Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup with wild rice and luxurious rich flavor. This easy recipe is the perfect light meal for those following a dairy-free diet!
For my fellow lovers of thick, creamy soups, this rich and delectable creamy vegan mushroom soup recipe is for you! It is packed with classic earthy flavors, comes with hearty nutty wild rice, and quenches the need for a belly-filling meal.
Using fresh mushrooms and homemade cashew cream, this delightful adventure is a treasure trove of flavor.
The way I see it, this easy soup recipe is ideal for those who follow a dairy-free or a vegan diet and love cozy soups. It is simple to prepare, and results in a restaurant-quality meal to keep your taste buds tantalized!
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this creamy dairy-free mushroom soup!
Ingredients for Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup:
Raw Cashews: Cashews get soaked and blended into a creamy consistency to add richness and creaminess to this dairy-free mushroom soup recipe. They take the place of some of the dairy.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Completing the creamy texture profile, we need a can of full-fat coconut milk to serve as our replacement for cream or milk. Swap it out for a can of coconut cream if you have access to it.
Onion and Fresh Garlic Cloves: Yellow onion and garlic provides a lovely canvas of flavor to boost the appeal of the whole experience.
Carrot: Adds a little freshness and naturally sweet flavor to offset the otherwise rich soup.
Cremini Mushrooms: Bringing plenty of umami mushroom flavor and a unique texture element, we need a full pound of mushrooms. I like using baby bella mushrooms, but white mushrooms work too.
Wild Rice: Nutty wild rice brings complex carbohydrates and heartiness to the soup. Regular brown rice works too.
Vegetable Broth: In addition to the creamy coconut milk we need more liquid for the right consistency. Vegetable stock is the ingredient for the job!
Dried Oregano and Dried Rosemary: Bright herb flavor comes from dried oregano and rosemary, which complement mushrooms magically. Replace them with Italian seasoning if you’d like.
Nutritional Yeast: Often used in vegan recipes to mimic the flavor of cheese, nutritional yeast gives the impression that you’re enjoying soup with regular dairy.
Avocado Oil: Used as our cooking oil to sauté the onion. Olive oil works too. For richer flavor, give the finished soup a drizzle of truffle oil.
Dry White Wine (optional): For some sexiness, add a splash of dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients, let’s make vegan creamy mushroom soup!
How to Make Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup:
Place cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, or soak overnight in cold water. Strain and set aside until ready to use.
Heat the avocado oil in a large pot such as a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins turning golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the chopped carrot, minced garlic, and chopped mushrooms, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to deepen in color, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice, vegetable broth, sea salt, oregano, and nutritional yeast. Cover and bring to a full boil.
While the soup is coming to a boil, blend the coconut milk and cashews together in a small blender. Stir this mixture into the pot, replace the cover, and reduce heat to medium-low to cook at a simmer.
Continue cooking until soup has thickened and rice is cooked through, about 45 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Taste soup for flavor and add more sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Serve with crusty bread, and enjoy!
Recipe Customizations:
- If you don’t follow a plant-based diet, chop up 1 pound of chicken thighs or breasts and add them in.
- Mix in some fresh herbs if you have some on hand.
- For thicker consistency, you can add a little all-purpose flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or one tablespoon cornstarch, until you get the thickness you’re looking for.
- Replace the nutritional yeast with a splash of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar.
- For a low fat version, use canned light coconut milk instead of full-fat.
- Feel free to toss in a bay leaf if you have one on hand.
- If you enjoy the flavor of celery in soups, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of finely chopped celery at the same time as the carrots.
Storage Options:
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Double bag the leftover soup in large zip lock bags or freezer bags, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Recipe Tips:
- Soak the cashews ahead of time to break up some of the prep.
- Sauté some of the mushrooms to golden brown perfection to serve on top of the finished soup.
And that’s it! The next time you have a hankering for mushroom and wild rice soup, whip up this creamy delight!
If you love making homemade soup recipes, also try out these plant-based gems.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes:
- Vegetable Coconut Curry Soup
- Chunky Tomato Basil Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Bisque
- Vegetable Soup
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Stew
Dedicated to my fellow mushroom lover, I hope you enjoy this creamy soup!
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 pound baby portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup wild rice
- 6 cups vegetable broth see note
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, or soak overnight in cold water. Strain and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion begins turning brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add the carrot, garlic, and mushrooms, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to deepen in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice, vegetable broth, sea salt, oregano, and nutritional yeast. Cover and bring to a full boil.
- While the soup is coming to a boil, blend the coconut milk and cashews together in a small blender. Stir this mixture into the pot, replace the cover, and reduce heat to medium-low to cook at a simmer. Continue cooking until soup has thickened and rice is cooked through, about 45 minutes.
- Taste soup for flavor and add more sea salt according to taste. Serve and enjoy!
