Vegan Soups
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic and Thyme
This soup delivers an intense depth of umami by caramelizing a trio of mushrooms until golden and rich. The luxurious, silky texture comes from a base of blended raw cashews, providing a heavy-cream finish that highlights the earthy aromatics.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 380 kcal
Method
Place the raw cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for at least 20 minutes; this process softens the cashews' cellular structure, ensuring that when blended, they create a perfectly smooth, heavy-cream texture without any graininess.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms. Sauté for 10-12 minutes without crowding the pan too much, allowing them to release their water and brown deeply. This caramelization is essential for a concentrated umami flavor.
Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent, then stir in the minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for another 60 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the soy sauce and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot, picking up any browned bits. Add the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Drain the soaked cashews and place them into a high-speed blender. Carefully ladle about 2 cups of the hot soup liquid into the blender with the cashews. Blend on high until the mixture is completely white and velvety.
Pour the cashew cream back into the pot with the remaining soup. Stir in the nutritional yeast to add a layer of savory richness. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste and serve warm.
Notes
For an even deeper flavor, use a mix of dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in the vegetable stock.
If you prefer a completely smooth soup, blend the entire batch rather than just the cashew portion.
Do not skip the browning of the mushrooms; the dark brown color on the pan is where the savory depth originates.
Garnish with a drizzle of truffle oil or extra sautéed mushrooms for a restaurant-quality presentation.
