Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
Nothing beats a cozy bowl of creamy mushroom soup on a chilly day! This amazing gluten-free version will make everyone at your table happy, and the best part is it gets its silky texture without any actual cream.
Recipe Details
Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 50 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes, Serves: 4 people.
Nutrition Profile: Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.
Nutrition Facts (per serving): 407 Calories, 23g Fat, 41g Carbs, 9g Protein.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Extra-virgin olive oil: You’ll need 4 tablespoons total, but we’ll use it in different steps. This gives our soup such a rich, wonderful flavor base.
Shallots: 1 cup diced up nice and small. Shallots are like onions but milder and sweeter – perfect for this soup!
Celery: Half a cup diced up. This adds a lovely fresh crunch and helps build that classic soup flavor.
Shiitake mushrooms: 5 cups of sliced caps from about 10 ounces. These give such an amazing earthy, rich taste!
Baby bella mushrooms: Another 5 cups sliced from about 10 ounces. These add even more mushroom goodness to our soup.
Dry sherry: Half a cup for cooking. This adds such a nice depth of flavor – don’t worry, the alcohol cooks out!
Garlic: 3 cloves minced up. Because everything’s better with garlic, right?
Yukon Gold potatoes: 4 cups diced and peeled from about 1 pound. These are the magic ingredient that makes our soup creamy!
Dried thyme: Just half a teaspoon. This herb is perfect with mushrooms.
No-chicken broth: 3 cups, or you can use mushroom broth. Either one works great for keeping this vegan!
Water: 1 cup to help thin things out just right.
Walnuts: Half a cup finely chopped. These add such a nice crunch to the topping!
Salt: Just a pinch for the mushroom topping.
Sherry vinegar: 2 teaspoons to brighten up all those flavors.
Ground pepper: Half a teaspoon for a little kick.
Fresh chives: 2 tablespoons sliced up for the prettiest garnish.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
Step 1: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in your large pot over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and celery. Cook them, stirring now and then, until they get nice and tender – about 3 minutes. Next, add 4 cups each of the shiitakes and baby bellas, plus the sherry and minced garlic. Keep cooking and stirring until the mushrooms get soft and all that liquid disappears – about 5 minutes. Stir in your diced potatoes and thyme, cooking for just 1 minute more. Pour in the broth and water, then bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down to keep it simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are super soft – about 20 minutes.
Step 2: While that’s cooking, roughly chop up the remaining 2 cups of mushrooms. Heat your last tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add those chopped mushrooms and cook them, stirring often, until they’re soft – about 2 minutes. Toss in the walnuts and salt, cooking and stirring until everything’s hot – about 1 more minute.
Step 3: Now for the magic part! Puree your soup with an immersion blender right in the pot, or use a regular blender in batches. Be super careful with hot liquids! Blend until it’s completely smooth and creamy. Stir in the sherry vinegar and pepper.
Step 4: Serve your beautiful soup topped with that mushroom-walnut mixture and fresh chives. So good!
Easy and Quick Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup Version
Want to save some time? You can use pre-sliced mushrooms from the store! Also, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use about 2 cups instead of cooking fresh ones. Just add them in step 1 with the broth and reduce cooking time to about 10 minutes. This cuts your prep time in half!
Serving Ideas
This soup is totally a complete meal on its own! Serve it with some crusty gluten-free bread or crackers for dipping. A simple green salad with lemon dressing makes a perfect light side. You could also add some cooked rice or quinoa right into the bowls for extra heartiness.
Storage
Store your soup and the mushroom-walnut topping separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm the soup gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often. The topping can be warmed in a small skillet for about 1 minute, or just add it cold on top!
Substitutions
No sherry? No worries! You can use white wine or just skip it and add a bit more broth. If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, use all baby bellas or try cremini mushrooms. Instead of walnuts, chopped pecans or even sunflower seeds work great. Regular vegetable broth works perfectly if you don’t have no-chicken broth.
Pro Tips
- Potato Power: Make sure to use Yukon Gold potatoes – they blend up way creamier than russets!
- Mushroom Magic: Don’t crowd your mushrooms when cooking or they’ll steam instead of getting that nice flavor.
- Blending Safety: Let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending to avoid any hot splashes.
- Make Ahead Winner: This soup actually tastes even better the next day as all the flavors meld together!
FAQs
Can I make this soup without an immersion blender?
You bet! A regular blender works perfectly – just blend in batches and be super careful with the hot liquid. Let it cool a bit first, and don’t fill the blender more than halfway each time.
Will this soup freeze well?
Sure! The soup freezes great for up to 3 months. Just don’t freeze the walnut topping – make that fresh when you’re ready to serve. The soup might need a good stir when you reheat it.
Can I use different types of mushrooms?
Absolutely! Try portobello, oyster, or even regular button mushrooms. Each type gives a slightly different flavor, but they’re all delicious in this soup.
Is there a way to make this lower in calories?
You can definitely cut back on the olive oil – use 2 tablespoons instead of 4. The soup will still taste amazing! You could also skip the walnut topping or use less of it.
Final Thoughts
I hope you love this creamy, dreamy soup as much as my family does! Let me know how it turns out for you – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures. Happy soup making!
