One of my very favorite things is cream of mushroom soup. But, of course, I’m always disappointed. The canned version sucks – obviously – and at restaurants I’m always wishing there were more mushrooms, a vegan and/or gluten free options… I’ve just never found an awesome, easy, vegan, gluten free recipe.
The other day at the store, organic mushrooms were half price so I stocked up and tonight I got brave. I started from scratch and really wanted to think of something outside the box. I wanted it to be easy. I wanted it to be vegan. I didn’t want to figure out how to use a “faux” flour… and in a moment of wild inspiration – I decided on a sweet potato base. (Not the orange colored yams, I’m talking about the white sweet potatoes.) I know, I know. It sounds crazy, but stay with me here. When I’ve made sweet potato soup, I’ve LOVED the smooth, creamy texture, which seemed perfect for a “cream” soup… turns out, I was right.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, this does NOT taste exactly the same as the traditional soup. To my taste buds, it was better. Thicker, creamier, better. The other thing is that I’m a “cook-by-taste” kind of chef. I didn’t measure anything. Everything is kind of “to taste”, which could be even better for you – you get to decide how you want it!
As it turns out, the white sweet potatoes aren’t as sweet as the yams. And with the proper seasonings… anyway. Give it a try and see if you like it too.
First, soak a cup or so of cashews in a couple cups of water. I did this in the blender to save on dishes. While they’re soaking, roast the potato. I’d say mine was about medium sized. I just cut it up into several pieces, drizzled it with olive oil, wrapped it in tinfoil and baked it for about an hour, or until soft.
When the potato is done, strip the skin off the meat and add it to the soaking cashews. Now add the cream from one can of coconut milk. I always get the full fat version, and scoop out the thick cream, leaving the milky-water.
Start the mushrooms cooking in a large skillet. Add a quarter cup or so of nutritional yeast, some garlic salt, and blend. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the coconut water and blend until it’s the texture and thickness you want. I kept adding nutritional yeast and salt until it was the flavor I wanted.
While it blends, cook the mushrooms in a skillet. When the mushrooms are cooked the way you want, add the ‘cream’ mixture and stir.
That’s it! I LOVED LOVED LOVED my soup. Let me know what you think!
