Vegan “Cream” of Mushroom Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup that’s so creamy and satisfying you would never guess that it’s vegan and made with a secret healthy ingredient!
Hi friends! I hope you had a nice weekend.
Brandon came home on Friday night after being away for a week so that made it an automatic win for me. He was actually in-flight when the tragedy took place in Paris which made me even more of a nervous wreck than I usually am when he travels.
I try to keep things upbeat around here but I can’t help mentioning how heart broken I am for the people of France. Paris was the first city I was able to visit overseas and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s so painful to imagine such a romantic and magical city haunted by such ruthless violence.
I know it’s awkward to discuss things like this with a recipe for mushroom soup but it’s what’s at the forefront of my mind today. The people effected by the tragedy are in my thoughts and prayers.
Let’s try to transition to a lighter topic, shall we? Like comfort foods. Soup is one of the best, in my opinion. Warm, soothing, and packed with nourishing ingredients.
I’ve had this recipe on my to-make list for a while now but I intentionally waited until we were right around the corner from Thanksgiving to share it because I thought it might be useful for those of you that are dairy-free to have as a healthy alternative option for your green bean casserole.
It’s honestly kind of crazy how much it tastes like a real cream of mushroom soup. It starts with the same base as the classic using shallots, celery and diced mushrooms cooked in sherry vinegar.
However, instead of using heavy cream, we’re boiling cauliflower in the mix until it’s nice and tender, then pureeing it with plain almond milk (you can use soy milk for nut allergies) to give the soup a rich and creamy texture that’s vegan to boot.
Served topped with fresh chives and crispy shiitake bacon alongside a small salad, it makes for a healthy and flavorful meal. If you’re interested in using it for a green bean casserole, you can have it for dinner one night and then save the leftovers for later in the week.
That’s what I did because I initially planned on sharing a vegan green bean casserole to follow but the semi-burnt shallot topping didn’t look very pretty in the pictures so I decided to scratch that idea. However, I did link up to one in the notes below that you can use this soup for, if you want!
Ingredients
For the Soup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, diced (approx. 1 and 1/2 cups)
2 celery stalks, diced (approx. 1/4 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced (approx. 1 tablespoon)
16 ounces mushrooms, diced (approx. 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
4 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or soy milk)
chopped chives for topping
Crispy Shiitake Bacon
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
Instructions
- Begin by warming the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and the celery and cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the garlic and the mushrooms to the pot then sprinkle with salt & pepper. Sauté for another 3 minutes then add the oregano, thyme, and sherry vinegar. Bring to a low boil and allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
- Next, add the cauliflower florets and pour in the tamari sauce and vegetable broth. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is very soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Once the pot has cooled down, transfer the mixture to a blender along with the white wine vinegar and plain almond milk. Alternatively, you can leave everything in the pot and blend with an immersion blender. If you like bits of mushroom in your soup then you can separate about 1 cup and set aside before blending. Blend until smooth then transfer back to the pot to reheat.
- To make the shiitake bacon, preheat the oven to 400°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the olive oil, tamari, salt & pepper, and smoked paprika in small bowl. Add the shiitake mushrooms and stir until they are well coated. Transfer them to the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on each side, until brown and somewhat crispy. Serve on top of the soup with fresh chives and enjoy!
Notes
If you want to use this for a green bean casserole, reserve 2 cups and follow {this recipe|http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/lighter-green-bean-casserole-24465?fm=recipes_related], using it in place of the condensed soup. You can omit the 1/4 cup of milk since it isn't quite as thick.
Thanks for sharing about Paris. I am heartbroken also. I lived in north eastern France for several years – right along the Belgium-Luxembourg borders.
On a separate note, I made your acorn squash soup recipe that you shared in the past couple of weeks. Awesome! I even gave some to a co-worker who is going through chemo. She loved it. I’m trying to share recipes that are healthy.
Thanks for all you do and for keeping it real. We hold France in our prayers…..
How amazing it must have been to live in France, Nancy! And so close to two other beautiful countries. I can imagine that you look back on that time with fond memories. France is most definitely in my thoughts in prayers as well.
I’m honored that you made my soup and that you brought some for your co-worker. It sounds like she is lucky to have people like you in her life during such a difficult time. Thank you for sharing that with me! :)
YUM! I was just playing around with a casserole recipe that used cream of mushroom soup and I was having trouble finding a healthy alternative. I bet this would be so good!
There really aren’t any healthy store-bought cream of mushroom soups!
I absolutely love mushrooms! This looks so creamy and delicious. I haven’t figured out yet what Thanksgiving dishes I’m responsible for, but I’ve been stalking Pinterest like crazy looking for ideas. Soup sounds so good these days!
Pinterest is definitely the best place to find them! I get overwhelmed just thinking about all of the recipes on there, lol.
I have a friend who’s OBSESSED with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, and it always make me cringe to see him downing so many cans of it. Why settle for cans when this kind of amazingness is out there?! Also… jealous that you still get to look forward to Thanksgiving. Thinking about celebrating with you :P
Hey, a second Thanksgiving never hurt anybody. :)
This sounds great, Sarah! As someone who tries to seriously limit my dairy intake this is a recipe I’ll have to remember to make!
Thanks Kelli! :)
cream of mushroom soup used to be my favorite as a child! This looks amazing! Pinned :)
Thanks Rachel!
This looks stunning! And no matter how awkward or hard it is, it’s awesome that you’re addressing an important issue. My French class today was particular emotional from my professor who is Parisian :(
I can imagine that was a difficult class to get through, Medha. But you’re right, as much as it hurts, we can’t pretend like it didn’t happen. The lives that were lost that day will never be forgotten.
This really does look so creamy and delicious! I’ve been trying to like mushrooms more these days and I think it is mainly the texture that gets to me, so this soup would be perfect! I love the idea of having it as a side for Thanksgiving, I bet it would taste great in place of gravy over mashed potatoes :)
It’s been so heart-warming to see everyone’s sentiments regarding Paris. It really gives me hope for the world that there are so many kind-hearted folks out there <3
I agree, Sarah. Seeing all of the compassion is the one positive thing that comes from terrible things like this.
I’m so glad Brandon made it home safe and sound, and thank you for your heartfelt words about France. I don’t think I’ll ever understand these types of acts of violence…the best we can do is to breed love in our daily lives and pray for the safety of the world.
This soup looks so inviting, and I love how healthful it is!! I’d take all that burnt shallot topping, please and thank you.
Felt the same way about blogging this weekend – I was like, I feel like I can’t get all typewriter-happy about this salad when there’s just so much more to talk about!
However, I still love the way this soup looks and i pinned it immediately. i’m always looking for different pureed soups, and the mushroom version i have yet to try.
What happened in Paris last week shook me up a bit too – it just makes you realize it really could happen anywhere. But it also makes you really appreciate what you’ve got!
Anyway this soup looks super delish! I love the idea to use cauliflower to make it creamy!
Thanks for sharing this, Sarah. I’ve had the inclination to give friends and family extra hugs before we depart over the last few days.
This soup sounds fantastic! I love that you used cauliflower as a cream substitute. Soups are my favorite part about fall cooking – adding this one to my list!
Thank you, Tessa! I hope you enjoy it!
Made this for dinner tonight. David and I both loved it! I will totally be making it again. So much flavor! I used 4 shallots and still only got 3/4 cup, so you must have had the biggest shallots to get 1.5 cups! I did use coconut milk instead of almond and it worked great. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
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Has anyone tried testing this recipe for canning?