Enjoy the rich, savory flavors of this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup. It’s flavored with onion, garlic, cashews, and wine, so you already know it’s going to be good!
I am always in the mood for soup. Point blank. If there is soup, I’ll have a bowl! But if there’s one soup that just sits above the rest in terms of flavor, creaminess, and coziness, it’s this creamy vegan mushroom soup.
This bowl of warmth features so many delicious ingredients, from button mushrooms and cashews to garlic (lots of it) and onion! The mushrooms are cooked with a bit of white wine for extra flavor, and the result is a bowl of creamy soup fit for even the best soup connoisseur.
Ingredients in Vegan mushroom soup
Nothing out of the ordinary to see here! This soup is made with what you’d expect, like mushrooms and cashews along with pantry staple herbs and oils. You’ll be able to find each ingredient at any grocery store. Together, the ingredient measurements create 4 large servings.
- Cashews: This recipe kicks off with 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews. These will create the creamy base for this plant-based soup.
- Olive Oil: 4 tablespoons of olive oil will be needed (divided for two parts of the recipe). I recommend using extra virgin olive oil for its low acidity.
- Mushrooms: As for the mushrooms, 16 oz will contribute to 4 servings of soup. Button mushrooms are preferred, and they’ll need to be sliced (I like to just buy them pre-sliced – less work!). Feel free to throw in any other variety of mushroom you may have or like!
- Wine: ¼ cup of white wine will add flavor to the mushrooms, while “deglazing” the bottom of the pan (i.e. getting all the tasty flavor bits that may be stuck to the pan back into your soup!). If you don’t want to use wine, vegetable broth can work as a substitute!
- Onion: You will need 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped. Did you know they are anti-inflammatory and support cholesterol?
- Garlic: Add some intense flavors with 6 cloves of minced garlic. If using powder, you will need 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Thyme: Load up on thyme with 1 tablespoon of fresh leaves. This will add a subtle, sort of lemony flavor!
- Vegetable Broth: Use 5 cups of vegetable broth to help the soup reach the perfect consistency. (Pro-tip: make your own veggie broth to save money and pantry space).
Ingredient tip
For a delicious final result, serve up your mushroom soup with these crusty homemade croutons. You can make them with any bread, and they totally perfect this soup!
How to make Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup
Making creamy vegan mushroom soup is a 5 step process, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult! The whole shebang takes just 30 minutes. And don’t let the idea of using cashews intimidate you, either! It’s an easy process, I promise.
Step 1: Soften the cashews
To begin, pour very hot water over the cashews. Let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Step 2: Cook the mushrooms
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large pot and set it over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they’re golden brown. It should take about 10 minutes.
Add the wine to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get all of the tasty flavor bits back into the mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated out. Then, remove the mushrooms from the pan.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics
To the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil along with the onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Step 4: Blend the ingredients
Add the vegetable broth to the pot and stir. Ladle about half of the mixture into a standing blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender too. Blitz until smooth and creamy, being sure to leave the lid ajar if the mixture is hot.
Step 5: Assemble
Add the creamy cashew mixture back into the pot along with the cooked mushrooms. Cook until hot, and then serve!
Recipe tips
Thicker Soup
If you’re craving a thicker soup, you can add to the density by replacing one of the cups of vegetable broth with coconut milk! This will add a nice flavor while also creating a slightly thicker consistency.
Storage
Leftover mushroom soup should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months! When ready to eat, thaw and heat on the stove.
Recipes to pair with soup
Here are some delicious pairing options for this soup! I love a good salad and soup combo, but sometimes the soup and sandwich classic pair is more like it.
- If you’re feeling a sandwich, pair the soup with this Seitan Reuben Sandwich or a Caprese Panini!
- Load up on greens with a Quinoa Kale Salad or Vegetarian Wedge Salad.
- Go with something a bit differnent by pairing it with these Pulled Mushroom Bao Buns or Fresh Veggie Lettuce Wraps.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews 150 g
- 4 Tbsp olive oil divided, 60 mL
- 16 oz sliced button mushrooms brown or white, 453 g
- ¼ cup white wine 60 mL
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 5 cups vegetable broth 1.2 L
- Optional for serving: crusty homemade croutons
Instructions
- Soften Cashews: Pour very hot water over cashews and let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil to a large pot and set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Add wine to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get all the tasty flavor bits back into the mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until wine has evaporated out. Remove mushrooms from the pan.
- Cook Aromatics: To the same pan add 2 remaining Tbsp of oil, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Blend: Add vegetable broth to the pot and stir. Ladle about half of the mixture into a standing blender. Drain cashews and add them to the blender too. Blitz until smooth and creamy, being sure to leave lid ajar if your mixture is hot.
- Assemble: Add creamy cashew mixture back into the pot along with cooked mushrooms. Cook until hot, then serve!
Jan says
There is no point in trying to eat ethically (vegan)whilst using cashews that come from Vietnam- as most do.
There is a lot of labor involved in peeling and preparing cashew nuts once they’ve been picked. It’s hard work and the chemicals in the shells themselves are very bad for you. In Vietnam, prisoners are used as SLAVE LABOR to prepare cashews for sale. They are given no protective clothing.Most of these prisoners are drug abusers who, when released, go right back to drug abuse because they’ve had no chance to rehabilitate. If you wish to eat ethically- source your cashews from somewhere other than Vietnam or use Macadamia nuts as a substitute.
Sarah Bond says
Thanks for letting us all know, Jan!
Alvin says
Hey Sara my kombucha doesn’t get fizzy what could by my issue?
I use black tea 1 cup sugar per gallon, usually it brews a week
Sarah Bond says
Hi Alvin! Check out our article on how to improve the fizziness of kombucha here 😀