Vegan Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
This rich and creamy Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup is the perfect dairy-free alternative to the classic canned version. It’s made with only 8 simple ingredients and works great in casseroles, soups, or anywhere you’d normally reach for the store-bought kind. Ultra creamy, deeply flavored and ready in 20 minutes.
If you’ve been dying to make a vegan tuna casserole or green bean casserole and haven’t been able to because you can’t find a vegan substitute for cream of mushroom soup, you’re not alone.
I’ve been unable to find cans of cream of mushroom soup for ages, either online or in my local grocery store. So I decided to stop agonizing over it and make my own.
This homemade version of condensed cream of mushroom soup has no preservatives, is better than Campbell’s, just as convenient, super flavorful and ready in 20 minutes.
Add it to your favorite casseroles or pot pies or use it as a base for homemade cream of mushroom soup that’s totally dairy-free. Simply add a jar of this condensed soup to a pot, pour in a little plant milk to thin it out and you’ll have your own veganized version of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.
TIP: if you love mushroom soup, check out my creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup that’s gluten-free and made in one pot.
Ingredients Needed (With Substitutions)
- Fresh mushrooms – chopped mushrooms choices include white button mushrooms, baby bella mushrooms, cremini mushrooms. You can also use a combination of whatever you can find including shiitake mushrooms (if using, remove the bitter stems).
- Plant milk – I use unsweetened oat milk in all my vegan recipes but you can also use cashew milk, soy milk. You can also use half vegetable broth and half plant milk, but it won’t be as cream colored.
- Vegan butter – you can sub with olive oil or vegetable oil but it won’t be as flavorful.
- Vegan broth powder – this brings such a warming, comforting Unami flavor to this homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup, it is a must include for me. You can also use a vegan bouillon cube.
- Onion – I prefer a yellow onion for the flavor, but any onion will work, as long as you chop it finely. You can sub with a teaspoon of onion powder.
- Garlic – fresh, minced garlic is best but if you’re out, no problem. Just use a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Cooking wine – Like in my Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, I use Marsala cooking wine for the best flavor in this recipe, but any dry white wine will work.
- Flour – I use all purpose flour but whole wheat or a gluten-free flour blend will also work.
- Sea salt and black pepper – I wait to add these until the end and adjust the amount based on how it tastes. White pepper makes a beautiful substitute for black.
For complete ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below!
Step by Step Instructions (With Photos)
Step 1: melt vegan butter in a large pot. Sauté garlic and chopped onions until onions are translucent.
Step 2: add finely diced mushrooms to the pot. Over medium heat, stir and brown for 2 minutes, just until mushrooms start to produce their juices.
Step 3: add flour, broth seasoning powder, plant milk and cooking wine to a medium bowl. Whisk continuously until no lumps are found.
Step 4: pour flour mixture into the pot of mushrooms.
Step 5: turn heat up to medium high and stir constantly until mixture thickens. If too thick, add more plant milk. Too thin, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. Cover, and allow to cool to room temperature. Ladle into a jar and store in an airtight container (see storage, freezing and reheating instructions below).
Thickener Comparisons
All purpose flour – I keep it simple and use all purpose flour to thicken this condensed soup. All purpose flour won’t alter the taste of your recipe and is creamier and heavier than cornstarch.
Cornstarch and more – if you’re gluten-intolerant, cornstarch is a great substitute for flour. Simply mix 2 tablespoons into a small bit of cold water and stir. Add it to the soup base and bring to a boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat. As the soup cools, it will thicken. Gluten-intolerant folks can also use blended white beans or cooked cauliflower, chickpea flour or silken tofu.
Bread – believe it or not, bread (without the crust) is a really cool ingredient to use to thicken soups. Simply tear shreds of bread and toss them into the soup to soak. Then blend with an immersion blender or countertop blender for a perfectly creamy base. Be sure to check the ingredients as not all bread is vegan.
Umami Enhancers
Umami translates to “delicious savory taste” in Japanese. The taste is often described as “brothy” or “meaty” and actually refers to the fifth basic taste (along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter). It’s purpose: to produce a long-lasting, deeply satisfying flavor in many recipes.
The key compound in umami flavor is glutamic acid. Here are some umami enhancers (a tablespoon of one or the other will do) you can drop into this condensed cream of mushroom soup for added flavor:
- Miso paste – for this recipe, white miso paste is best, as we want to maintain that creamy white color.
- Vinegar – although not an umami enhancer, it’s enhances the “perception” of umami by brightening and balancing the rich, savory base, making the umami flavors pop.
- Nutritional yeast – gives vegan dishes a savory, cheesy, nutty flavor that mimics the typical richness non-vegans enjoy from dairy or meat. It also gives this recipe a nutritional boost because of the vitamin B12 it contains, an essential vitamin you can’t get from plants.
- Bouillon souper cubes – these DIY vegan bouillon cubes are made by simmering and reducing vegetable stock until concentrated, then pouring it into ice cube trays or Souper Cubes trays you can find online. No preservatives so healthier than store bought cubes and a great way to use up veggie scraps, mushroom stems and more for a zero waste recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need a quick dairy-free cream substitute without extra prep, try mashing some canned white beans right into your soup for natural creaminess and added protein. Another old-school trick is tearing up a slice of soft bread (crust removed) and stirring it in as the soup simmers—this melts down to thicken and emulsify the broth beautifully. For ready-to-use options, unsweetened oat milk (thickened with flour) or plain vegan yogurt work well, while full-fat coconut milk (just the top white part) adds richness if you don’t mind a slight coconut flavor. Store-bought vegan heavy cream is also a convenient 1:1 swap for traditional cream.
Think of cream of mushroom soup as the fully dressed, ready-to-eat version—it’s thinner, poured straight from the can or pot and meant to be enjoyed as-is or ladled over your meal. Meanwhile, condensed cream of mushroom soup is the soup’s concentrated cousin—a thick, rich base that’s missing most of its liquid. It’s designed to be mixed with water, milk, or a plant-based alternative before eating, or used as a secret weapon ingredient to add creamy mushroom magic to casseroles and recipes. So, condensed soup is like the “sauce concentrate” you tweak and transform, while regular cream of mushroom soup is ready for your spoon.
No. I have yet to find a US grocery store or online vendor that carries a vegan version of condensed cream of mushroom soup. That’s why I made my own! If you know of a place online where it can be found, please let us know in the comment section below.
Practical Tips for Storage and Freezing
In the fridge – store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
To freeze – this soup freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To defrost and reheat – to defrost, remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight. You can reheat it on your stovetop in a pan or in the microwave with a microwave-safe container.
Pairings and Usage Ideas
I don’t know about you, but no soup that I eat shall be served alone! Nope, I love to add a massaged kale salad or some vegan garlic bread or vegan buttermilk biscuits to my meal and slather on a dollop of creamy vegan butter.
In addition, here are some ways to use this condensed cream of mushroom soup in your favorite recipes:
- Vegan Tuna Casserole
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Green Bean Casserole
- Vegan Pot Pie
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- Vegan Enchilada Casserole
More Soup Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
Vegan Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegan butter heaping tbsp
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 yellow onion medium size
- 8 oz mushrooms diced
- 1 3/4 cup plant milk
- 1/4 cup marsala cooking wine or any dry white wine
- 2 tsp broth seasoning powder vegan
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour I use all purpose
Instructions
- Melt vegan butter in a large pot. Sauté garlic and chopped onions until onions are translucent.
- Add finely diced mushrooms to the pot. Over medium heat, stir and brown for 2 minutes, just until mushrooms start to produce their juices. Remove from heat and set aside while you make the roux.
- Add flour, broth seasoning powder, plant milk and cooking wine to a medium bowl. Whisk continuously until no lumps are found.
- Pour flour mixture into the pot of mushrooms.
- Turn heat up to medium high and stir constantly until mixture thickens. If too thick, add more plant milk. Too thin, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. Cover, and allow to cool to room temperature. Ladle into a jar and store in an airtight container (see storage, freezing and reheating instructions in the notes below).
Notes
To make gluten-free or oil free:
- To make gluten-free, sub with 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed in a small amount of cold water. Add to soup, bring to boil for one minute while stirring constantly. TIP: see post above for more gluten-free thickening agents.
- To make oil free, sub vegan butter for vegetable broth to cook the veggies
Practical Tips for Storing, Freezing & Reheating
- In the fridge – store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To freeze – this soup freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To defrost and reheat – to defrost, remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight. You can reheat it on your stovetop in a pan or in the microwave with a microwave-safe container.
I made this soup for vegan friends with foraged mushrooms and they loved it. Actually we all loved it even though we’re not vegan ourselves! Will definitely make again
Glad you tried it. Most non-vegans won’t. Thanks so much Jacqueline.
This is such a great upgrade from the canned version—simple ingredients and big flavor. I love that it’s dairy-free and still so creamy!
It has an amazing flavor, for sure. Thanks Lora.
This is delicious, I loved that it is a vegan version. I made it for our dinner, and my family enjoyed it.
Good to hear. Thanks Swathi.
Brilliant recipe! I’m so grateful to have a vegan option for cream of mushroom soup.
Couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you Lisa.