Cream of Mushroom Soup (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)
Somehow soup and stew weather has crept into July; the temperature isn't even 60 degrees right now! I crave warming, soothing cooked foods in cold weather. This rich mushroom soup is perfect! Serve this creamy dairy-free and gluten-free mushroom soup with a loaf of crusty gluten-free french bread and a salad of greens, crispy apples, and pumpkin seeds with a good balsamic dressing.
Cremini mushrooms contain high levels of anti-inflammatory polysaccharides. These compounds help to increase levels of secretory IgA in the gut—the immune system's first line of defense against pathogens and other antigens! People with low levels of secretory IgA can develop leaky gut and dysbiosis (gut bacterial imbalance and overgrowth of opportunistic microbes). Cremini mushrooms are also a good source of selenium, manganese, and zinc—all needed for proper immune function and for antioxidant enzymes in the body.
I will admit here that my girls wouldn't try this soup (was it the color?), but my boys (18 month old twins) tried some and then ate two bowls each!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
The deep, earthy flavors of the mushrooms mingles beautifully with the nutty, creamy cashews. If you have a nut allergy and can tolerate dairy products then you could add heavy cream in place of the cashews. Serve soup with a vegetable salad for a light, nutritious lunch or dinner.
- Heat a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and then add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and mushrooms; sauté for a few minutes more.
- Add the bone broth or water, herbs, pepper, and salt. Cover and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and ladle some of the soup into a blender. Add the cashews. Blend on high until smooth and creamy; transfer to a clean pot. Puree the remaining soup in batches (you can blend it for just a short time for more texture or longer for a smoother consistency).
- Stir the soup together to mix the cashew cream in with the rest of the blended batches. Taste and add more salt if necessary or more water for a thinner consistency. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes to meld the flavors.
- Garnish each bowl with sliced and sautéed mushrooms, chopped fresh parsley, and edible flowers if desired.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Holy smokes, was this GOOD! The only things I changed: I used a mixture of mushrooms and used chick pea flour rather than rice flour. I threw baby kale in the blender with the soup. Truly fantastic.
Oh, I LOVE this recipe. I made it for our Thursday soup night and it was amazing. I am on a strict diet though, and so I couldn't use the olive oil to cook with. I subbed pasture-raised butter. And, I just left out the sweet rice flour as I can't have grains. This was the best mushroom soup I've ever had. And my girls, 1.5yr and 2.5yr ate it up! Thank you so much!!!
Can I substitute the rice flour with almond flour? Or coconut flour? We are grain free... It sounds delicious :)
I made this with some chicken broth that I simmered for 6 hours yesterday. The soup was so thick, creamy and satisfying! I will definitely add this to my repertoire of week night meals. Thanx for another great recipe!
Jeni
You are my go to site when I need something tasty. Thank you so much for sharing your works of art!
I made this soup today for use in a green bean casserole. My non allergic son tasted it and said, "now this tastes like Thanksgiving!" Hooray!
I didn't have sweet rice flour or crimini mushrooms, so I subbed tapioca starch and portabella. I also made a roux to thicken it and simmered it to reduce it more so it would cling to the green beans. Topped it off with caramelized onions. Yummy. Thanks again!
Ali, you should try it with coconut milk. There's a Thai restaurant down the street from me that makes a coconut soup with mushrooms in it, and it is awesome. I, too, am looking for replacements for canned soups to use to make casseroles with (not supposed to have gluten or dairy here).
Angie- it might work, though I've never tried it. Let me know how it goes. :)
Would this work as a substitute for canned cream of mushroom soup in a casserole? I have dairy and soy allergies, and I miss my casseroles! Thanks!
Finally made this amazing recipe to reintroduce mushrooms after years avoiding them. SO YUMMY. The cashews make it perfectly creamy, I love it! I hope I get to make it many many more times! Thank you Ali.
I made the cream of mushroom soup today and it turned out amazing! I made a couple of changes that I thought you might like. I didn't have cashews for the "cream". Instead, after I sauteed the mushroom mixture I added about 3 TB of garbanzo bean flour and made a roux. Then I added the broth and let it simmer. This made the soup thick and gave a nice creaminess. I finished it with a some Bragg's Liquid Amino's to taste. Wow! It was good! Thanks!
I am very thankful for your blog and dairy free - gluten free recipes as I am on an elimination diet and it is hard to find appealing recipes.
This one looks yummy.
I got brown rice flour instead of sweet rice. Is it going to work the same?
Oh my gosh - this is so good! My dad is dairy/beef/rice allergic, so I subbed quinoa flour for the rice flour. Also, our local co-op was out of these mushrooms, so I used portabellas instead.
Holy smokes. This was delish! It also got the stamp of approval from my generally-non-food-adventurous mother. Thank you!!!
Would potato starch work instead of sweet rice flour to make this recipe kosher for Passover? How much would you use? Thanks!
Hi Ali,
This looks great! I love mushrooms, but hate the heaviness that dairy cream imparts. Have you ever tried this soup with soaking the cashews for a few hours ahead of time?
Also, do you have suggestions for substitute for the sweet rice flour? Would arrowroot starch work in equal amounts? Thanks!
Do you have suggestions for substitute for the sweet rice flour? Would arrowroot starch work in equal amounts?
Also, have you ever tried this soup with soaking the cashews for a few hours ahead of time?
Just an update - I finally got the cashews, not chestnuts (I've got brain-fog today!) and this is the best cream of mushroom soup I've ever had. I'm going to eat it for dinner (right now!) and even thought about hiding it from my husband, but instead I'm going to pack it in his lunch tomorrow. He'll be so happy he won't know what to do.
Thanks, Ali.
This is cooking right now and it smells great - I don't have any Herbamare (not even sure what it is...) but it's so grounding. I tied the rosemary & thyme in a boquet garni because I'm too tired to chop them up.
I don't have any raw chestnuts but I have to run out later and will pick some up and finish the soup tonight. Really want to try the dairy-free version.
I added sliced burdock root - which added a nutty, peppery taste- in with the mushrooms. I pureed only about 2/3 and left the rest to have something to crunch on. Very good.
Will this yummy French Bread recipe appear in your next book maybe?
FoodAllergyMom - Thanks, I am sure you gals will enjoy this soup. I am saving the bread recipe for my next book. What a bummer that other recipes have not turned out.
-Ali :)
I can't wait to make this for my Mom when she comes to visit. She is going to LOVE it! Thank you! Also, what about that french bread recipe? Do you have it posted? I have tried a few (I even bought the special french bread loaf pan) and they have all been horrible.
Rita - Your soup recipe sounds great too, thanks for sharing. :)
Amy - You're right, this version isn't "heavy" - it has just the right amount of creaminess with a bold mushroom flavor. I am sure you will enjoy it! :)
-Ali
I added this to my folder of recipes to make - we love mushrooms. I am not a fan of heavy cream soups but this version isn't heavy at all. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for all your work Kelly! Here's a recipe for GF Cream of Chicken soup from my book called COUNTRY BEANS that I'm sure you'll love:
CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
1 cup white bean flour (Navy Beans)
2 Tbl. chicken soup base (I like Better Than Bouillon)
6 cups water
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Grind white beans (Navy or small white, or Red Lentil) into flour with your wheat grinder (or buy from Bob's Red Mill).
In a medium saucepan combine the all ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes. For a creamier soup (more like Campbell's) pour into blender and process for 1 minute on high. Serves 4-6.
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Optional --- add 1 c. cooked diced chicken. Can also add cooked celery, potatoes, carrots, and onions for a full meal soup.
T - Thanks, glad to hear you two are enjoying the recipes! :)
Jennifer - I make the bread from scratch in a French Bread pan, it is a recipe I created last fall. My kids go nuts over it! :)
Veronica Lee - Thanks for stopping by!
Deb - Oh good, I bet you will enjoy this one - I don't even miss the dairy here the soup is so good. :)
-Ali
I love mushroom soup but have not made it in so long since the old recipe I had was made with dairy. I can't wait to try this!
Thanks - plus I love the flowers to decorate it.
Deb
Hi, I'm visiting from MBC. Great blog.
You often speak of a gluten-free French bread--do you make it, or is it something that you buy?
Wow, that looks and sounds really tasty! Thank you for all of your creative recipes. I fix many of them for my boyfriend, and he loves the food, so I'll be sure to try this one out, too!
Thanks Kelly! :)
oh my gosh -YUM!