Recipes

Creamy Potato Mushroom Soup

Try this tasty alternative to cream-based mushroom soup without sacrificing the creaminess

By James Ruttan /

Credit: Rooey202

This dairy-free mushroom and potato soup will comfort your family on cold days

This potato mushroom soup is just as creamy and delicious as its dairy-filled version

As a child, I loved cream of mushroom soup. No gourmet at the time, I preferred the kind that comes in a red and white can, which I then turned into mush with crumbled saltines. That warm and creamy mushroom goodness is still a comfort food for me.

As the parent of a child allergic to dairy and wheat, I thought cream of mushroom soup was off the menu. But, inspired by my wife’s Creamy Dairy-Free Broccoli Soup, I came up with a recipe which captures the spirit of my first love. Try this Creamy Mushroom Potato soup which comforts our family on cold days.

Ingredients

  • 2 – 3 kilograms (1 – 1.5 lbs.) mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped. I use the standard ‘button’ type, but other mildly flavoured mushrooms, or even a mix of types, could work well
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter, margarine or vegetable oil
  • 1 large potato, cut into 2 centimeter (1/2″) cubes (peel the potato to achieve maximum creaminess, or don’t for superior nutrition and flavour – I don’t)
  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • 1-2 cups milk or milk substitute (I use rice milk)

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the onion, then the mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. You can add a splash of white wine at the beginning of the saute to bring out the mushroom flavour nicely, but it isn’t necessary.
  3. Add the potato, broth, salt and pepper. (I make my own zero-salt broth. If you are using pre-made broth, you may not need any salt at all.) Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potato is fork-soft.
  4. Add the thyme and rice milk. Let the soup cool. Use an immersion blender or blend the soup in the blender in small batches.
  5. Reheat and serve with a sprig of parsley or a few fresh mushroom slices on top.

Serves 8.

James Ruttan has written everything from fiction to film and radio scripts as well as user instruction manuals and business plans. Arriving in Vancouver in the ’90s after teaching English in Indonesia, he became an editor. He has now returned as a freelance writing.