Is this cream of mushroom soup vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free?
Yes, as written with suitable labeled ingredients. This version uses plant milk instead of dairy and cornstarch instead of wheat flour, with no butter or cream. Classic Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup contains milk and wheat; its separate gluten-free version still contains dairy, so gluten-free does not automatically mean dairy-free or vegan.
Can I use this instead of canned condensed cream of mushroom soup?
Yes. Use about 1¼ cups in place of one 10.5-ounce can, ⅝ cup (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons) for half a can, or 2½ cups for two cans. One batch makes roughly 3 cups. The can’s 10.5 ounces is its net weight, not a fluid-ounce measure. Use this soup condensed in casseroles; a replacement can still change a dish’s seasoning or thickness.
Which plant milk and mushrooms work best?
Use plain, unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk; cashew milk also works. Coconut milk can leave a noticeable coconut flavor. Check the milk label for your dietary needs, especially gluten-free oat milk or a soy-free choice. Baby bella mushrooms give a deeper mushroom flavor, while white button mushrooms are milder. Blend the finished soup smooth if you want mushroom flavor without pieces. Canned mushrooms or a mushroom-free version need their own quantities and adjustments, which I have not tested here.
Can I eat condensed cream of mushroom as regular soup?
Yes. Start by thinning 1 cup of the condensed soup with about ½ cup of plant milk, vegetable broth, or water, then adjust until it is the consistency you want. If you are making it specifically to eat as soup, start with half the salt and season to taste at the end.
The first time we hosted Christmas dinner, my wife couldn’t eat gluten and my sister-in-law was plant-based. I needed one mushroom-soup base that could cover both. This is the one that stuck.
Its main job is standing in for the can in comfort food, especially my vegan green bean casserole. It can become a bowl of soup too, with the thinning directions above.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby Bella Mushrooms (24 oz.): These mushrooms have a firmer texture and a deeper, earthier flavor than white mushrooms.
- Sea Salt (1 Tbsp.): Salted to work inside casseroles, where it gets diluted by other ingredients. Cut it in half if you're eating it as soup.
- Soy, Oat, Almond or Cashew Milk (3 cups): The base liquid. Use unsweetened and unflavored, with labels suitable for your dietary needs.
- Cornstarch (¼ cup): The thickener used for this condensed texture. I have not established a replacement ratio for arrowroot or tapioca in this recipe.
How to Make Dairy-Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
Step 1: Cook the mushrooms
Add the olive oil, diced baby bella mushrooms, salt, pepper, and garlic to a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The mushrooms will release quite a bit of liquid as they cook. Keep going until most of that liquid cooks off.
By the end, the mushrooms should be cooked down with very little liquid left in the pan.
Step 2: Make the milk mixture
While the mushrooms cook, whisk together the plant milk, onion powder, and cornstarch in a medium bowl or large measuring cup until completely smooth. Make sure there are no cornstarch lumps before it goes into the pan.
Step 3: Thicken the soup
Pour the milk mixture into the pan with the mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook while stirring often.
After about 5 minutes, the soup should be thick like condensed soup from the can. It should coat the back of a spoon and hold a clean line when you drag a finger through it. If this fresh batch is still runny, cook it a few more minutes. If it is stiff, whisk in a splash of plant milk to loosen.
How to Use This Instead of Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
For my green bean casserole, use the full batch, about 3 cups. Keep it thick for casserole use rather than thinning it into a bowl of soup first.
You can also use it in tuna noodle casserole and slow-cooker pot roast. Those are separate recipes with their own ingredients; using dairy-free soup alone does not make an entire dish vegan or gluten-free.
For a holiday menu, the Thanksgiving Dinner Game Plan helps separate make-ahead components like this soup from the dishes that need the oven on serving day.
Storage & Freezing
Fridge: Divide the soup into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within two hours. Store covered for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months, but cornstarch-thickened soup can separate or thin after freezing. Do not expect the texture of a fresh batch. Readers have suggested freezing one-cup portions on a parchment-lined tray, then transferring them to a freezer bag. Label the amount: one cup is less than the 1¼-cup can equivalent.
Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently while whisking until the soup reaches 165°F. If it is too thick, loosen with a splash of plant milk. Prolonged simmering is not a reliable fix for soup that thins after freezing, and I have not tested an extra-starch correction for that situation.
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Medium bowl or large measuring jug for slurry
Ingredients
- 24 oz. baby bella mushrooms diced
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt see note
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 3 cups plain, unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk cashew milk also works; see notes
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 24 oz. diced baby bella mushrooms, 1 Tbsp. sea salt, ½ tsp. black pepper, and 1 Tbsp. minced garlic.
- Sauté over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms release their juices and most of the liquid cooks off.
- In a medium bowl or large measuring jug, whisk together 3 cups plain, unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk, 2 tsp. onion powder, and ¼ cup cornstarch until smooth. Cashew milk also works.
- Pour the milk mixture into the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Use right away in a casserole, or divide into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Made this recipe? Leave a star rating and tell me how it turned out.
Theresa
I make this all the time and freeze it in one cup scoops on a cookie sheet to throw in a bag in the freezer. The way I make it makes about nine one cup scoops. My husband must be dairy free and I use West Life regular unsweetened soy milk. This is hands-down, the best vegan mushroom soup I’ve ever had and my husband loves it! So much better than you can get at the grocery store and this is a quick recipe to make. I can get this done and in the fridge in 30 minutes or less.
Jennifer
Excellent recipe! I have made this twice and both times I used unsweetened almond milk. It tastes way better than the canned stuff.
Mommaofamiracle
This is my second year using this recipe. Some back story, because I want you to know things like this make a difference. I've struggled my whole life with allergies, and health issues, at 17 was told I'd probably never have children. Well, after 2 decades I welcomed my miracle into the world. She was a premie and we were struggling so hard and getting no help from our pediatrician. Things we found out, our baby is allergic to milk, and even more allergic to soy. Formulas were a struggle, but we found a donor and our baby thrived. Starting to eat, well let me tell you the struggle to find thing that didn't have milk, and then didn't also have soy was a nightmare. I found your recipe last year and made it, but our go to is oatmilk, and I imagine it's just as delicious. It came out amazing this year and last. It seems like a little thing, but before this little one, I didn't worry about looking at every single label, and now it was a scatter to make EVERYTHING at home and from scratch. I never imagined soy was in soooo many things. So thank you for putting this together. My daughter can eat green bean casserole, and tater tot casserole with the rest of us and not suffer.
Ethean Tom Fox
Great Recipe, very good.
Vicki D.
This was really a GREAT recipe. I got Alpha-Gal Syndrome from a tick bite & can no longer eat dairy. This recipe was shared in one of my AGS groups. I used only 8 oz of white button mushrooms (it was going in a casserole) and oatmilk, & was amazed at how quick & easy this really was. Tasted great too. One note: I used Himalayan salt & the 1 tablespoon made it extremely salty. Luckily I just didn't add any salt to the rest of the casserole, so it worked out. Next time I would definitely reduce the amount of salt. Excellent recipe!
Laurie Jost
Fast, easy, delicious!
Kerry
Easy and delicious. Perfect for my family
Beverly
Have made this fir two years now and it always turned out great. Also used it to make Green Bean casserole and it was really good. Thank you for a great recipe!
Tabby
Worked wonderful. I only used half the amount of mushrooms; when I make it again I would probably only use half the salt. We used thick and creamy oat milk, because of my babies allergies to soy, and dairy. Thank you for the recipe.