Craving a warm, comforting bowl of creamy mushroom soup? This immunity-boosting creamy mushroom medley soup recipe is incredibly flavorful, easy to make, and perfect for a cozy night in.

This creamy mushroom medley soup is made with an assortment of portobello, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms. While the soup texture screams creamy due to the addition of chickpeas, you will not miss the ton of butter or cream used in the traditional cream of mushroom (or any vegetable) soup.
Mushrooms, a fungus rather than a true vegetable, aren't very popular in India--at least when I was growing up. In fact, my mom never cooked with mushrooms. Appreciating its woodsy flavor and meaty texture took me a long time. In fact, I remember that the dish that made me a mushroom fan (a long time ago) was a cream of wild mushroom soup. However, I always felt uncomfortable adding dairy to a savory soup dish. Maybe it is the influence of Ayurveda, which considers milk and salt combinations to be TOXIC[1]. But it's super easy to make soups creamy without adding cream or milk --read on to find out what I have added to this creamy mushroom medley soup.
Mushrooms offer immunity-boosting benefits and umami flavor
Mushrooms are one of the few sources of the essential mineral selenium, which helps prevent cell damage and boosts immunity. In fact, this antioxidant is found in very few food ingredients. Additionally, mushrooms offer higher protein per serving than other vegetables (even if they are not vegetables).
Mushroom is also one of the few food ingredients naturally offering umami flavor. Umami is the fifth and last flavor after sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Originating from the Japanese word "umai," which translates to "delicious," umami flavor is characterized by a savory, meaty flavor. Scientists attribute this flavor to the high levels of the amino acid glutamate, which is a building block of protein. Umami is considered a flavor enhancer: the more umami present in a dish, the more flavorful it is. The umami in mushrooms is why you don't need to add much salt to mushroom dishes.
Let's make the creamy mushroom medley soup
Mushroom medley: A medley of mushrooms, portobello, cremini, and shiitake ensures that this soup gets a rounded flavor profile unique to each type of mushroom used in this soup. For example, shiitake mushrooms tend to have higher notes of umami and are more aromatic and sweeter than the other two types of mushrooms. You can definitely try other types of mushrooms in the mix.
Should you wash or wipe clean mushrooms? This is a source of confusion, as you have probably seen many chefs on cooking shows suggest wiping clean mushrooms. However, many celebrity chefs, including Alton Brown, proclaim that washing mushrooms before cooking is all right. I like to wipe them clean.
How is this soup so creamy? You have probably come across this tip in most soup recipes on TLC. I almost feel like a broken record, but I will repeat it. Mixing salt and dairy is considered highly undesirable by the Ayurvedic tradition. Even if you don't feel any negative side effects, in my opinion, it robs the soup of the energy it is supposed to provide. Try using neutral-flavored beans like chickpeas, navy beans, or cannellini beans. You can add small amounts of nuts to complement the soup's flavor. For example, almonds complement the flavor of many types of mushrooms. For a nut-free version, you can add pumpkin seeds.
What type of broth is best for mushroom soup? Often, mushroom broth is recommended for mushroom-based soups or gravies. I rarely buy mushroom broth because I have not been able to find a low-sodium version. Also, to keep the pantry not overstocked, I often use Easy Homemade Vegetable Broth for all my cooking needs, except when making oriental-style soups like this Tasty Vegan Ramen. For that, my go-to broth is Asian Vegetable Broth. When I am busy and don't have time to make weekly broth, my go-to brands are 365 by Whole Foods or Pacific Foods' low-sodium vegetable broth. Remember, a good broth brings a big smile to your soup.
Meal plan the creamy mushroom medley soup
Whenever you bring mushrooms from grocery stores, it is best to cook them as soon as possible as they tend to lose moisture and start reeking if left too long in the refrigerator's veggies box. However, once you have cooked them into this creamy mushroom medley soup, you can enjoy it for 3-4 days. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat it in a pot with 1-2 tbsp of water in an appropriate-sized pot over medium heat. I haven't done it yet, but you could freeze this soup for up to three weeks. Just thaw overnight and reheat. Enjoy!
Find more soups and mushroom recipes on TLC
Step-by-step recipe
If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments section. I would love to hear from you.
Creamy Mushroom Medley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tsp avocado oil*
- 1 white onion (~1 cup chopped, can sub with any other vareity of onion)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- 1/2 tsp salt (Himalayan Pink Salt used in this recipe, no more than 3/4 tsp)
- 2 tbsp water (as needed)
- 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
- 3 portobello mushrooms (~9 oz, de-stemmed, wiped clean with a paper towel and roughly chopped)
- 8 cremini mushrooms (~4 oz, de-stemmed, wiped clean and roughly chopped)
- 8 shiitake mushrooms (~4 oz, de-stemmed, wiped clean and roughly chopped)
- 1/3 cup chickpeas (or sub with equal amount navy or cannellini beans)
- 2 tbsp almonds (soaked at least for 3 hours and peeled, optional)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (~ 2 sprigs, or sub with 1/2 tsp dry)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp low-sodium tamari (or use low-sodium soy sauce)
- 2.5 cups homemade vegetable broth (or sub with equal amount store-bought low-sodium broth)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (lightly toasted, for garnish, can sub with slivered, lightly toasted almonds)
Instructions
- Start by wiping the mushrooms with a wet clean cloth or paper towel. Cut the stems off and save them for later to add to vegetable broth.
- Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottom soup pot. Add the onions, garlic, and 1/4 tsp of salt and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. If onions start to dry out, add one tbsp of water and keep stirring. Once the onions are semi-cooked and translucent, add celery and cook for another 4-5 minutes. If the veggies start to dry out, add another tbsp of water.
- Once the celery is soft, add the medley of mushrooms with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until mushrooms have lost some volume and moisture. Add chickpeas, peeled almonds (if using), nutritional yeast, tamari (or soy sauce), and fresh thyme (or dry). Give the whole veggie, bean, nut, and flavoring ingredients a stir. Add the vegetable broth and bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium heat (~10 minutes). To expedite the process, partially cover the pot with a lid.
- Once the soup has come to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let the soup cool to room temperature.
- Blend until you get a creamy soup (~60-90 seconds). Garnish with lightly toasted pumpkin seeds (or almonds). Enjoy!
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