Name: Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons vegan butter OR 2 tablespoons broth or water (see note 1); 2 medium sweet or yellow onions, finely diced; 5-6 cloves garlic, minced; 30-32 ounces mushrooms, sliced (see note 2); 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided (can use 1 ¾ teaspoons dried thyme, divided); ½ cup vegan marsala/white wine/sherry or just use broth (see note 3); 6 tablespoons all purpose flour (use gluten-free if needed, see note 4); 4 cups vegan chicken or vegetable broth (see note 5); Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ cup canned coconut cream/coconut milk/cashew cream; 3-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Savory, earthy, and packed full of flavor, this Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup is super easy to make in less than 30 minutes and yet achieves a depth of flavor that far surpasses any can of whatever. This soup is great on its own yet perfect for other recipes. Keep a couple cups-worth in the freezer for easy pasta sauces, casseroles, and more.

Skip to the Recipe!

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Hey Internet, who’s ready for another soup recipe? I am, haha. I just spent the last 5 days in Ohio visiting family and… I am embarrassed but I still don’t have a coat. I’m getting around to it, OK?

AND spent the 11 hours in the car yesterday and went to work today, and came home and shot this recipe. I’m tired, but at least I’m feeling pretty warm with a belly full of soup.

I’ve been craving this soup for a long time.

It’s funny, I already have something similar on the blog, my vegan creamy mushroom lasagna soup. But like, that’s kinda weird? I mean it’s good, don’t get me wrong.

But I wanted a classic cream of mushroom soup (vegan, of course). And no, not like the one in the can.

The ONLY way in which this is like the stuff in the can is that it can be used to make other dishes like my vegan green bean casserole, pasta, etc. It's also featured in my vegan holiday recipes guide.

But this… this soup has SO MUCH mushroom flavor and depth.

Nearly 2 pounds of mushrooms go into this big pot of soup and when you’re done? You have something that’s pure comfort in a bowl.

Since I made my last vegan creamy mushroom soup I’ve learned a thing or two about developing flavors, creating bases, and a few technique type things that sound scary at first (sprinkling flour into soup… what???) but are legitimate game changers.

This soup is also similar to my vegan cream of chicken soup in that it’s delicious, not like the canned stuff, and easy to make.

And I’m passionate about EASY vegan home cooking and comfort food on this blog, so when I publish a recipe like this one, you know I 10000% believe it’s easy and delicious.

In case you wondered, it’s really easy to make cream of mushroom soup vegan. Let me show you how.

What You’ll Need

OPTIONAL: Vegan butter: This is completely optional--but it does help make the soup richer and more luscious, as butter sauteing onions is a classic French (as far as I can tell from my research) technique and for a reason. It adds a lot, however I have tested this recipe without it and as long as you’re using a good nonstick pot, you’ll be fine to use just broth or water to saute your onions and garlic. Once you add the mushrooms they will release a lot of water and you won’t have to worry too much about sticking.
Onions: Yellow or sweet onions are best for this recipe. White will work but they have more of a bite (as in, a touch of spice, flavor-wise) to them.
Garlic: Self explanatory! We used about 6 small cloves, but you can add less if you prefer.
Mushrooms: Brown mushrooms are the pick for this recipe--we used crimini, AKA Baby Bella mushrooms, but other mushrooms such as white button or portobello will also work well.
Fresh Thyme: So flavorful here--don’t skip! Dried thyme is also fine.
White wine: A good vegan white wine is another layer of flavor in this recipe--and the alcohol cooks off. I would have preferred to use marsala wine but I couldn’t locate a vegan one near me and didn’t have the forethought to order online. I ended up using a chardonnay and it was great, though I think Sauvignon Blanc, pinot grigio, or even a sherry would work well too. Barnivore is my favorite resource for locating vegan beer and wine. Oh, and if you don’t want to use wine, just add an extra half cup of broth to the soup.
Flour: The flour adds thickness and substance to the soup--any you won’t taste it. I just used unbleached all purpose flour but if you’re vegan you could use rice flour or an all purpose gluten-free flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour.
Vegan Chicken Broth: I used my fave Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base. Carton, bouillon cube or powder base, or even vegetable broth will all also work. But I highly recommend giving the Better Than Bouillon a try, it’s so flavorful!
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste: If using the Better Than Bouillon, you may find you don’t need salt and pepper at all, but use at your discretion.
Dried oregano
Smoked paprika
Canned coconut cream: This is what makes the vegan creamy mushroom soup actually creamy! Canned coconut cream (the thick part of canned coconut milk) adds a beautiful creaminess to the soup. I promise you can’t taste the coconut, but you can substitute cashew cream or a thicker plant based milk if you like.
Fresh parsley

How to Make Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Start by heating a large pot over medium high heat. If you’re using vegan butter, melt it in the pot before adding the onions. If you’d prefer to use broth or water, add the onions and then only add a tablespoon of broth or water whenever it starts to stick. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions have softened and become somewhat translucent.
Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Now add the mushrooms and half of the thyme and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the half cup of wine or broth, stir again, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the whole pan. Stir constantly for until the flour has thickened the mixture and you don’t see any flour remaining. Cook an additional minute, stirring frequently or constantly, depending on the quality of your pan and if things are sticking.

Now add all the broth while stirring it into the mixture. Once all the broth has been added, bring the soup to a boil.
Once at a boil, add the remaining thyme and other spices (not the fresh parsley yet), and turn the heat down to medium low. Let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Add the coconut cream and stir until dissolved. Let heat for about a minute.
Finally, add the parsley, stir, and remove from heat. Serve and enjoy! This is great with crusty bread.
If using in a casserole or another dish, I recommend chilling in the fridge for a few hours. It thickens in the fridge making it perfect for that application.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If soup has become too thick, reheat it with a bit of water or broth. You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Customize this Soup

Want to add a protein or customize this soup in other ways? Here’s a few ideas I have:

Add vegan chicken via soy curls, young jackfruit, seitan (internal link to chicken cutlets), or store-bought vegan chicken products.
Incorporate beans--I think butter beans would be fantastic in this, but could also see other white beans or chickpeas working well.
Top with crispy baked or air fried tofu.
Sprinkle on some vegan bacon bits.
Add cooked rice, lentils, or noodles to the soup.
Serve in a bread bowl.
Use leeks instead of onions.
Add some vegan shredded cheese.
Serve with crackers and vegan brie.
Add other vegetables like very finely chopped carrots and celery (add to the pot when you add the onion), or vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower (add at the same time as mushrooms).

More Vegan Soups

I’m obsessed with soup, how about you? It’s just the perfect dish in cool weather, although I really love soup year-round.

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe--I know I do, and Mr. Zardyplants does too.

We had a lot of leftovers from testing this recipe a few times to make sure it was perfect for you, and every day we were excited to eat more of the leftovers--it is quite a feat to make Mr. Zardyplants like leftovers so much!

This vegan cream of mushroom soup is:

Earthy
Cozy
Rich
Creamy
Savory
Luscious
Velvety
Satisfying
And perfect for a weeknight dinner, meal prep, or a holiday meal. It’s a crowd pleaser!

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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