Creamy Vegan Wild Mushroom and Watercress Soup
There’s nothing quite like a nice creamy bowl of vegan mushroom soup, and this recipe brings all the flavour! It complements the natural, earthy flavours of the wild mushrooms with a kick of fresh watercress to make this delightfully smooth soup recipe one to remember.
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As the nights draw in, a warm, comforting dish like this mouthwatering creamy mushroom soup is ideal. This dish celebrates the umami flavours of the mushrooms, pairing them with crisp watercress and chives.
What is mushroom ketchup?
Mushroom ketchup is a ketchup made from mushrooms.
You might be surprised to know that before tomatoes were used, ketchup actually used to have mushrooms as a base.
The condiment tastes earthy and slightly salty. It’s reminiscent of Worcestershire sauce, but vegan.
Mushroom ketchup can be used to add a deep, rich flavour to many different recipes. It’s used in sauces like gravy, pasta sauce and ramen broth as well as pies and baked savoury goods.
What is soya cream?
Soya (or soy) cream is a plant-based alternative to single cream.
It’s made from soybeans and water, as is soy milk. It’s much more concentrated than the milk version, however, which is what gives it a thick cream texture.
The cream is a healthy alternative to dairy cream, full of protein and nutrients from the soybeans.
Like its dairy counterpart, soya cream is perfect for thickening up pasta sauces, adding to curries or, as in the recipe below, soups.
How are wild mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms different from standard mushrooms?
A chestnut mushroom is the same as your standard white button mushrooms but has a brown button top. This gives the mushroom a stronger flavour and texture than white mushrooms. It’s chewier and has a stronger taste.
Chestnut mushrooms often contain more vitamin D than button mushrooms as well.
Wild mushrooms are not typically harvested commercially. They’re usually sold as mixed varieties that are foraged in the wild.
If you’re gathering these mushrooms yourself, it’s important to take care over the process because some mushrooms in the wild are known for being poisonous, and often have the same appearance as edible ones.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 197
Servings: 5
Rating:
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories: 197
Servings: 5
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 5)
- 0.6 0.6 tbsp olive oil, for frying
- 0.2 0.2 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 20 20 g watercress
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp mushroom ketchup
- 0.2 0.2 tbsp dairy-free butter
- 0.4 0.4 leeks, sliced
- 100 100 g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
- 40 40 g mild wild mushrooms, chopped
- 20 20 ml soya cream
- sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- To serve
- 20 20 g mixed whole wild mushrooms
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 0.8 0.8 tbsp soya cream
- a splash of olive oil, for frying
Method
- Place the oil and butter in a large pan and heat until the butter is melted and sizzling.
- Add the onion, leeks, garlic and mushrooms and stir fry until beginning to colour and soften.
- Next add all of the remaining soup ingredients to the pan, along with enough water to cover the ingredients by an inch or so.
- Leave the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a small non-stick frying pan, add a tablespoon of oil and heat until very hot. Add the whole wild mushrooms to the pan and sauté quickly until starting to caramelise at the edges. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain.
- When the soup is ready, blend until very smooth using an immersion blender. Check the seasoning and add more if necessary.
- To serve, pour into bowls and top with a few wild mushrooms, a swirl of cream and some chopped chives.
Each 271g serving provides:
14g Fat, 1.9g Saturates, 5.5g Sugars, 2.1g Salt.
Hungry for more? Try making this vegan corn chowder soup recipe!
