This vegan cream of mushroom soup is rich and savory. Made with a "condensed" consistency, it's perfect for creating vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free casseroles!
(Originally posted on September 6, 2017; Updated tips and FAQs on February 25, 2021)
I don't know if there is any ingredient as versatile and beloved as a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. It can be gravy, sauce, or my personal favorite... the perfect bechamel for pretty much any casserole (like this vegan green bean casserole). However, the first time we hosted Christmas dinner, complete with multiple casseroles, I found myself with a dilemma: The casseroles would need to be gluten-free for my gluten-intolerant wife, and vegan for my plant-based sister-in-law. This made-from-scratch vegan and gluten-free cream of mushroom soup was the answer!
Why This Recipe Works
- The soup may be thickened to your desired consistency. Leave it on the thin side to enjoy a warm bowl of savory cream of mushroom soup, or thicken it considerably to create a condensed version for casseroles.
- This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, meeting multiple dietary needs!
How to make Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Wash whole baby bella mushrooms.
In several batches, dice mushrooms.
In a large saucepan – add oil, mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes.
Cook until mushrooms have released their juices and mostly evaporated.
Meanwhile – in a medium bowl, combine soy milk, onion powder, and cornstarch. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps.
Add milk mixture to mushrooms and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook until desired thickness is reached, probably about 5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Don't be concerned in the early stages of cooking if it appears that there is too much liquid for a "condensed" version of cream of mushroom soup. The cornstarch gives it its “condensed” texture. There’s quite a bit of it, and the more you cook it once the cornstarch is added, the more it will thicken. So yes, there is quite a bit of liquid, but you can “condense” it as much as you like!
- I recommend using baby bella mushrooms rather than white mushrooms for a few reasons: they are firmer (so they hold up better when cooking) and they have an earthier, meatier flavor.
FAQs
- Can I use a different kind of plant-based milk? We have tested this with both soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, and Ripple (pea protein milk). It worked well with each variety! We have also heard from readers who successfully used coconut milk.
- Do you have a favorite brand of soy milk to use in this? We typically use Silk Soymilk, as it's readily available at our local grocery store.
- How many cans of cream of condensed soup does this recipe equal? This recipe produces roughly 3 cups of soup, while a can of store-bought cream of mushroom contains 1 ¼ cups. It makes a little over 2 cans worth, though the measurements also depend on how much you condense the soup while cooking.
- How long does it keep? You may store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.
- What can I substitute for cornstarch? I would recommend using arrowroot starch/flour. To sub arrowroot for cornstarch, 2 teaspoons Arrowroot flour = 1 tablespoon Cornstarch. So, when substituting for ¼ cup cornstarch (which is equal to 4 Tbs), sub 2 Tbs plus 2 tsp (or 8 tsp total) of arrowroot.
- Can I make this oil-free? Yes. Substitute water for the oil.
More Vegan Soups
- Moroccan-Style Chickpea Stew
- Spicy Sweet Potato Peanut Stew
- White Bean Soup
- Lentil Soup with Curry and Potatoes
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Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 24 oz. baby bella mushrooms diced
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 3 cups soy milk or plain almond milk
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large saucepan - add oil, mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms have released their juices and mostly evaporated.
- Meanwhile - in a medium bowl, combine soy milk, onion powder, and cornstarch. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps.
- Add milk mixture to mushrooms and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook until desired thickness is reached, probably about 5 minutes.
- Refrigerate and use in your favorite casserole recipe. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Don't be concerned in the early stages of cooking if it appears that there is too much liquid for a "condensed" version of cream of mushroom soup. The cornstarch gives it its “condensed” texture. There’s quite a bit of it, and the more you cook it once the cornstarch is added, the more it will thicken. So yes, there is quite a bit of liquid, but you can “condense” it as much as you like!
- I recommend using baby bella mushrooms rather than white mushrooms for a few reasons: they are firmer (so they hold up better when cooking) and they have an earthier, meatier flavor.
FAQs
- Can I use a different kind of plant-based milk? We have tested this with both soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, and Ripple (pea protein milk). It worked well with each variety! We have also heard from readers who successfully used coconut milk.
- Do you have a favorite brand of soy milk to use in this? We typically use Silk Soymilk, as it's readily available at our local grocery store.
- How many cans of cream of condensed soup does this recipe equal? This recipe produces roughly 3 cups of soup, while a can of store-bought cream of mushroom contains 1 ¼ cups. It makes a little over 2 cans worth, though the measurements also depend on how much you condense the soup while cooking.
- How long does it keep? You may store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.
- What can I substitute for cornstarch? I would recommend using arrowroot starch/flour. To sub arrowroot for cornstarch, 2 teaspoons Arrowroot flour = 1 tablespoon Cornstarch. So, when substituting for ¼ cup cornstarch (which is equal to 4 Tbs), sub 2 Tbs plus 2 tsp (or 8 tsp total) of arrowroot.
- Can I make this oil-free? Yes. Substitute water for the oil.
Nutrition
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This recipe looks great! Do you know if it will freeze well?
I have not tried that, but I think it should work just fine.
My daughter LOVES mushroom soup, and has missed it so much since we gave up dairy. So tonight I’m making this whole30 compliant with cashew milk and arrowroot powder. Can’t wait to try!
How did it turn out with your replacements?
I was also curious if almond or cashew milk were acceptable substitutes.
Yes, both will work just the same. My sister-in-law always uses almond milk when she makes this recipe. And she loves it!
This turned out amazing!
This recipe sounds like it has too much liquid in it to be "condensed" cream of mushroom, and that it will turn out as the fully made soup. Please comment on your experience with it.
What gives it the "condensed" texture is the cornstarch. There's quite a bit of it, and the more you cook it once the cornstarch is added, the more it will thicken. So yes, there is quite a bit of liquid, but you can "condense" it as much as you like!
Looks wonderful!... and yes, I grew up making casseroles etc with cream of mushroom soup.
It was always just an ingredient, never eaten by itself ...this looks like something I’d eat as a soup.
Do you have a favorite brand of soy milk to use in this?
Thanks
It's delicious enough to eat as is! As for the soy milk, Silk is usually what we have on hand.
Finally! A delicious and easy recipe for cream of mushroom. Thank you! Now I jus5 need cream of tomato ?
Ooo... Cream of tomato soup sounds right up my ally! I'll develop a recipe for it just because you asked. Stay tuned...
And thanks for the great feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent basic recipe for adding my own flavors. I used coconut milk and cashew milk and diced onions, pressed garlic, herbes de provence, almond flour, and a splas of white wine. Salt ...of course.
Thanks for giving it a try. And yes, this was originally intended to be a very simple recipe, in order to substitute for that famous can of soup in casseroles!
I made this again today to use for a green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. For those wondering about what types of milk you can use, so far I've made this with almond milk, soy milk, and today I tried it out with Ripple (pea protein milk). All three worked great! Love this recipe!
This Soup was freaking delicious!!!! Super easy to make and so fantastic. Everyone (even the carnivores) loved it. Will definitely make again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
As a new cook, I found this recipe very easy to utilize for my vegan casseroles. It turns out perfect every time!
Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Would you use this recipe to replace one can of cream of mushroom soup called for?
Yes, it makes about 2 cans worth of soup.
How long will this last in the fridge? A few days?
Yes, just like leftovers.
If you are not into using starch, using a combination of soymilk and silken tofu blend will also give a deliciously creamy consistency.
If I'm using this to make your green bean casserole, how many servings do you recommend making?
I'm not sure I understand your question, but here is our green bean casserole recipe. I hope your answer is here. https://thefoodieeats.com/vegan-green-bean-casserole/
Ah, I see what you mean. This recipe will produce about 3 cups of cream of mushroom soup, plenty for the green bean casserole recipe.
This turned out amazing and I am really bad at cooking, will definitely use again and again! Thank you so much for sharing this, Chef Gary.
I cannot do cornstarch. Would tapioca flour or almond flour work?
I would recommend using arrowroot. To sub arrowroot for cornstarch,2 teaspoons Arrowroot flour = 1 tablespoon Cornstarch. So, when substituting for 1/4 cup cornstarch (which is equal to 4 tbs), sub 2 tbs plus 2 tsp (or 8 tsp total) of arrowroot.
This turned out amazing! Only my son is vegan but I made green bean casserole for Thanksgiving using this soup and the entire family raved about it. I used button mushrooms, almond milk, and arrowroot and it turned out better than anything in a can! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is delicious!! I used coconut milk. I had to make a second batch for the casserole. It was so good, I ate half of the first batch. Definitely one I will be making over and over!
Delicious!
I don’t have corn starch but I do have tapioca starch, can I use this instead??
We have never used tapioca starch in a recipe, but according to this article from Epicurious, it should work. Use 2 tablespoons for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
This was so good!!! We browned ground turkey and added it to the sauce and served it over rice. It was delicious!!! I just need a cream of chicken recipe.
Loved, loved, loved this recipe! I cooked real onions with the garlic and mushrooms. I am not eating oil so I substituted water. I made brown rice noodles and topped with peas and then the sauce. It was soooo good! I am going to use this for all kinds of recipes.
I am going to half your green bean casserole recipe, so it’s a serving size of 6. Is it safe to say I can half your cream of mushroom soup recipe and will get the 1.5 cups needed for the green bean casserole?
I would guess that it will work, though I have not tested that.
This was simply AWESOME!
I can't thank you enough. This is the first time I've made my favorite veggie casserole since 2013. In the next few days I'll be making more and my mom's tuna casserole will be on the menu.
We have made this several times for different reasons. Green bean casserole, as an appetizer as is, gravy over mashed taters with steak. The options are endless! I use unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened macadamia nut milk, and unsweetened cashew milk....so all worked just fine as a substitute.
I have also shared this recipe with several family members and friends!
Tried this last night using OAT milk. It was absolutely delicious and the PERFECT consistency for the tuna casserole we made for dinner last night. THANK YOU!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, I was wondering if I could use canned mushrooms?
I apologize for the delayed response. I would not recommend using canned mushrooms due to the water content. It will yield vastly different results.
This was really easy to make. I made it for green bean casserole for a vegan friend. I just added the green beans and the crispy onions right to my skillet to mix and transfer to the casserole dish. Also, I used Cashew milk. Super yummy!!!