You will love this rich and well-seasoned slow cooker soup which is taken up a notch with wild mushrooms. A splash of Chardonnay wine and herbs highlight those beautiful earthy flavors of mushrooms in this irresistible dish.
Soup is such a comforting meal. It can be the beginning of a larger meal or the entree itself. Just add crusty bread and a salad.
In this recipe, slow cooker mushroom soup is being turned up a notch by adding the power of exotic mushrooms!
You know? Those wild dried mushrooms that you have always wanted to try. It all turns out rich, beautiful, creamy and easy.
This crockpot recipe has a wonderful creamy base and combines all the right characteristics of a perfect fresh homemade mushroom soup.
It is one of my favorite low-maintenance dishes and it doesn’t even take that long to slow cook.
What Makes This Wild Mushroom Soup So Good?
- The pleasant fragrance, comforting taste and silky texture of this soup gives you all the enjoyment of good home-cooked food.
- It’s such an easy recipe and effortless to make using the slow cooker.
- This Dried Mushroom Soup has a beautiful, down-to-earth look and it can be served at a casual rustic spread as well as an elegant dinner.
- It’s a delicious meal for you and your family for cozy evenings at home. Just add crusty bread or this Herbed Focaccia and your favorite salad to make a complete meal.
- It can also be an appetizer before the main meal. The perfect first course for any dinner party.
- You don’t have to trade convenience anymore for a made-from-scratch mushroom soup. Flavor abounds!
Canned mushroom soup, step aside!
So, fresh button mushrooms are used, but there is also a mix of dried mushrooms because they have a more intensified flavor than the fresh ones.
They also enrich the natural taste of button mushrooms.
Chef Tips:
- There are small packages for sale that contain a beautiful blend of earthy dried mushrooms such as Shiitake, Oyster or even Wild Porcini.
- You only need a small 1-ounce bag to make this fantastic soup.
- Look for a dry forest blend that contains a good mix of savory, umami-rich flavors of mushrooms.
- Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms are especially great because of their firm texture and they have a more robust nutty flavor. It makes all the difference in this recipe.
- I reconstitute the dried mushrooms by briefly pre-soaking them in warm water. They will reabsorb the moisture and plump up.
- You can reserve the soaking liquid for other soups, stocks or sauces. Leave it out for this recipe though because it can be overpowering with the mushrooms that are already in there.
- It’s about balancing those deep earthy flavors with a tad of sweetness and combining the heartiness of the rest of the ingredients.
How Do You Make Wild Mushroom Soup?
- This recipe starts briefly at the stove.
- First, sauté the onions to soften them and release their natural sweetness before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Then stir in the fresh mushrooms and sauté for five minutes. It allows some of their moisture to evaporate, soften their texture and intensify their delicate natural flavors.
- Add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook low and slow for 3 to 4 hours.
- Let cool and blend to a creamy mushroom soup. Keep a few mushrooms out before blending if you’d like to spinkle some on top as in the photos.
Cooking the right type of mushrooms slow in vegetable broth, with a tad of Chardonnay wine and seasoned with salt, pepper, and tarragon will make the aroma of the mushrooms shine but with that hint of subtle sweetness in the background.
Then add non-dairy cream at the end over low heat and it infuses that creamy richness, but without the guilt!
This Dairy Free Mushroom Soup is:
- Delicious
- Super hearty
- A Healthy Plant-based Soup
- Nutritious and immune-boosting
- So easy to make
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Slow Cooker Wild Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion - white onion, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms - dried mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake or a mix. 1 cup is 1 ounce weight
- 8 ounces mushrooms - button mushrooms, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup white wine such as a chardonnay
- 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk, warmed
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
- Place the dried mushrooms (not the button mushrooms) in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over the top so that they can become reconstituted. Set aside.
- In a frying pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onions for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped button mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
- Drain the reconstituted mushrooms.
- Add the exotic mushrooms and the button mushroom mixture to a slow cooker.
- Add the vegetable broth, white wine, tarragon, salt and pepper.
- Cook on low 3 to 4 hours.
- Let cool about a half hour.
- You may reserve some mushroom pieces for sprinkling over the top as in my photos but you do not need to do this.
- Pour the mushroom mixture in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a big pot (or bowl for the microwave) and add the non-dairy milk.
- Heat through on low heat on the stove top.
- Taste to see if you would like more salt or pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Yes, you really discard it SueC. If you don’t mind the concentrated flavor of these mushrooms then you could use it in something else. I often use a dry white wine in my soups and I much prefer the taste to Sherry. It’s not so ‘sweet’. I’m so glad you are going to give this a try.
Do you really discard the mushroom soak water? Could you use that in place of the vegetable broth? If not in this soup, how about reserve the liquid for something else?
I made a mushroom soup not too long ago, and Hubby wanted it to be creamy. This may be the way. I used Sherry in the previous recipe that I made and I think that was the real key to flavor. I am looking forward to trying yours.
This soups looks delicious, I also have to redo all my photos so I look forward to see your progress and get some inspiration.
This looks amazing!
This looks delicious and perfect for the upcoming cooler months ahead. I am going to have to try this recipe!
I LOVE mushrooms! I can’t wait to try this soup when the weather gets cooler 🙂
I adore mushroom soup and I happen to have access to some amazing fresh oyster mushrooms here! This soup and some crusty bread equals bliss!
I think it would be really good not blended Ashley. I haven’t had it this way but just skip the blending. Do everything in the crockpot.
Do I have to blend it or can I have it more like a stew? What would you suggest if I didn’t want to blend it?
Hi Rie, So glad to have you here. Unsweetened non-dairy milk would be soy, almond, coconut – the ones that you find in the refrigerated section in the grocery store. I use Silk – a lot. There are so many varieties now and I didn’t want someone to accidentally use sweetened. They are clearly marked on the cartons.
The slow cooker size I used was the smaller 2 1/2 quart one but you could go a bit larger to accommodate a size that you have. Thanks for your interest!
Hi Ginny,
Followed the link here from my desk top start-up page. My dear friends are vegan so I am interested in learning some recipes for them. Especially if the are great for the freezer!! Two questions, if you don’t mind: 1. – non-dairy unsweetened milk ( almond, soy, rice??? )
2. – what size slow cooker did you use.
Looking forward to going through your blog.
Rie
Ohhh, that is fantastic! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Just made this tonight & it was incredible!! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Jessica! yes, that would work just great!
I am not supposed to have any oils, so could I just use a bit of veggie broth for the sauteing?
I love mushroom soups, but I haven’t tried a mushroom soup slow cooker recipe yet. Thanks for sharing!
This soup looks delicious, I imagine the coconut oil really adds a lovely creaminess. Funnily enough, I have also been trying to go back through my archives and re-do some of the (in hindsight, terrible) photos. It’s proving a very good excuse to make those dishes again 🙂
Doesn’t this mushroom soup look so comforting & delicious. Wish I had a bowl now!
Perfect! Thanks Ginny!
This soup is screaming for Friday night comfort dinner!
This recipe is so good you really do have to try it Lucie. Yes, you can do it on a stovetop with no problem.
OOO!!! I love this idea! Yum!
I have been blogging for just a few months but already feel the need to go back and re-shoot my old recipe photos as well :). Amazing you got to do that – beautiful photos! I love the recipe – I have been a little intimidated by those exotic mushrooms so I might give them a try. I don’t have a slow cooker though – could I do this on the stove top over low heat?
This would be such a great recipe for meatless Monday with all of those hearty mushrooms!
My hubby would love me forever if I made him this soup!
I love creamy soups and I love mushrooms – I think I need to make this!