This Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup is a healthier, tastier version of the classic canned soup! Whip this up with just a few basic ingredients!
When I was a kid, I was a pretty picky eater. Surprisingly, I loved the Campbell's can of mushroom soup growing up. It was rich, creamy, and salty, and I thought it went well with every single thing. Thankfully, I now have this healthier (& tastier) adult version of the canned favorite!
Now that I'm older, I love mushrooms! I chose to use portobello mushrooms for this, but white mushrooms would work really well too. I don't recommend using a fancier mushroom, like chanterelle or morels. Though delicious, the flavors will likely get buried and be too delicate for a creamy soup.
Additionally, if you're not crazy about mushrooms, feel free to reduce the number of mushrooms by up to half! You'll get more of a white creamy soup, still with that strong umami flavor.
Pair this creamy soup with some Homemade Sourdough Stecca Bread!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients - This sauce is thickened with flour and cornstarch–which you probably already have in your pantry!
- Perfect Side Dish or Appetizer! This recipe yields about 2 cups, so it is the perfect amount for a small side or appetizer soup to pair with a salad or a main dish.
- It's a Healthy Option - Per serving, this soup is only 169 calories. It's low fat, moderate protein, and packed with nutrients! Add even more nutrients to it by adding leafy greens like spinach or kale!
What You Need For This Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Portobello Mushrooms - Portobellos are my preferred choice for this recipe. If you want a bit of a lighter mushroom taste, classic white mushrooms work great!
- Non-Dairy Milk - I typically use unsweetened and unflavored almond milk, but any will work!
- All-Purpose Flour - To make this recipe GF, find a flour that can be substituted 1:1 for regular flour. A good one to try is King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour.
- Vegan Butter - I recommend Earth Balance vegan butter. If you can't get your hands on good vegan butter, high-quality olive oil will also work, though the base of the soup may turn out a bit more oily than creamy.
- Cornstarch - This ingredient is very helpful to the composition of the soup, though if necessary, you can omit it.
Tools:
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Create the Roux
Heat your non-stick pot and melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter.
Using the whisk, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Continue whisking and stirring until the butter and flour combine and there are no clumps.
Using either a whisk or a spatula, continue to stir the roux until the color turns slightly golden. You want to allow the flour to cook with the butter, so that the soup doesn't have the taste of raw flour.
Once the mixture is golden, stir in ⅓ cup of almond milk. Whisk this with the mixture to create a thick, white, creamy base.
Step 2: Make the Mushroom Base
Once you've achieved a thick, white base, you're ready to add the mushrooms.
Prior to adding the mushrooms, you'll want to chop them. I chose to chop mine very finely. If you prefer bigger chunks of mushrooms, that's up to you! Just note that the larger pieces may take a minute or two longer to cook down!
Add all 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms to the base and stir to combine. Continue stirring until the mushrooms become soft and creamy and melt into the sauce.
Season with 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt and garlic powder.
Continue stirring, after about 5 minutes it should look like the photo below.
Step 3: Turn it Into a Soup!
Once the mushrooms are cooked down, add 1 cup of almond milk and stir. Combine until well incorporated.
Separately, make a cornstarch slurry by combining 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water. Whisk until no clumps remain. Add the slurry to the soup and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, it should begin to thicken. Continue stirring until you reach the thickness you desire, then turn off the heat.
Expert Tips
- Keep cooking this soup down until it reduces and use it as a base for things like green bean casserole or a sauce for a pasta!
- Add more nutrients to this healthy soup by adding some greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, or even chopped asparagus.
- If you like mushrooms, but want a soup that doesn't have quite as many, reduce the amount of mushrooms from 8 ounces to 6 or 4 ounces. You'll still have a great mushroom taste without it being overwhelming! This is a great option for someone who might be a pickier eater.
Recipe FAQs
No. Campbell's mushroom soup is not vegan as it gets much of its creamy texture from dairy products.
There are so many ways to make a creamy soup without dairy! My favorite method (& the simplest method!) is the one I use in this recipe, where the soup is based out of a roux of flour and vegan butter. Other options include using coconut milk, cashew cream, or a vegan yogurt or cream cheese!
Canned soup can be super high in sodium amounts! That, plus lots of oils, gums, and filler ingredients can make canned soups very unhealthy. Make a healthier copycat recipe of a canned soup, like this one!
Related Recipes
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Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- Non-stick Pot
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Portobello Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoon Vegan Butter
- 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ⅓ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Water
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pot and melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in it
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Continue whisking until the flour is fully incorporated with the butter and there are no remaining clumps.
- Finely chop 8 ounces of portobello mushrooms.
- Continue to stir the flour and butter roux until it reaches a golden color
- Once the mixture is golden, stir in ⅓ cup of almond milk.
- Whisk this with the mixture to create a thick, white, creamy base.
- Add all 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms to the base and stir to combine.
- Continue stirring until the mushrooms become soft and creamy and melt into the sauce.
- Season with 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt and garlic powder.
- Continue stirring for about 5 minutes.
- Once the mushrooms are cooked down, add 1 cup of almond milk and stir. Combine until well incorporated.
- Separately, make a cornstarch slurry by combining 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water. Whisk until no clumps remain.
- Add the slurry to the soup and bring it to a simmer.
- Once simmering, it should begin to thicken.
- Continue stirring until you reach the thickness you desire, then turn off the heat.
- Scoop the soup out to serve and garnish with rosemary (optional), or other green herbs
Notes
- Keep cooking this soup down until it reduces and use it as a base for things like green bean casserole or a sauce for a pasta!
- Add more nutrients to this healthy soup by adding some greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, or even chopped asparagus.
- If you like mushrooms, but want a soup that doesn't have quite as many, reduce the amount of mushrooms from 8 ounces to 6 or 4 ounces. You'll still have a great mushroom taste without it being overwhelming! This is a great option for someone who might be a pickier eater.
Anonymous
Looove cream of mushroom soup, and this recipe is a great take!