

Mushroom lovers’ listen up. This No-Cream of Mushroom Soup is pretty darn fantastic. Minimal ingredients, simple steps and an end result that looks oh-so-fancy and tastes amazing. Roasted mushrooms, caramelized until tender, infused with pepper and rosemary. Plus a secret ingredient to get all the “creamy” you crave, without adding cream. And sure, add a splash of soy creamer over top to serve if you’d like. Because the white crescent pool of faux creamer does look kinda pretty. Optional though.

Serve with some crusty bread – or even better – in a bread bowl! This mushroom-lovers’ soup will warm you up and cozy-up your evening…

Secret ingredient -> cauliflower puree! All the creamy you crave – without the cream!

..you can make this soup as thick or thin a you’d like. It all depends on how much broth you blend in. I like my soup thick and creamy, but thin is soothing too!

Nutrition Bonus. Mushrooms are the only vegan food that naturally contain vitamin D. So dive into mushrooms if you are looking for more D during these “not as much daylight” fall and winter months. And the secret creamy ingredient, cauliflower, is a good source of fiber, Vitamins C and K as well as potassium. Low in calories and fat free too! (soup calorie content below recipe)

Grocery Store Tips. If you are looking to reduce the sodium in your diet, buy low-sodium mushroom broth.

Also, I always buy organic for both mushrooms and mushroom broth. That also goes for the cauliflower and delicate herbs in this recipe: parsley, rosemary and any others you may want to add.

When it comes to black pepper and optional cayenne chili pepper – I use Penzey’s Spices brand because it is incredibly flavorful and high quality. I’m a fan!

Serve with mushroom and herb garnish, with a splash of soy or rice creamer or milk (or a drizzle of EVOO) if you’d like.. dairy-free though!..

No-Cream of Mushroom Soup

vegan, makes 8 cups – 4 servings

Soup – puree:

1 medium white cauliflower, boiled/drained

4 cups mushroom broth

3/4 of the roasted mushrooms

1-2 sprigs of the roasted rosemary

salt + pepper to taste

Roasted mushrooms:

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered

8 ounces portobella mushrooms, sliced (2 large)

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

*woody stems removed from all mushrooms*

salt + pepper (to taste)

2-4 sprigs of rosemary

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

optional: additional spices like cayenne or thyme.

garnish: fresh flat leaf parsley, a few pinches per bowl



additional: splash of vegan plain non-dairy creamer (optional) Roasted garlic, nutritional yeast and caramelized shallots would also be nice add-ins.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Rinse and dry your prepped (chopped and woody ends removed) mushrooms. Toss the mushrooms with the oil, vinegar, rosemary and spices.

3. Lay mushrooms flat on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees for about twenty minutes – or until they begin to caramelize around the edges. After roasting, they should still be moist, yet fully cooked and flavorful to eat on their own.

4. While mushrooms are roasting, you can boil the cauliflower in water. Drain the water, set aside tender cauliflower. You should be able to break the cauliflower with a fork after boiling.

5. Add the cauliflower and about 2 cups of mushroom broth to a Vitamix or similar blender. You could also use an immersion blender or food processor. Blend on low until the cauliflower is smooth. Add in about half of the mushrooms. Do a taste test. Add more of the mushrooms into the soup. About 1/4 cup of the whole roasted mushrooms should be left for garnishing the serving bowls. Blend in a few of the tender ends of the roasted rosemary – toss any woody stems. You can also add in additional flavorings: cayenne, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast..

6. Continue adding in broth and mushrooms and spices (salt and pepper to taste) until you reach a texture and flavor you like. I used about 3 cups of broth. You may want more for a thinner texture. (You could also thin out with some non-dairy milk if you’d like. This will make a much denser, creamier soup.)

7. Pour warm soup into serving bowls and garnish with leftover mushrooms, freshly chopped flat leaf parsley and rosemary. Pepper and soy cream over top if you’d like. If not serving right away, simmer in a pot on the stove until ready to serve.

Calorie count. (Embrace seconds on this recipe!) Four servings per recipe, nutrition info per serving below.. (via caloriecount.com)

Around the house. The cute kitty at her window while I make this cozy soup..

