Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup Recipe

Mushroom soup, also known as cream of mushroom soup, is a soup that typically features a roux, heavy cream, mushrooms, and chicken broth. To make vegan mushroom soup, swap the dairy with a non-dairy milk, like cashew milk, coconut milk, or coconut cream, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can serve this American classic by itself or as the base ingredient in casseroles. Vegan mushroom soup pairs great with a slice of crusty bread to sop up the leftover broth.

Vegan mushroom soup does not contain animal products, and its key ingredients are mushrooms, vegetable stock, and a milk alternative for creaminess. An optional ingredient is dry white wine, which you should carefully select; some white wine undergoes a process called “fining” to clarify the wine and remove haze. Producers typically use fining agents like casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein), and isinglass (fish bladder protein) to speed up the process. The final product does not contain these elements, but their use means some white wine is not vegan.

You can use a mix of sliced mushrooms when making vegan mushroom soup, or choose one based on your personal flavor preferences. Some types of slice mushrooms you can use include:

1. 1. Button or white mushroom: This entry-level mushroom is the most common and mildest-tasting mushroom you’ll find in most grocery stores. Less intensely flavored than wild mushrooms, white button mushrooms can be sliced up and used as toppings on pizza, eaten raw or cooked, and tossed in salads.
2. 2. Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are a young portobello mushroom that are light brown and more flavorful than button mushrooms. They can be substituted for any recipes using button mushrooms.
3. 3. Shiitake mushrooms: Shiitake mushrooms are commonly used in Asian cuisine and are thought to have medicinal benefits. They're best identified by their umbrella-shaped brown caps and have a light woodsy flavor and aroma. Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty texture and release an earthy, umami flavor when cooked. They can be sautéed, fried, stir-fried, roasted, used as toppings on pizza, and added to soups.
4. 4. Porcini mushrooms: Porcini are one of the most prized wild mushrooms and commonly used in Italian cooking. They have caps that are reddish-brown in color with creamy, nutty flavors. Porcini mushrooms are often sold dried, and can be soaked in hot water before using. They can be added to braised meat dishes, ground and sprinkled onto steaks as a dry rub, or cooked in risotto.