5-Star Reader Comment
This recipe produces an awesome soup with intense flavor. I love that it’s not a “cream of” soup. Very low in calories.
Gabi
How I Finally Got Mushroom Soup Just Right
I really, really love mushroom soup. The thing is that so many recipes start with heavy cream or half-and-half, and while I adore those ingredients, I wanted something that felt just as comforting without the dairy. After a few rounds of testing (and plenty of taste-testing at my kitchen counter), I finally landed on this version — and it’s become a keeper.
The trick is layering flavor: sautéing the vegetables just long enough to caramelize, then simmering everything low and slow in a blend of vegetable and beef stock. The result is a one-pot soup that’s hearty, wholesome, and full of that deep, meaty mushroom flavor I can’t get enough of. A sprinkle of fresh thyme and scallions on top, and it’s ready to serve. Y’all..you’ll never miss the cream!
Enjoy,
Donya’s Tips and Things To Know
- Season as You Go: Taste after simmering and add more salt or pepper as needed. It’s the best way to build balanced flavor.
- Go Easy on the Boil: A gentle simmer keeps the mushrooms tender and prevents them from getting rubbery.
- Storage Tip: This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to four days and leftovers taste even better the next day.
- Cleaning Mushrooms: Don’t rinse mushrooms under running water — just wipe them clean with a damp paper towel to avoid sogginess.
Need some serving ideas? It’s perfect with Zucchini Cheese Quick Bread and Mediterranean Pasta Salad.
Mushroom Soup Without Dairy Ingredients
- Butter: Olive oil can also be used.
- Vegetable Base: You’ll need minced garlic, as well as carrots, onion, and celery to make up the mirapox.
- Portabella Mushrooms: White button mushrooms, Cremini Mushrooms, or Baby Bella Mushrooms can also be used.
- Vegetable Broth and Beef Stock: Chicken broth can also be used as a substitute for vegetable broth. You can opt for a low-sodium or homemade beef stock. This will ensure a healthier soup and allow you to control the salt content. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can swap out the beef stock for a vegetable or mushroom stock.
- Worcestershire sauce: Swap out with soy sauce if desired.
- Spices & Herbs: You’ll need red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Dried herbs like rosemary, basil, and oregano can be substituted for thyme.
Variations and Ideas to Make This Soup Your Own
- Add Rice or Grains: Stir in cooked wild rice (my fav), brown rice, or even quinoa for extra heartiness. They soak up the broth beautifully and make the soup feel like a full meal.
- Boost the Veggies: Add chopped spinach, kale, or zucchini near the end of cooking for even more nutrition and color.
- Add Protein: Toss in shredded chicken or a can of white beans (make sure to rinse and drain) for extra texture and protein.
How To Make Easy Dairy-Free Mushroom Soup
- Sauté the Vegetables: Melt butter in a large pot ( I use a dutch oven) over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, cooking until soft and translucent.
- Add Garlic and Mushrooms: Stir in minced garlic, thyme, and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and deepen in color.
- Build the Broth: Pour in the vegetable and beef stocks, then add Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with fresh thyme or scallions for a little brightness.
Can I Make This Soup in the Crock Pot?
Yes, you sure can! Making this soup in the crock pot is a great way to let the flavors develop while you go about your day. To do it, sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a skillet first — this step adds richness and keeps the vegetables from tasting bland. Then, transfer everything to your slow cooker, add the garlic, herbs, broths, and seasonings, and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for about 3 hours. Before serving, give it a good stir and taste to adjust the seasoning.
The soup (it’s gluten-free!) turns out just as hearty and flavorful, and the slow simmer makes your whole kitchen smell amazing.
Craving More? Try These Soup Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 cups chopped portabella mushrooms
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in stock pot.
- Add onion, carrot and celery cooking until translucent over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic, mushrooms, and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add stocks, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Taste and check for seasonings, then serve.
Nutrition
People Often Ask
White button mushrooms are a common choice; you can use a variety of mushrooms like cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms for added depth of flavor.
Yes — just swap the beef stock for all-vegetable or mushroom broth and use a vegetarian Worcestershire or soy sauce.
If you’d like your soup to be thicker, you’ve got a couple of easy options. Let it simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 extra minutes — that naturally reduces the broth and deepens the flavor. Or, for a creamy texture without dairy, scoop out about one cup of soup, blend it until smooth, then stir it back in. You’ll get a silky, rich consistency while keeping it light and healthy.
Yes, you sure can. Be sure to cool it completely and store it in an airtight container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
To store any leftover soup, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. I’ve found that one of the best ways to store this soup is in mason jars. The mushroom soup will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
What To Serve With Healthy Mushroom Soup
This soup makes a delicious, well-rounded meal on its own, but I love to serve it with something on the side. It’s fantastic with avocado chicken salad for lunch or dinner with air fryer salmon, tarter sauce, and crunchy vinegar slaw.
If you tried this Healthy Mushroom Soup Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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Great recipe! I made it with celery flakes since I had no fresh celery in the fridge, and added some fresh bell peppers, sliced thin. It was delicious! I added some homemade garlic croutons on top and it was nice, filling meal on a gloomy, cold day.
P.S. I noticed how attentive you are to your comments and you seem like a genuinely kind person! Thank you for being your sweet self!
Awesome! Thanks for the terrific rating.
~Donya
I adapted your recipe to what I had on hand. I didn’t have celery so I used green peppers. Instead of thyme I used dill and marjoram. Used chicken broth in place of vegetable/beef broth. It was quite good and not so heavy as the creamy versions. Thank you!
You are welcome! Thanks for the terrific rating.
~Donya
This looks great! Could it be made in a crockpot, and if so, how long would you recommend cooking it for?
I’ve never made it in the crock pot but you could give it a try. Let me know how it turns out.
~Donya
I’ve made this recipe a few times — today I added orzo and truffle oil, which was a huge hit. of course it’s a little less healthy with those 2 things added but super tasty nonetheless. I also made it with mushroom bouillon cubes instead of beef broth so the vegetarians in my family could have some. thank you for posting this recipe!! I love mushroom soup but creamy soups aren’t my favorite so this one is perfect
Thanks so much for the great comment and the terrific rating!
~Donya
We followed the recipe exactly for this soup and wow, is it ever delicious. It has such a deep, rich mushroom flavor, flavorful broth and an excellent texture. You can definitely make this soup without any “tweaks” or diversions. It’s a great recipe and will definitely make again.
This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing and for the terrific rating.
~Donya
I had some high school friends over for a soup and bread night. I made two cream based soups and your healthy mushroom soup. EVERYONE loved the mushroom soup. I increased the ingredients to use a combination of dried mushrooms and the liquid they soaked in as part of the recipe. This was really good and I will make it again. Thank you.
Thank you for the terrific rating!
Delicious!! Thank you!!
~Sandy &Thalia MK
Thank you for the outstanding rating!
~Donya
I don’t have beef stock, can I substitute it with chicken stock. I have lots of that. I do have the vegetable stock on hand. I’ve only made creamy mushroom soup and I’m dying to try your recipe. Thank you in advance.
Hey there Lori!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love this soup, it’s perfect to serve this time of year! You can totally use chicken stock if that’s what you have on hand, it doesn’t make that big of a difference in the flavor. I hope this is helpful, please let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Hi! New to cooking and still practicing. Should I use fresh thyme or the thyme from the spice rack? Also, I live alone so I was wondering if I should buy an entire stock of celery or if there was a spice I could use to bring that flavor? Just don’t want to be wasteful. Thanks!
Hey there Olivia!
Thank you so much for reaching out, I am so glad to hear that you’re getting into cooking, these are terrific questions! Whether or not you use fresh or dried thyme is really up to you, fresh thyme tends to give the soup a deeper flavor, where dried thyme renders a more subtle flavor but you can definitely still taste the herb. The same thing is true of celery, fresh diced celery gives a richer flavor to the broth, but if you want to use celery salt and omit the sea salt from the recipe, that will absolutely work as well. I recommend making batches of the soup with each ingredient and then seeing which one you like the best, it’s really all about personal preference and what easiest for you! Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I really hope you enjoy, let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
Thanks!
I made this mushroom soup recipe tonight and it was delicious! So much better without the cream 🙌🏻 Thank you!
Hey there Clarissa!
Yayyyy! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I completely agree with you that it’s better without cream, you get deeper flavors in my opinion. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and this wonderful rating, it warms my heart! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya