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You won’t believe this vegan cream of mushroom soup recipe is dairy-free! It's decadently rich, creamy, and full of flavor and texture.
It's so good, it's often mistaken for classic mushroom soup and is a key player in this reader favorite vegan green bean casserole. The reviews make this soup speak for itself!
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Why you'll love vegan cream of mushroom soup
This velvety, creamy vegan cream of mushroom soup is a hit with everyone – you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy it! It’s so rich and smooth that even non-vegans are often surprised it’s plant-based.
What makes this soup even better is that it’s budget-friendly and made with mushrooms and pantry staples. It’s naturally gluten-free, with an easy option to use all-purpose flour if you prefer.
Even beginner cooks have successfully made this on their first try. Plus, it doubles as a versatile soup or sauce for your favorite dishes! If you're looking for vegan Thanksgiving recipes, I have a bunch of reader favorites in one spot!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Find ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card below.
- Olive Oil: You can use any cooking oil, like canola, coconut, or avocado oil.
- Mushrooms: I recommend white button or baby bella mushrooms, but portobello or any variety will work.
- Shallots: Milder than onions, shallots can be swapped for onions in this recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder can be used in small amounts if needed.
- Chickpea Flour: This natural soup thickener adds protein while keeping it gluten-free. You can try other gluten-free flours or use all-purpose flour as noted in the recipe.
- Dry Sherry: Adds depth of flavor; substitute with any cooking liquid if needed.
- Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk: Any non-dairy milk, such as coconut, oat, or soy milk, will work. However, I prefer to use almond milk for the flavor.
- Nutmeg: Adds a classic, nutty flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste after cooking. This soup may taste bland until you add the right amount of salt.
- Optional: Cornstarch + Milk or Water: Use this to thicken the soup as a casserole base.
How to make vegan cream of mushroom soup
First, sauté mushrooms, shallots, and garlic over medium-high heat until very tender, stirring as needed.
Next, add the flour and stir until the vegetables absorb it. This is a roux.
Add the dry sherry to deglaze the pot. Then, add milk in very small amounts, whisking vigorously to ensure no lumps. Continue this process until all of the milk is used. Add the nutmeg. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring everything just to a boil, whisking continuously. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the soup thickens to your liking.
Note: To use as condensed mushroom soup, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold milk or water, stir into hot soup, and cook 1–2 minutes to thicken.
Serve warm. To store, allow to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Test kitchen recipe tips
- Sauté the mushrooms well: Cook mushrooms until they release moisture and start to brown to deepen flavor.
- Flour color: The longer you brown the flour for the roux, the darker the soup will be. To keep the soup light in color, avoid over-browning the flour.
- Cooking liquid: Use any non-dairy milk of choice. For a lower-calorie option, substitute 1 cup of almond milk with vegetable broth.
- Avoid lumps: When adding milk to the vegetables, do it gradually and whisk quickly to prevent lumps, ensuring a smooth sauce.
- Don’t rush simmering: Let the soup simmer for at least 10-15 minutes to build the flavors and texture of this soup.
- Consistency: The soup thickens as it simmers. If it’s too thin, let it simmer to reduce. If it’s too thick, whisk in small amounts of liquid until you reach your desired consistency.
More vegan soup recipes
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Chickpea and Kale Soup
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Thai Coconut Soup
On a personal note: This vegan cream of mushroom soup recipe is dedicated to my mom who helped test and finalize it in my test kitchen back in 2009. Thanks, Mom, for helping me dial this one to perfection!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups)
- 1 small Shallot, minced (or ¼ cup Onion)
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup Chickpea Flour, or All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Dry Sherry or Wine, optional
- 3 cups Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk, I prefer almond milk
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, or more to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Optional
- Fresh Parsley, for garnish
- Cornstarch + Milk or Water, if using for casseroles
Instructions
Note: If using this recipe as canned cream of mushroom soup for a casserole, see footnote below *
- Heat the soup pot over medium heat. Add OLIVE OIL and warm until shimmering.
- Add MUSHROOMS, SHALLOT, and GARLIC. Sauté 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has been released from the mushrooms.
- Stir in FLOUR and cook 1–2 minutes to form a roux.
- Add (optional) DRY SHERRY and a splash of MILK, scraping the pot to deglaze any browned bits.
- Gradually whisk in remaining MILK to avoid lumps. Stir in NUTMEG.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened to your liking, stirring occasionally.
- Season with SALT and PEPPER. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Top with PARSLEY and serve warm with your favorite bread or crackers.
- To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- silicone spatula or any stirring utensil
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Deb says
I made this to use in a green bean casserole dish. Wow! This is absolutely the best mushroom soup ever! I used extra creamy oat milk to make sure it was thick enough for my casserole. I will be making this again often to eat as soup, Thank you for sharing this recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Deb! I'm so happy you're enjoying it. Oat milk is a great sub ... equally delicious! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Much appreciated!
Stef says
OMG! This vegan cream of mushroom soup is WOWWW! And it's THE KEY to your vegan green bean casserole. Srsly, so good, how it it even vegan?! Excellent delicious recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Stef! I feel the exact same way about this vegan cream of mushroom soup LOL. So glad you love it as much as I do 🙂
J Allen says
Wow! I really can't believe this is VEGAN cream of mushroom soup. It comes out so creamy and rich that it's crazy there's no dairy in there. Could have fooled me! You win, Kitchen Girl. I'm hooked 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol I'm happy to hear it ... I feel the sammmme way about this mushroom soup 🙂 Thanks, J Allen!
Ann says
My fiance' was craving pork chops simmered with cream of mushroom soup - three problems with that. 1) I'm gluten-free. 2) I'm dairy free. And 3) Even if I wasn't either of these things, I wouldn't buy something so processed. This recipe was perfect! I used oat milk and a gf baking flour that's a 1:1 sub for all purpose flour. Thank you, so much!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyyy Ann! I'm so glad you love it as much as I do and happy to hear the GF baking flour is an equal sub for AP flour...great to know!!! I just made this soup today too LOL. I'm not gluten restricted, but I have a lot of GF recipes you might like to browse. Thanks for the review...much appreciated!
Sarah says
I have to avoid gluten, but I can't have chickpeas. Can I use a different gf flour? What about a gf flour all purpose mix?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Sarah, I'm updating my previous comment to say that GF AP flour mix has been used and loved in this recipe, so yay! Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂
wendy dalton says
Can this soup be canned? or frozen?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Wendy, I cannot recommend canning this soup as I have no experience with the process. As for freezing, you can freeze this soup like you would any other soup. During reheat, if it's too thick, add a splash of almond milk. If it's too thin, whisk together a little chickpea flour with a little almond milk in a separate container, add it to the soup, and heat on medium, stirring as needed. Repeat either step until you get it where you want it. Thanks for asking...hope you love this one like we do!
Bonnie Russell says
I got some mixed fresh varieties of mushrooms from my local farmer’s market and used this recipe. I chose coconut milk rather than almond (just my preference) and also added a little vegetable stock. And a little bit more sherry to taste! So delicious!
The Kitchen Girl says
Sounds divinnnne! I need to hit farmer's market for some local mushrooms. Yep, coconut milk totally works too...glad you thought to swap it out. Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed 🙂
Stephanie says
Wow! For some reason last night the soup wasn't doing it for me, but this morning it tastes fantastic! (I think maybe it was the texture of the chickpea flour that was throwing me off, despite whisking it to the right consistency.) I can't wait to make the green bean casserole for Thanksgiving today with this base. i did add a little extra garlic, sherry, and a teaspoon of nutritional yeast. Probably didn't need to but am glad to have a little extra flavor since the soup has thickened up overnight and will need additional almond milk. I recommend making the soup in advance to give the flavors time to meld.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Stephanie! I've always loved this right out of the pot, but then again EVERYTHING tastes better the next day 🙂 So glad you like the recipe and thanks SO much for stopping back by. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Gail T. says
I doubled the recipe to make enough soup for the green bean casserole I will make tomorrow, and for a cup of soup for today’s lunch. It is absolutely delicious. So happy to have found this recipe. I used onion instead of shallot and included the optional sherry and nutmeg. So so good.
Traci Antonovich says
Awww YAY Gail!! This makes my day...I'm so happy you found the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Jen C. says
Just made this with Ripple Half and Half and I'm in love! I've been missing cream of mushroom soup (and by extension, Green Bean Casserole) since being diagnosed with a dairy allergy. This tastes like the real thing! Thanks for a truly amazing recipe.
Traci Antonovich says
Jen...my day is made! I'm SO so happy you found this recipe and thank you for taking the time to let me know. I'm not diet-restricted, but I do love the challenge of making recipes undetectably plant-based 😉 Thanks again!
Gina Taylor says
Love this creamy vegan soup.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much, Gina...so glad you're enjoying it! 🙂
Rachael Norton says
what type of mushrooms did you use?
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Rachel, I use regular button mushrooms or baby bellas, depending on what's available. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
LAUREN says
Has anyone tried freezing this? I'd like to make it ahead of time and thaw for a quicker Thanksgiving meal prep 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Hiya Lauren, I've done it. It works, but you might have to thicken it up by whisking in a bit more flour & milk (thoroughly mixed together before adding) while you're reheating. Let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy! 🙂
Lauren says
I made this with coconut milk and regular flour as it’s what I had on hand...unfortunately I didn’t see to decrease the amount of regular flour so it’s pretty thick...will try again another time! It smells great...will see how it tastes.
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Lauren, coconut milk should work fine, as long as you don't mind the coconutty flavor 🙂 And yep, the recipe does say to reduce the AP flour in half. So, just add coconut milk in small amounts while you're heating and stirring it and it should loosen right up. Hope that helps, lemme know if you have further questions 🙂
Leah Renee says
Honestly a really delicious and creamy recipe. I was skeptical at first b/c of the fact is was a MUSHROOM soup, and but this redeemed my interest in mushrooms.
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Leah! Thank you so much for your feedback. So glad you enjoyed! I don't often eat cream of mushroom soup, but I crave this on the regular 🙂 Thanks again!
Jane says
I just made your Mushroom soup recipe for lunch... it was awesome. I added a few things such as 1/4 C. Rehydrated Shitake Muchroons with liquid to the cooked mushrooms and 1/4 C. White Wine and added to the warm soup about 2 T. Miso paste in place of salt. It was really delicious. Thank you for the great recipe and the inspiration to customize to my taste.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Jane...glad you liked it! I've really been wanting to try dried mushrooms in it. And I'm always up for miso! Sounds like the perfect customizations! Thanks for stopping back by 🙂
Michele says
Do you think I could substitute potato starch for the garbanzo flour? I want to make this for my vegan granddaughters for Passover and we don’t do chickpeas during Passover.
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Michele...great question! Unfortunately, I've never subbed potato starch for bean flour, so I'm not sure what results you'll get. You can use all purpose flour if you don't need a gluten free flour. If you end up experimenting with potato starch, please do come back and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Amelia says
Fab recipe! The above comments that say how easy yet delicious were spot on. Thank you!
Traci Antonovich says
Amelia...thank you! I always appreciate hearing about a positive experience with my recipes. Thanks for taking the time! 🙂
Jacqui Steadman says
Hi there! Am allergic to nuts - do you think this recipe would work with coconut milk instead of almond?
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Jacqui, yep, that works. You'll often see vegan cream of mushroom soup recipes made with coconut milk, but I like mine with almond milk...personal preference. You can sub 1 to 1. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Alaina says
I got SO MANY mushrooms from a co-op and found this recipe. I was wondering if there were any way I could freeze this maybe?
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Alaina, you can freeze this soup like you would any other soup. During reheat, if it's too thick, add a little almond milk, and if it's too thin, mix a little chickpea flour with a little almond milk in a separate container (to remove lumps), add it to the soup, and gradually heat. Repeat either step until you get it where you want it. Thanks for asking...hope you love this one like we do! 🙂
KG says
I used cashew milk and was great. I too added more garlic and some garlic powder for a little more flavor.
Traci Antonovich says
Love hearing this, KG and thanks for the follow up! Btw, you added garlic?...you are my people 😉
Mahima Tamang says
This soup is so easy to make and super delicious!! My family loved it!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Mahima, we love this soup too!Thanks so much for the feedback...much appreciated 🙂
Joan Elliott says
This recipe is fantastic!! I had all the ingredients on hand and we loved the results. I used water with a teaspoon of Bragg's Amino's for the saute as we don't use oil. Otherwise I followed your recipe exactly and it was just perfect for this cold winter day! Thanks so much for sharing. I want to try more of your recipes!! You rock!!
Traci Antonovich says
So glad to hear it Joan...your feedback is so motivating to me and I'm excited for you to find other recipes you love! Send questions or comments my way any time!
Mary K Galofre says
Hi, you mentioned that to use this base as a general non dairy cream soup base you would choose a different flour than garbanzo. I prefer any type GF flours in general, whether bean, nut, or some blend of grains, and was curious which type you would recommend. I have a bag of dry brown lentils I could grind into flour, just got a bag of millet flour at the Indian grocery, where I saw garbanzo flour but didn't buy it darn! I am trying to replace heavy cream in a fava bean soup recipe and searched and found this.
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Mary, actually I DO recommend garbanzo flour to use this soup as a base. I have noticed that you need 2x more garbanzo flour than you would, say, an all purpose flour for this soup. I haven't tried brown lentil flour or millet flour, but will love to hear how either works out if you try them. Hope this answers your question 🙂
Cindy says
VERY GOOD. Made with regular flour (halved the amount), and rice milk (have nut and soy allergy). Turned out great; would make for non-vegan company without hesitation.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Cindy! The fact that you'd make this for non-vegan company says so much...and makes me happy to hear 🙂 Thanks for dropping back by and glad you loved it!