This Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup is so rich you won’t miss the original! Vegan and Paleo, it makes a great stand in for recipes that call for condensed soup.
I had an amazing childhood. I had a mom who was big into traditions– and traditions really are so much fun as a child. Always something to remember and look forward to.
I want to be that kind of mom to Xander. But do you know what I realize now that I *am* a mom? It’s a lot of work! It takes organization. It takes planning to get things prepared– because when you’re a mom, it’s not like you can just run out the day before a holiday, grab everything you need, and come home and prepare that evening and all day the next.
Nope. You’ve got to have a plan. Things purchased ahead of time, ready to go. Because the day before, your child will probably get a fever and need to go to the doctor, or just simply refuse to take a nap and be difficult to manage for the rest of the day. There will be no last minute shopping, and it’s even difficult (for me at least!) to stay up late and prepare after they are in bed.
At least as a new mom, you have a bit of a grace period. You don’t have to do much the first couple of years, because even tiny efforts are appreciated. I am hopeful that as he gets older, and his memory gets better, I have systems in place and figure out how to help make special memories for our family.
Something as simple as a dish on the Thanksgiving table can be a special memory. For me, I HATE to admit it, but my mom always made “Michelle’s favorite dish” – jello with whipped cream! Haha. For my brother, it was green bean or broccoli casserole, smothered in cheese or mayonnaise, and topped with crispy fried onions. My brother still loves those dishes- but he is now gluten free, I can’t have dairy, and none of us cook dishes like that anymore. Roasted veggies, please!
To show I am serious about learning how to do this “pre planning” thing, I started thinking about Thanksgiving dishes in August! This soup was created and photographed in August on an unusually chilly day– the soup itself was wonderful (even though I’ve never had the actual Cream of Mushroom Soup!), but the real reason for it’s creation was to make that green bean dish for him this Thanksgiving. It will be my first Thanksgiving with my family in 7 years (although we have had some simple Thanksgivings with friends in KL), and Xander’s first Thanksgiving ever (we didn’t celebrate last year when he was only 3 months old).
Now, if I could just start thinking about Christmas presents in October 
Ha! I don’t even have his Halloween costume put together– although I do know what it will be and my friends and I have planned a Halloween “playdate” since these babies are a bit too small to really have fun at a party. (Check out my Pinterest Board, “Healthy Happy Halloween”, or my blog post, Have a Healthy Halloween, for ideas on how to make your child’s holiday fun without so much of the sweet stuff!).
Tips for Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Variations: The cauliflower and cashew base can be used for a variety of cream soups. As photographed above, my favorite variation so far is to make a creamy kale and mushroom soup. For this variation, just add two cups of chopped kale at the same time as adding water to the “concentrate.” I have also added sweet corn and kale to make a cream of corn soup. If wanting to make a Cream of Chicken, I recommend using chicken bouillon in place of the vegetable, and adding shredded roasted chicken (maybe from a rotisserie chicken?).
- Make it Ahead: If planning to use this in place of condensed soup in holiday recipes, make the condensed version, and freeze it. Thaw completely, and warm up with 1/4 cup of water. The soup needs to fully reheat to become creamy again after freezing.
Yields 6
This cream of mushroom soup is made with allergy friendly cauliflower and cashews, but is so rich and creamy no one will guess it's not the real thing! Make as a substitute for condensed soup in recipes, or enjoy as a creamy side soup. This base can be used for lots of variations (see blog post)-- we love adding kale, but this could also easily be transformed into a cream of chicken soup.
20 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water overnight
- 1 medium cauliflower (5-6 inches in diameter)
- 3/4 cup water (to steam cauliflower)
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (I love Rapunzel Brand with Sea Salt and Herbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or sub 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
- 2 cups kale, chopped (optional)
- 2-3 cups of water (add to "concentrate" to make soup)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight in water (I put them in a jar in leave it in the refrigerator). When ready to make soup, drain excess water.
- Chop cauliflower roughly, and add to a saucepan with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and steam cauliflower until most of the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes. Be sure the cauliflower is very tender. Add a small amount more water if necessary.
- In a blender (I use my Vitamix for extra creamy results), add cauliflower (with remaining small amount of water), soaked cashews, a vegetable bouillon. Blend for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is extra smooth. Add 1/4 water if necessary to get the blender going (I didn't need to add any water).
- In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and then add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the sliced mushrooms, and continue to sauté for another 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper.
- Add the "cream" mixture to the mushroom mixture, and add thyme. Stop here if you are using this recipe as a substitute for Cream of Mushroom Soup concentrate.
- If making soup, add the kale if desired, and 2-3 cups of water. We added 2 cups the first day, and then another 1/2 of a cup when reheating the leftovers. It was very rich and could have been thinned out more! Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
Notes
See notes in blog post for variation ideas and directions. Nutrition information for 1 bowl of soup (1/6 of recipe).
Nutritional data for Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup and images courtesy of www.NutritionData.com.
Other Similar Recipes:
- Dairy Free Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon, by Leelalicious
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup, by Pancake Warriors
- Creamy Leek and Potato Soup, by HealthyNut Nutrition
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, by Vitamin Sunshine
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