This creamy mushroom medley soup is made with portobellos, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms. While the soup texture screams creamy due to the addition of chickpeas, you will not miss a ton of butter or cream used in the traditional cream of mushroom soup.
2tbsppumpkin 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!
Notes
*if avoiding oil use ditch-the-oil cooking method. I have made this soup with both oil and with ditch-the-oil cooking method. It doesn't have any bearing on the final taste of this soup. If you are avoiding salt and fat--use 1/4 tsp salt and garnish with roasted mushrooms.