme and dill are my top choices, but oregano or fresh parsley would also be great, and you can throw in a few bay leaves to the soup while it’s cooking for even more depth of flavor.
- Spices: I used salt, black pepper and paprika. Italian seasoning blend would also be a good choice.
- Raw cashews: It’s so easy to make your own cashew cream..but if this is your first time making this soup, you can always buy cashew milk or oat milk in the grocery store and use that instead.
Benefits of Mushrooms
- Low in calories, carbs and fat.
- Good source of protein
- Anti-inflammatory
- High in fiber—increased satiety and reduced appetite
- Rich in savory and satisfying umami flavor, perfect for vegan diets.
- Loaded with B vitamins, Vitamin D, antioxidants
- Gut friendly: prebiotic
- Rich source of calcium and iron
- Boost the immune system
How to make soup
First you’ll need to soak the cashews. Pour boiling water over them and allow them to sit while you get the soup started. The timing will work out perfectly!
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onions in no salt vegetable stock. If you buy pre-made vegetable broth, make sure it’s low sodium and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use olive oil or water to saute the veggies.
Once the onions have softened, add the sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and paprika and cook over medium heat, stirring often, adding a bit more veggie broth as needed so the pan doesn’t become dry.
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the vegetable broth and mix well. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender and liquid has reduced.
While soup is cooking, make the cashew cream. Drain the soaking cashews. Rinse. Drain again and add them plus 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
Add cashew cream to the soup pot and mix until fully incorporated. Allow soup to continue to cook for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve warm garnished with more fresh herbs.
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
- If you’re looking to use this dairy-free cream of mushroom soup as a replacement for traditional cream of mushroom soup in the can, simply place 1 ½ cups in a food processor and pulse until less chunky. An immersion blender will also work well for this task.
- Read the ingredient list in the canned stuff…reason enough right there to make this canned cream of mushroom soup alternative.
- Use this vegan cream of mushroom soup in all your favorite recipes like vegan green bean casserole.
- You can also use this dairy free creamy mushroom soup as a vegan replacement for recipe that use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery.
📖 Recipe
Dairy free Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 ½ lbs cremini mushrooms sliced, sub with baby bella
- 3 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Pour boiling water to cover cashews and let them soak for 15 minutes.
- Heat a heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onions in 1-2 tablespoons veggie broth until translucent. Stir in sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and paprika. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir while vegetables release their juices. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, until extra liquid has been absorbed.
- Pour in the white wine and let it sizzle. Scrape up any bits that stuck to the bottom of the pot while the wine reduces.
- Stir in broth and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until liquid has reduce by half and veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, make the dairy free cream with the cashews that have been soaking. Drain, rinse and place in blender with 1 cup water and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the cashew cream and mix well. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the soup thickens.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh herbs.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Gloria
There is something about homemade mushroom soup that is so comforting. You cannot get this out of a can!! Full of flavour, and lots of mushroom pieces too. I know we would love this for dinner any night of the week.
Debra Klein
No…definitely not comparable to that thick and gooey stuff from the can with ingredients that are impossible to pronounce. This is the real deal!
Jenni LeBaron
I love that this soup relies on cashews for the creaminess rather than heavy cream. The soup looks like it’s chock full of so much good flavor and plenty of umami. I also really appreciate that it uses ample fresh herbs to make it really sing!
Debra Klein
You’ve described it perfectly!! I use fresh herbs wherever possible.
Julie Menghini
We eat soup all year long and John loves mushrooms as much as I do. This soup looks so creamy and delicious and I’ve never tried making cashew cream but can’t wait to try it! I’m all for cutting out fat where I can.
Debra Klein
Fellow mushroom lover, you are going to love this soup!!! The cashew cream is super easy to make and you will find it good for so many things….in this recipe it’s used to thicken up the soup, but check out the lentil tacos where it’s used straight like sour cream.
Sarah
I love using pureed nuts to give a little oomph to recipes! This soup sounds incredible– and so perfect for the weather. It’s rainy and gloomy here- I should make this when I get home!
Debra Klein
This spring rain just doesn’t let up! This soup is perfect for this weather and so is the creamy asparagus (which is nut free) this time of year.
Marisa F. Stewart
I don’t think we’re ever without some form of mushrooms at our house! We are constantly looking for more ways to use them. This soup looks marvelous. Soup is terrific any time of year. I’m saving the recipe to make next week.
Debra Klein
Amen to mushrooms always in stock! Enjoy.
Daniela
I had no idea mushrooms were so good for you! And with this lightened version of a creamy mushroom soup, you can really feel good about eating what’s normally comfort food. I love how creamy the soup turned out, and I will definitely be making this for my vegan friends.
Debra Klein
Right? Healthy comfort food sounds like and oxymoron, but totally true with this one!
Annemarie
I hope you had a lovely Passover! And what a great soup to enjoy this spring. Cashew cream is such a wonderful way to add ‘creaminess’ to dishes and then the umami of the mushrooms. This is a very satisfying soup!
Debra Klein
Thanks…the holiday was really lovely…and I just made another batch of this soup…it’s just as you describe, creamy and umami in every bite.
Dana
Mushroom soup is one of the only soups I’ve never made from scratch, yet I grew up absolutely loving it. (Albeit from the can, sadly. Lol.)
This sounds so easy, rich, delicious, and flavorful. I can’t wait to finally try my hand at this.
Debra Klein
Oh…you won’t believe the difference between this and the can. Night and Day!
DEBRA O
About to make this comfort soup. Any thoughts on using miso? Without lemon, perhaps? Or would it be too strong to cancel cashew flavor? Just wondering…Thanks!-D.O.
Debra Klein
Is that for miso in addition to the other ingredients or instead of something? A couple teaspoons of miso would probably be a tasty addition…if you try it, omit the salt and let me know how it goes!
Debra Offenhartz
Fantastic Soup for chilly spring days!
Complex layered flavors indeed. Used a mushroom mixture including some oyster gems. Never made cashew creme before…could have fooled me!
Is it possible to freeze???
Thank you for another winner, Debra!
Debra Klein
Awesome! Thanks Debra. Oyster mushrooms would be fantastic in this recipe…YUM! Yes, you can freeze this soup.