Description
This simple dairy-free, gluten-free cream of mushroom soup is an elevated alternative to store bought options. It’s made with lots of fresh mushrooms, cashews (instead of heavy cream), aromatics, and a few “secret” umami boosting ingredients for tons of savory flavor. Perfect on it’s own or as a sauce base for your favorite comfort food recipes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 16 ounces crimini, white, or mixed mushrooms, sliced or roughly chopped (the little mushrooms you see in the pictures are called Shimeji, Velvet Pioppini, and Beech mushrooms from a Chefs Sampler pack by Mycopia)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 4 cups broth – mushroom broth is delicious in this recipe, but any good tasting broth will work
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari
- 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Fresh herbs to garnish (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak cashews. In a small heatproof bowl soak raw cashews in just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside.
- Sauté the onion. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When shimmering, add the diced onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, until starting to soften.
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes, until most of the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and nutritional yeast, and cook for another minute or so, stirring frequently.
- Pour in broth with coconut aminos (or tamari) and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes – until slightly reduced.
- Take out the sprigs of thyme and discard.
- Drain the cashews. Add the cashews to the blender along with about 2 cups of the soup, being mindful of how many mushrooms you leave behind (the more mushrooms you blend with the cashews, the more broth based the soup will be. If you want a chunky, mushroom filled soup try to only use the broth to blend with the cashews). Carefully blend on high with a towel over the top of your blender (to reduce hot splatters) until smooth and creamy.
- Return blended soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another few minutes to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For a completely smooth soup, blend all of it in batches.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and enjoy!
Notes
To top the soup with extra sautéed mushrooms: Reserve a small handful of mushrooms. Using a small skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and caramelized. Season with a generous pinch of salt and set aside until you’re ready to serve the soup.
To reheat: This creamy mushroom soup can easily be re-heated in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.
To store in the refrigerator: To store this soup in the refrigerator, allow it to cool and then transfer to an air tight container before moving to the fridge. Will keep for up to 6 days.
To freeze: To freeze this soup, allow to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months. To thaw, move to the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stove top.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american