This savory vegan mushroom soup is silky smooth, it's loaded with cremini and shiitake mushrooms, garlic, onions, and so much umami flavor! If you love mushrooms, then this is the soup for you! Enjoy this soup with crusty slices of warm bread for a truly satisfying plant-based meal.
This vegan mushroom soup recipe is a copycat recipe of an appetizer that I enjoyed on a Disney Fantasy cruise that I went on a few years ago. The vegan cream of mushroom soup was so decadent and flavorful that I ordered it every single night of the cruise and I even asked our waiter for the recipe! Luckily, he was able to write down the bare bones of the recipe for me so I could try to recreate it at home!
This vegan mushroom soup recipe is just as delicious as the soup I had on the cruise! It's so savory, extra creamy, and it has the most delicious velvety texture. This soup features a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms for an extra punch of umami flavor, loads of sauteed garlic and onions, and canned coconut milk to give it the smooth as silk consistency.
If you love the flavor of mushrooms, I think you're going to go crazy for this soup! It's easy to make with minimal steps and it's ready in less than one hour! Enjoy the soup with a sprinkle of chives and slices of crusty bread for dipping and you'll be in mushroom heaven!
What Type of Mushrooms Should You Use?
You can use any combination of mushrooms to make this soup, but the best option is to use mushrooms that you like the way they taste and mushrooms that are affordable and easy to find. For those reasons, I used fresh cremini mushrooms and frozen shiitake mushrooms.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Soup
First, you're going to saute the onions, garlic, and dried seasonings (Photos 1 & 2). Next, add the fresh crmeini mushrooms and frozen shiitake mushrooms and let it cook for 15 minutes (Photo 3).
Then you're going to transfer the mushroom mixture to a blender and blend it until it's smooth and creamy (Photos 4 & 5). Lastly, pour the mushroom puree back into the pot and mix it with coconut milk and bring it to a low simmer (Photo 6). Garnish with chives and enjoy!
Coconut Milk Alternative
You can use raw cashews instead of coconut milk to make the soup creamy. To do this, boil 1 cup of cashews for 10 minutes and then discard the water. Next, transfer the cooked mushroom mixture to the blender with 2-3 cups of vegetable broth (depending on how big your blender is you may need to blend the soup in batches) and add the soaked cashews.
Blend the mixture until it's smooth and creamy. Then pour the soup back into the dutch oven and stir in the rest of the vegetable broth and bring it to a low simmer. The cashews will make the soup taste super creamy without having to use coconut milk.
What Goes With it?
I usually serve the soup with a big salad and a few slices of crusty bread for dipping, but you could also make any of these vegan side dishes to go with it:
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Florentine
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus
- Roasted Baslamic Brussels Sprouts
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for 3-4 days.
Can You Freeze it?
You can freeze the soup but the texture may be a little grainy when you defrost and reheat it. Coconut milk tends to separate once it's frozen and defrosted. It will still taste great but the consistency will look a little different.
Slow Cooker Instructions
To make this soup in the slow cooker, put the onions, garlic, mushrooms, dried seasonings, and vegetable broth into the slow cooker. Cover it and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Then, use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushroom mixture to a large blender cup. Add enough of the vegetable broth from the slow cooker (about 2 cups) to the blender cup to help the mixture blend until it's smooth and creamy.
Pour the mushroom puree back into the slow cooker and stir in the can of coconut milk. Let it cook a few more minutes until the coconut milk is warm. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy.
Ways to Adapt This Recipe
This savory shiitake mushroom soup recipe is delicious as-is, but you could also:
- Use Wild Mushrooms: Instead of cremini and shiitake mushrooms, you could try using a mix of wild mushrooms like chanterelle, morel, enoki, or truffles.
- Mix it with Pasta: This soup is so rich and creamy that it also makes a truly delicious pasta sauce if you're not in the mood for soup. Add cavatappi noodles to catch the sauce and a few handfuls of fresh spinach to add a pop of color.
- Pair it with a Sandwich: Soup and a sandwich is a classic combo! Try this zucchini and avocado vegan grilled cheese sandwich along with a bowl of the soup.
- Make it Fancy: On the cruise, the mushroom soup was served with a drizzle of white truffle oil. The truffle oil really adds something special to the soup. I know that truffle oil isn't the most common ingredient that everyone has in their pantry, but, I promise you, it's worth the effort to find it!
Substitutions & FAQ
- Do You Have to Use Shiitake Mushrooms? No, you can omit the shiitake mushrooms and use 2 lbs of cremini mushrooms if that's what you have. The shiitake mushrooms just add a strong, earthy, umami flavor to the soup.
- Can You Use Frozen Mushrooms? Sometimes frozen mushrooms can taste a little rubbery and they're easy to overcook. However, frozen mushrooms are perfect for this recipe because you're only using them for flavor and you're going to blend the mushrooms anyways so their texture doesn't really matter.
- Do You Have to Blend the Soup? I blended the soup because that's how it was served on the cruise. However, you could leave it chunky or use a stick blender to pulse it a few times if you prefer a thicker texture.
- Mushroom Options: You can use cremini, button, portobello, shiitake, or a blend of wild mushrooms to make this soup. I used mainly cremini because they're easy to find, readily available, and they're usually the most affordable.
- Coconut Milk Substitutions: Instead of coconut milk, you can use unsweetened almond milk but it will be a little less creamy. You could also substitute softened raw cashews for a similar texture in the soup. Please see the "Coconut Milk Alternative" section for the instructions on how to use cashews instead.
Success Tips
- When picking out fresh mushrooms, look for mushroom caps that aren't wet or slimy, they should feel dry to the touch. Also, you shouldn't be able to see the gills in the bottom of the cap. If you do, that means that the mushroom is still edible, but it's a little bit past its prime.
- Put the can of coconut milk in the fridge for 1 hour to help the creamy coconut milk separate from the watery liquid. You can discard the coconut water in the can or you can save it and add it to a smoothie.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Vegan Mushroom Recipes You'll Love
Roasted Portobello Mushroom Quinoa Hummus Wraps
Vegan Pesto Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Vegan Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- 6-Quart Dutch Oven
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3-4 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth (for sauteing)
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp himalayan pink sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1.5 lbs cremini mushrooms sliced
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms (fresh or frozen)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- (1) 14 oz can coconut milk (discard the water, try to only use the creamy part)
- 2 tbsp chives sliced
Instructions
- In a 6-quart dutch oven over medium heat, saute the diced onions in 3-4 tbsp vegetable broth until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add 5 cloves of minced garlic, ¾ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Give it a stir and let it cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and frozen shiitake mushrooms. Let the mushrooms cook for 15 minutes or until they're soft.
- Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large blender cup and add 2-3 cups (depending on how large the blender cup is) of vegetable broth. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the blended mushroom puree back into the dutch oven and stir in the remaining vegetable broth. Next, add the canned coconut milk, but try to only pour in the creamy white part and discard (or save for a smoothie) the watery liquid.
- Stir the soup to combine the coconut milk with the mushroom puree until it's completely mixed. Let the soup cook for 5-10 more minutes over medium heat until it's hot and starting to bubble.
- Serve and garnish each bowl with fresh chives.
Notes
- When picking out fresh mushrooms, look for mushroom caps that aren't wet or slimy, they should feel dry to the touch. Also, you shouldn't be able to see the gills at the bottom of the cap. If you do, that means that the mushroom is still edible, but it's a little bit past its prime.
- Put the can of coconut milk in the fridge for 1 hour to help the creamy coconut milk separate from the watery liquid. You can discard the coconut water in the can or you can save it and add it to a smoothie.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 7/24/17, but I updated it with new pictures and better recipe instructions on 6/3/20.
I loved it and honestly felt like I was cheating on my low carb diet. Great recipe!!
Thank you, Amanda! I'm so pleased you liked the recipe <3
Okay, this is DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for bringing back the memory of the amazing times and luscious food we ate onboard our Disney Cruises!
Plus now that I am eating vegan, even more of a treat!
Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! It makes me feel like I'm on the cruise every time I make it too!
How many servings does this soup make?
Hi, CLaire! The recipe makes 6 servings!
This looks amazing! Thanks for posting. How long does this stay good for in the refrigerator?
Thank you! I would say about 3-4 days.
is the mushroom soup low carb?
Yes, it is low-carb.
I wanted to say thank you for making your recipe available. I tweaked it a bit, but separating the coconut milk worked fabulously!