Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup (Ultra Rich, Dairy-Free)
Silky, dairy-free mushroom soup with deep umami from mixed mushrooms, a splash of white wine, and miso—made ultra‑creamy by blending part of the soup with cashews. Cozy, restaurant‑style texture without cream.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- Blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Optional Porcini Stock
- 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms optional, for extra umami
- 1 1/2 cups water room temperature, for soaking porcini
Soup
- 16 oz mixed fresh mushrooms cremini/shiitake/oyster/maitake; cleaned, sliced or torn
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion finely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegan butter or more olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 sprig rosemary for bouquet garni
- 2 sprigs thyme for bouquet garni
- 2 leaves bay leaves for bouquet garni
- 3 cups vegetable broth use 4 cups if skipping porcini stock
To Blend
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 tbsp white miso paste or red miso
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard optional
To Finish
- fresh chives and/or parsley chopped, small handful
Instructions
- Optional Porcini Stock: Soak dried porcini in 1½ cups room-temp water for 30 minutes, keeping submerged. Remove, strain soaking liquid through a fine sieve to catch grit; reserve as mushroom stock. Rinse and slice porcini.
- Prep Mushrooms: Slice cremini/shiitake (remove shiitake stems); tear oyster/maitake into strips and discard tough ends.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion + pinch of salt; cook 4–5 minutes until glossy. Add garlic; cook 1–2 minutes, stirring often.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add vegan butter, then fresh mushrooms and sliced porcini (if using). Cook ~5 minutes until softened and lightly browned; season with salt and pepper at the end.
- Deglaze: Pour in white wine; scrape up browned bits. Simmer 3–4 minutes until alcohol aroma fades and liquid reduces slightly.
- Simmer: Add reserved porcini stock (if using) and vegetable broth (use 4 cups broth if no stock). Add rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes.
- Blend for Creaminess: Remove 1/3–1/2 of the soup (about 2½ cups), avoiding the herb bundle. In a blender, combine with cashews, miso, and soy sauce; blend until completely smooth.
- Finish: Stir blended mixture back into pot. Simmer 5–10 minutes to thicken; adjust salt and pepper. Stir in Dijon if using. Remove herb bundle.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls; garnish with chopped chives/parsley and a small drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
For gluten-free, use tamari. Skip wine if needed and add a splash of lemon juice at the end for brightness. Adjust broth to your preferred thickness: more for lighter, less for thicker.