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!
The best dairy free cream of mushroom soup
I’m going to go ahead and say it: homemade cream of mushroom soup is SO underrated.
That is, if you’re a mushroom lover. Which I’m assuming you are if you’re reading this blog post!
And this recipe is the straight-up GOOD stuff, you guys.
A favorite go-to soup of ours that is delicious on it’s own, or as a base for other comfort food recipes.
And thanks to cashew cream and high quality ingredients, this soup recipe is a wholesome replacement for store bought options, and naturally gluten free, dairy free, paleo, vegan, and Whole30 compatible!
And the truth is, it’s really quite simple to make!
Lots of flavor, low effort. YES PLEASE.
With just a little bit of prep the perfect blend of herbs, aromatics, and a few umami boosting “secret” ingredients create all the mushroom soup without cream magic.
If you love the idea of this recipe and are looking for more dairy free dinner ideas be sure to check out our recipes for Dairy Free White Bean and Kale Soup, Dairy Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup, or check out our entire library of Dinner Recipes!
Why you’ll love this mushroom soup
It is:
- Full flavored
- Irresistibly creamy
- Versatile
- Savory + rich
- Hearty
- Comforting
- Dairy free (vegan!) and gluten free
- SO dang tasty!
Ingredients and substitutions
This mushroom soup is made without milk, without cream, and without flour. Simple and fresh ingredients give it some full flavored YUM that you just won’t find in a canned soup!
Here’s what you need:
- Raw cashews – Raw cashews are used instead of cream in this recipe – from all of my experience testing different dairy free options they are the best alternative to dairy for dairy free soups! They add a truly luscious and rich texture that is unparalleled.
- Onion and garlic – The ultimate soup flavor combo.
- Crimini and/or mixed mushrooms – This recipe calls for lots of mushrooms for an intense mushroom flavor, which keeps your soup from tasting bland or boring! Don’t worry if it seems like a lot of mushrooms, they’ll shrink when cooked. I prefer a mix of sliced crimini and whatever fresh mushrooms are available at the grocery store. The little mushrooms you see in the pictures are called Shimeji, Velvet Pioppini, and Beech mushrooms from a Chefs Sampler pack by Mycopia.
- Broth – Mushroom broth, vegetable broth, or chicken broth are all great options.
- Fresh thyme – Thyme is a great herb to compliment the earthy flavor of mushrooms. If you don’t have any fresh herbs add a teaspoon of dried thyme, poultry seasoning, or all purpose seasoning to the mushrooms and onions when sautéing.
- Coconut aminos – A sweet and savory soy free replacement for tamari, coconut aminos adds richness to the soup. You could substitute with tamari, but the recipe will no longer be paleo / Whole30.
- Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast is commonly used in a lot of vegan recipes for its flavor-boosting superpowers. It has a savory, nutty, flavor profile that adds nice depth of flavor.
- Salt & pepper – To taste!
How to make dairy free cream of mushroom soup
This homemade soup is pretty easy to make. All you need is a handful of whole food ingredients, a soup pot, and a blender.
Here’s the step-by-step
- 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!
How to garnish the soup with extra sautéed mushrooms
Topping your mushroom soup with a few sautéed mushrooms and fresh herbs (as pictured in this blog post) is a lovely way to style the soup for an elevated presentation.
To do this all you need to do is reserve a small handful of mushrooms before you start cooking and follow these instructions:
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.
Serving suggestions
This soup is amazing on it’s own, but it also makes a great base for your favorite comfort food meals!
Serve it for lunch or dinner alongside a hearty salad, or use it as the start of your favorite casserole (like we do in this Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole!).
Storage and re-heating
To reheat: This 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. It should keep for up to 5-6 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.
Love this mushroom soup? Here’s some other yummy soup recipes to try!
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup
- Dairy Free Gluten Free Lasagna Soup
- Super Creamy Carrot Soup
- Whole30 Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Ultra Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Cream of Mushroom Soup with Cashews (Dairy Free)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
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
Fiona Holroyd says
This soup is SO delicious! Creamy and “meaty” with mushrooms. Love it!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one Fiona! Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Laura says
This looks amazing. I really want to try it. But I’m terribly allergic to cashews. I have some ideas for substitutes but curious what you would suggest instead of cashews.
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Laura! My favorite substitute for cashews in recipes that use them to make a cashew cream is Nutpods original (non flavored) creamer – assuming other nuts are okay. It’s the creamiest dairy free creamer I’ve tried and works well in savory recipes. You could also use another unsweetened dairy free creamer that you like. Full fat coconut milk is also an option but I generally prefer dairy free creamer for the milder flavor.
For this recipe specifically I would suggest using about 1 1/2 cups dairy free creamer + 2 1/2 cups broth when you add the broth during step 5. You might want to add a little veggie bouillon, dehydrated mushroom powder, or something else to boost the flavor since you’ll be using less broth. It may not turn out *quite* as creamy as it would be with cashews but still very delicious! You could also try boiling and straining about 1/2 a cup or so of yukon gold potatoes to add to the blended portion of the soup for a more creamy body.
Hope that helps! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try. Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Candara says
I made this for my grandma and me, and my grandma wished she could give it 5 stars plus 1 more because it was so tasty! We loved it, thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! 🙂
Nyssa Tanner says
Aww yes! That makes my heart happy! I’m so glad you both loved it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Alex Malek says
This is my 3rd time making it and it has been absolutely scrumptious every time!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so happy you love this recipe!! xo
Amy says
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it! Took quite a while (30 minutes) to cook down the mushrooms, but so worth it! Thanks for sharing, Nyssa!
Nyssa Tanner says
So happy to hear that you loved it and stuck it out to cook down the mushrooms 🙂 ! It’s one of our favorite cozy soups.
Heather says
This is a must try. I started keto and was wondering if you might have the net carbs for this somewhere? Yes started keto! : ))
Thank you. Heather
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! So exciting! I just added the nutrition facts for this recipe. I started including them about 4 or 5 months ago, so not all recipes have that feature yet, but it’s up now! Because mushrooms and cashews both have a fair amount of carbohydrates the net carbs per serving comes out to be about 17.5 grams. Hope that helps! And good luck with the keto adventure! 🙂 xo
Marge Teilhaber says
Amazing recipe. I must try this. First have to find the time. Will be back with what I’m sure will be a stellar review!
Nyssa Tanner says
Thanks Marge! It’s actually pretty quick to whip up which is great – hope you LOVE it!