No one will believe this Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup is vegan AND gluten free! Not even YOU! It's so creamy and rich that it regularly gets mistaken for a classic cream of mushroom soup. Enjoy as a bowl of comforting soup or add it to your favorite recipes that use cream of mushroom soup, like my green bean casserole.
If you need an easy cream of mushroom substitute for green bean casserole, pasta, or a sit-down bowl of comfort, say hello to your new favorite mushroom soup recipe! This vegan mushroom soup version is made with fresh mushrooms and a few pantry staples. It's so creamy and rich, you really won't believe it's vegan AND gluten-free!
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup Ingredients
- olive oil
- mushrooms
- shallot
- garlic
- chickpea flour (or other preferred flour)
- dry sherry
- unsweetened almond milk
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
This vegan cream of mushroom soup has been my go-to secret recipe for many years. And now it's not a secret anymore! It's a dairy-free, gluten free, truly low-sodium, alternative to canned, cream of mushroom soup.
Vegan cream of mushroom soup...
- can be used in place of canned cream soups
- uses unsweetened almond milk in place of heavy cream (or any non-dairy milk)
- uses everyday ingredients
- isn't thickened with potatoes (nothin against 'em)
- uses chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour
- is budget-friendly because it uses simple ingredients
- tastes as rick and creamy as a classic cream of mushroom soup
How to make cream of mushroom soup (vegan version)
* See full recipe below
Step 1. Heat OLIVE OIL and sauté MUSHROOMS over medium-high heat, stirring as needed.
Step 2. Add SHALLOT (or onion) and GARLIC, sautéeing a few minutes until fragrant and tender.
Step 3. Stir in CHICKPEA FLOUR and allow to become absorbed by the mushrooms (about 1 minute). This is known as a 'roux'.
Step 4. Add DRY SHERRY and stir into mushrooms.
Step 5. Then, add ALMOND MILK (or preferred milk) to the mushrooms in very small amounts. Whisk vigorously during this process as this helps smooth out the lumps. Continue this process until all of the milk is used.
Step 6. Bring everything just to a boil, whisking continuously; then turn heat to medium-low and simmer until the mushroom soup thickens to your ideal consistency. Serve warm, or allow to cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Vegan cream of mushrooms soup ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil - Feel free to use your favorite oil of choice. I personally love the rich flavor EVOO brings to the table.
mushrooms - I have always used classic white button mushrooms or baby bellas for this recipe. In my mind, there's no need to get fancy or expensive mushrooms, but you if wanna, hey knock yourself out!
shallot - These are in the onion family, but are considered milder in flavor and aroma. If you don't have shallots, my second favorite option is the almighty green onion.
fresh garlic - I highly recommend fresh garlic (for all things) but garlic powder would work fine too.
chickpea flour - also called garbanzo flour is how we roll for this gluten-free mushroom soup recipe. If you're not gluten restricted, you can use all-purpose flour, you'll need to cut the amount in half.
dry sherry - Optional ingredient, but highly recommended. I love the flavor and aroma dry sherry brings to this mushroom soup recipe.
unsweetened almond milk - you can use any non-dairy milk for this recipe. My readers have offered testimonials for various types of milk and they all win! You can also do 1/2 milk and 1/2 vegetable broth for a lower calorie option. It won't be quite as creamy but it will still be delish!
nutmeg - This is optional, of course, but nutmeg is a classic ingredient in any cream of mushroom soup, in my book.
salt and pepper
Recommended Tools
- chef knife
- cutting board
- 3.5 qt skillet or saucepot
- Microplane fine grater (to grate whole nutmeg)
- whisk
- glass storage jar and plastic lid
More vegan holiday recipes
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Pomegranate Cranberry Relish
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Fall & Winter Sweet Potato Salad
More easy vegan soup recipes
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Kale Chickpea Soup In A Hurry
- Southwest Vegan Tortilla Soup
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe Tips
- Color - the longer you brown the flour for a roux, the darker the results will be. To keep this cream of mushroom soup white, don't over-brown the flour.
- Mushrooms shrink to about 1/4 of their original size when sautéed.
- Once veggies are sautéed, avoid lumps or clumps by whisking in small amounts of milk, repeating this process until the milk is used up. This will create a non-lumpy sauce, which you want, because once the lumps happen, they're impossible to remove.
- Lower calorie option - replace 1 cup of almond milk with a light-colored veggie broth.
- Consistency - the longer you simmer, the thicker the soup. So if it's too thin, cook it down, stirring as needed. If the soup is too thick, whisk in small amounts of liquid and continue heating and stirring as needed.
This vegan cream of mushroom soup recipe is dedicated to my mom who helped test and finalize the recipe a few years ago. Btw, just because she's Momma TKG doesn't mean I get a pass on my recipes. If something isn't right, she'll let me know. So, thanks mom...we nailed this one!
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
This recipe yields 3 1-cup servings and can be scaled up as needed.
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ⅓ lb. Mushrooms, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 Shallot (or 2 Tbsp onion), finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ cup Chickpea Flour (for gluten free version), or 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp Dry Sherry, or White Wine
- 2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk, or preferred milk
- Pinch grated Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
RECIPE VIDEO
Instructions
- In a 3-quart skillet or sauce pot over medium-high flame, heat OLIVE OIL.
- Add MUSHROOMS; sauté 3-5 minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add SHALLOT and GARLIC; sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- In the same pot, make the roux by sprinkling FLOUR over veggies and sauté until it's absorbed, stirring as needed (about 1 min).
- (optional) Stir in DRY SHERRY and sauté about 1 min, stirring as needed.
- Add ALMOND MILK in small amounts, whisking to dissolve flour and remove clumps. Add NUTMEG, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until sauce thickens, whisking continuously.FYI: All-purpose flour takes a few minutes longer to thicken than chickpea flour.
Serving and storage instructions
- Once soup thickens to your liking, remove from heat. Serve warm.
- To store, allow to cool completely. Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container.Enjoy as a mushroom soup or use as a substitute for canned cream of mushroom soup.
Recipe Notes from TKG
Tips to make the best vegan mushroom soup:
To thicken the soup, allow it to simmer longer. To thin it, add liquid in small amounts during reheat until desired consistency is reached, stirring as needed. You can substitute any milk for almond milk, depending on your taste preferences and dietary restriction.Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Colette says
Needed to make a kosher cream of mushroom soup to add to a turkey sausage stuffing recipe and this was perfect.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! What a great way to use it 🙂 So glad you enjoyed and thanks for the feedback!
Emma says
Can this be canned? I'd love to make a big batch and have it for quick meal days.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Emma, sorry but I don't have experience canning this soup, however you can freeze it. Let me know if you have questions about that. Thanks!
Consuella says
The recipe was quick and simple and I love the taste. For me and my daughter we had it over rice for my husband and other daughter they had the sauce poured over chicken and rice. All in all it was amazing. Thank you
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh nice, I'm so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! Thank you sooo much for this great feedback 🙂 I really appreciate it!
Chelsea says
I went vegan a year ago, two weeks before Thanksgiving. While I'd been a vegetarian for years, there were a LOT of holiday favorites I had no clue how to translate into a vegan recipe, and I was just about convinced there were certain things I was just going to have to say goodbye to all together. Mushroom soup was the base for a holiday favorite of mine (green bean casserole, of course) as well as my favorite dish year round, a family recipe for stroganoff. I was pretty bummed to think I'd never be able to have either again. So I gave this recipe a go at that first Thanksgiving, figuring it couldn't hurt to try, and oh my god, it's the best mushroom soup I've ever had, vegan or otherwise. I substitute oat milk for almond (nut allergy), and it always comes out creamy, delicious, and so comforting.
I made this just tonight in prep for tomorrow, and I just wanted to say thank you. I think the success I had with this first recipe really helped solidify my resolve and convince me that I could easily ditch the dairy. So, thank you very much!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Chelsea, I'm sooo honored and happy to inspire your enjoyment of my recipe. I'm not vegan but I totally understand how you feel about this one 🙂 It hits me the exact same way LOL. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this note. I totally appreciate it! xoxo
Jeff says
I'm getting all excited for your famous vegan cream of mushroom soup for Thanksgiving dinner next week. It's so good, even a meat and potatoes guy like me can't tell it's vegan. Outstanding!
The Kitchen Girl says
This is making me get excited for it too! Thank youuuuuu!
Randino Del Rosario says
Thank you so very much for posting this. It's been a rainy day and I figured I'd make this today. It came out absolutely perfect. I am highly allergic to cow's milk. My system cannot break down the sugars in lactose and ends up collecting in my lungs. Making it very hard to breathe. This "creamy" mushroom soup brought me right back to my happy childhood memories. Homemade definitely beats Cambell's any day!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesommmmme! I'm so glad to hear this 🙂 It's one of my favorite soups too. In fact, I prefer vegan cream of mushroomm soup over any other these days. Thanks for the feedback!
Jamie M. says
Made this tonight, and LOVED it. Thank you for the recipe. I followed your exact recipe, because I am not a great chef lol, and it was perfect. I am so excited for tomorrow’s leftovers and to use for green bean casserole!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Jamie! So glad you love vegan cream of mushroom soup as much as I do 🙂 It's an oldie but goodie recipe here on the blog. Glad it founds its way into your kitchen Thanks for the feedback!
Ann & says
Can I use chopped carrots, parsnip, and celery also in this soup?
The Kitchen Girl says
Sure, but you'll want to saute them before sauteeing the mushrooms to make sure they get soft enough. Does that make sense?
Brooks says
For Heath reasons, we have to have a gluten-free, dairy-free diet in our house. The thought of childhood recipes with cream of mushroom soup were long gone. Then I came across your recipe. The soup is absolutely amazing! We have already used it in a couple of recipes and are brainstorming other kinds of cream soups we can now make.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yeahhhh! I'm so glad you found the recipe. It really does solve some problems, doesn't it? Thank you for taking the time to let me know Also, check out my vegan recipes ... many are GF too!
KBeck says
Awesome recipe!! Made 2 different batches (one with Cremini and one with white button mushrooms) both are amazing and I can’t wait to use them for the vegan green bean casserole! Yum! Highly recommend. 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! I'm so glad to inspire these for you. I love it that you'll use them in the VGBC too Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback
SHARON says
Just made this soup and it is amazing! Does it freeze well? I cook with cream of mushroom soup frequently and would like to have it on hand for a quick meal.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Sharon, I'm so glad you enjoyed this! You can freeze this cream of mushroom like you would any other soup. During reheat, if it's too thick, add a splash of liquid. If it's too thin, whisk together a little flour and liquid, add it to the soup, and heat on medium, stirring as needed. Hope you love it just as much. Cheers!