I made a discovery when making this soup that I seriously can't wait to share with you.
You see, when it comes to creamy soups (and smoothies for that matter), I'm very particular about the texture. I like them thick and I like them ultra smooth. Thankfully, my blender totally does the job, leaving no lumps behind, but when you're making “cream of” anything soups and you're not using heavy cream, it can be a little challenging to recreate their luxurious nature.
When I was looking for a vegan cream of mushroom soup recipe to base this one off of, I came across a few that used cashew cream as the base – brilliant of course, but I also know that many of you have nut allergies, so that just wouldn't do. Others used things like cauliflower as a thickener, but I felt like that still wouldn't give me the texture I was searching for.
So I went back to the drawing board. What could I use in this soup that would not only thicken the base, but also lend a really creamy texture?
And then it hit me…
AVOCADOS!
Now before you shake your head or think I'm weird for adding avocado to my mushroom soup, let me first explain.
I have a love affair with smoothies (I have one every morning, which you already know) and always add avocado because it makes them extra thick and creamy. But aside from what avocados bring to the texture, it also has a very mild flavor, so you really can't taste it at all – especially when it's up against things like banana, protein power, chocolate and in this case mushrooms.
To make this soup, you don't need very many ingredients all. It's just a mixture of mushrooms, onion and garlic, some broth, some quinoa, a few spices and an entire avocado. Blend it all together and you've got the tastiest, simplest and healthiest cream of mushroom soup ever. Not to mention it's free of all of the top allergens!
And so my friends, today I'm giving you a (here we go…) nut-free, soy-free, corn-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan cream of mushroom soup. Whew, quite the mouthful! I sincerely hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 1 lb mushrooms stemmed and chopped (any variety will do)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1 large avocado
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Remove soup from heat and transfer to a high powered blender. Add quinoa and avocado and blend on high until smooth. Return soup to pot, taste again and add any more seasonings if you'd like.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Filed Under:
Did you know that there are more nutrients in the stems than in the caps?
Neat! The stems could definitely be used in this recipe if you want to add them.
I just tried this recipe for supper. Impressively thick & creamy, though personally, I would use less onion as I found the taste to be a bit strong for my liking. I thought this was a good vegan replication of mushroom soup and did enjoy it. The colour isn’t the most appetizing – but when blending avocado, you can’t expect much else! Thank you for this recipe, Alyssa! I love your blog so much.
Glad you enjoyed it! xx
This is awesome! I love cream soups for cooking, but haven’t used them in years due to their being so unhealthy. Has anyone tried this in other recipes as the creamed soup ingredient?
I just made this this recipe and it was awesome. I did use my immersion blender as my honey likes things not smooth. I will definitely share this recipe with family and friends with your permission.
I’d love to bring this to a potluck for the folks in my weight loss study. Do you think I could possibly “hold” it?
Hi Suzanne, what do you mean by “hold” it? I think it would be great to bring for a potluck!
It would not be served immediately as suggested. I’d have to make it ahead and maybe keep warm or reheat before going to the potluck
How well do you think will freeze? I’ve been looking for a great recipe base since my dairy allergic sons can’t have the canned stuff. Will certainly be trying this!!! Thank you!
I’m not sure how well it will freeze, honestly. Sometimes avocado is a little funky when it freezes, but I will probably be fine once you thaw it out. Enjoy!
You had me at mushrooms. I can’t wait to try this at home. Thanks for the recipe.
Mushrooms…aren’t they the best!? Excited to hear how the recipe turns out for you, Joshua. Make sure to stop by and let us know!
And dairy-free!
Sounds good! I look forward to making this sometime soon.
Would love to hear what you think! xo
Alyssa, the new site looks great! And this recipe looks even better!!! I can’t wait to get some mushrooms and try this!
Thank you, Janet! That’s so sweet. I would love to hear how the soup turns out for you – hope all is well!