This vegan creamy cauliflower mushroom soup is brimming with good-for-you ingredients yet you’d never know it based on taste. Its savory, rich, and oh-so-creamy base is made with a combination of nourishing cauliflower-cashew cream and vegetable broth.
You asked, and I listened.
Along with the quickly mounting praise for this soup and this soup came many requests for a mushroom variation. I have another cream of mushroom soup recipe in the archives, but this new version has already taken hold as my favorite of the two.
It has a super smooth base (←my goodness, was it tempting to say "souper" there).
It's packed with two pounds of mushrooms (and can accommodate even more if you'd like).
And you'd never know it's "healthy". Whatever in the world that means anymore. You know what's healthy? Honoring your body. Period. So perhaps a better word to describe the beneficial properties of this soup would be "nourishing".
Either way, this cream of mushroom soup is packed with vitamins and minerals, tastes like straight butter and cream, and is ultra satisfying. A win-win-win in my book.
To make this cozy, creamy soup, you'll bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 4(ish) cups of fresh or frozen cauliflower florets (I use a one-pound bag of frozen cauliflower). Boil the florets until fork-tender (about 8 minutes) and set aside.
While the cauliflower boils, trim and slice two to three pounds of cremini mushrooms (or your mushrooms of choice—a mix of wild mushrooms would be divine in this recipe) and dice an onion. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large stockpot and add the mushrooms and onion. Sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
Then, add three cloves minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute, or until the garlic softens.
Next, add two cups of vegetable broth to the pot, increase the heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the reserved boiled cauliflower to a high-speed blender along with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, fresh lemon juice, and sea salt. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy.
Once the soup base has finished simmering, add the creamy cauliflower-cashew mixture to the pot.
Increase the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 to 10 more minutes, or until it begins to thicken and reduce.
Taste and generously season with more sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Once the soup is ready, ladle it into bowls and serve warm.
I like to top mine with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of fresh parsley and serve alongside plenty of multigrain bread for dipping.
Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups fresh or frozen cauliflower florets (about 1 pound florets)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 pounds cremini mushrooms, washed, patted dry, and sliced
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups filtered water
- ⅔ cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours (unless using a high-speed blender)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 7 to 10 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
- While the cauliflower boils, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and thyme. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables just begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, or until it begins to soften.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the boiled cauliflower to a high-speed blender along with the filtered water, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and sea salt. Blend on high for two minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the cauliflower mixture to the pot of soup and stir to incorporate. Increase the heat to medium and rapidly simmer for just 5 to 8 minutes, to thicken and reduce (keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Taste and generously season with more sea salt and black pepper to taste. (I usually add another ½ teaspoon sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, but it will depend on how many mushrooms you add.)
- Serve warm.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- If the soup is thicker than desired after refrigerating and reheating, simply whisk in a bit more vegetable broth or filtered water and adjust seasonings as needed.
Dear Ashley,
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I made this tonight and my kids and I all loved it. It was rich, creamy, luscious,
so mushroomy and ultra-comforting. We'll definitely make this again and again!
Jamie
Very happy to know you and your kids enjoyed it, Jamie! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating—means so much.
Is there something that could replace the cashews? I'm allergic but this looks so good.
Yes! You can substitute shelled hemp hearts/seeds for the cashews to make it nut-free. Enjoy!
great idea to use hemp hearts! I often recommend people use sunflower seeds, but hemp hearts are a great idea too and probably give less of their own flavour. Glad I saw this comment!
Dear Ashley, just made it and we are enjoying it at this moment!! It's fabulous!! Thank you for the recipe!
Btw..do you happen to have the nutritional values?
Once again-thank you.
So nice to know you're enjoying it, Linda! I don't calculate nutritional info for my recipes, but there are online calculators that you can simply drop the link to this post into and it will automatically calculate for you.
This looks so creamy and delicious Ashley, it's hard to believe that there's no actual cream in there!
Well thank you, Jess! :)
I love cream of mushroom soup! This one looks especially good ❤️ I can’t wait to make it.
This soup is delicious! I will be making it again for sure.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating—means a lot to me and is helpful for others interested in making the recipe, too.
This is PHENOMENAL. Like the other cauli-cashew soups you’ve created, this one KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK. I seriously can’t believe it isn’t laden with heavy cream. Score! And I really love how these come together in no time flat. A true weeknight meal. Bravo.
Happy to know you're enjoying the recipe, Shawn!! And that you found it came together quickly and easily. Thanks for taking time out of your evening to come back and share your thoughts and rating—means a lot to me.
OMG, this is the most delicious cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever tasted and to think it doesn't have a drop of cream in it is amazing! I only used 2#’s of mushrooms but will definitely use 3#’s next time AND there will be a next time for sure. I did add 2T of Sherry at the end and oh my, that put it over the top, IMO.
Thank you Ashley for sharing this on your site. I’ve only just found your site but will be coming back to try out more of your recipes.
So happy to hear you're enjoying the recipe, Pat! LOVE the idea of adding a splash of sherry at the end—brilliant and something I'll be sure to try the next time I make this soup. And thank you, Pat, for taking time out of your day to come back and share your thoughts—means so much to me and is helpful for others considering making the recipe, too. Happy cooking to you! :)
This looks so good! My family loves cauliflower and mushrooms like crazy. I'll definately be fixing this soon. I do have a question though, what can be useful in place of the cashews? Several of my my family members are allergic.
Hi, Skye! You can use shelled hemp seeds in place of the cashews. Hope this helps and enjoy!
This recipe was so yummy!! I had some fresh dill on hand so I added it at the end and WOW! Will make again for sure!
So glad you enjoyed it, Natasha! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts—means so much. :)
Delicious!!!!! So creamy and rich
So happy to hear you're enjoying the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and rate—means so much. :)
I’ve made this recipe a few times and we love it. My non vegan, why can’t you just make normal food, husband also loves it! Thanks!
Happy to hear you (and your husband) are loving the soup, Jennifer! Love the "why-can't-you-just-make-normal-food" adjective—sounds like my step dad. 🤣 Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating. Means a lot to me and is helpful for others considering making the recipe, too. Happy cooking to you!
This was absolutely the best mushroom soup recipe I've tried. I had about a 1 lb of fresh mushrooms and a frozen bag of Trader Joe's Mushroom Medley. I pureed everything but the frozen mushrooms and the consistency was perfect for me. Thank you for this recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Linda! Your feedback warms my heart—thanks for taking time out of your day to share it. :)
I made this for me and Mum and we both loved it (plus got the tick of approved from my meat-eating partner)! I upped the mushrooms (because you can never have too many) and added extra thyme, but otherwise made it exactly as written. I threw the cashews into the pot with the cauliflower while it was steaming to soften them up, which worked perfectly. I served it up with some dark rye bread and vegan butter. This meal came together really quickly, and best of all I have plenty left over for dinner tonight :) I will definitely make this again, thanks so much xx
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Millicent! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your rating, feedback, and modifications. Means a lot to me and is helpful for others planning to make the recipe, too. Hope this one becomes a regular in your fall and winter rotation. Happy cooking! :)
This was really delicious! So thick, creamy and rich! I actually used the left overs as a gravy type sauce for mashed potatoes and it was heavenly! I really missed cream of mushroom soup, but no more! I think I’ll use some to top off tofu steaks for dinner. Thanks for the great recipe/inspiration!
So glad you're enjoying the recipe (and in so many fun ways), Christine! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know—means a lot. Happy cooking! :)
I absolutely adore this recipe! I stumbled on it about 2 years ago, and it has been a staple for me ever since. It's the best comfort meal - especially during the long, cold months down here in southern Australia. I always use an entire head of cauliflower (even the stalk) no matter the size and it works out great every time. Last night I steamed two large white potatoes and added them to the blender with the cauli mix, and they really gave it an extra level of creamy comfort ❤️ thank you for such a delicious and versatile recipe
Emily, thank you for taking time out of your day to share this wonderful feedback. I'm so glad you've been enjoying the recipe so much and that you've been able to gently adapt it so easily as well. Great to know about the addition of the potatoes—I'll have to try that the next time I make this recipe, too! :)