Vegan Porcini Mushroom And Herb Soup Recipe

Few things are more comforting or soulful than a well-made soup. This vegan porcini mushroom and herb soup — courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird — is both homey and elegant, brimming with umami richness. The recipe uses a variety of both dried and fresh mushrooms to bring out the depth of flavor that only fungi can offer. Using a generous amount of red wine and port in the cooking liquid gives a deep complexity of taste which pairs perfectly with the earthy fresh herbs. Truffle-flavored oil adds additional intensity and richness.

Porcini mushrooms are known for their bold flavor as well as their price tag, but, luckily, a little goes a long way in terms of their flavor. Fresh porcini mushrooms are often tricky to find, but luckily the dried variety works quite well in most preparations. Combining both the reconstituted porcinis with fresh portobellos and creminis creates a full spectrum of mushroom essence. The meaty texture becomes creamy smooth when processed in a blender, making this vegan preparation ultra satisfying for any palate!

For this soup, four mushroom varieties are combined. Dried porcinis give the lead flavor and are reconstituted with vegan red wine. Fresh portobello and cremini mushrooms are sautéed with olive oil and garlic and cooked in port and vegetable stock. Truffle flavored oil is the final mushroom element, with fresh rosemary and thyme bringing the herb flavors during the cooking process. A garnish of vegan sour cream and fresh Italian parsley completes the soup.

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with the wine. Soak for at least 1 hour to soften.

Carefully lift the mushrooms out of the wine and reserve for the soup.

Pour the soaking wine through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove sediment. Set strained wine aside.

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and all mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are softened and releasing juices.

Add the reserved wine, stock, port, truffle oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Bring soup to a simmer over medium high heat.

Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook the soup for about 1 hour until the mushrooms are quite soft and liquid has reduced slightly.

Remove the rosemary sprig stem and discard.

Transfer soup to a blender to process until smooth.

Return soup to the pot to gently warm, checking seasoning (add additional salt and pepper if desired).

Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

With so many types of mushrooms available in markets these days, mixing up the combinations for this recipe is encouraged! Portobello and cremini mushrooms have a mellow, warm flavor that allows the unique porcini taste to come through. In fact, the only difference between the portobello and cremini varieties is age. Portobello mushrooms are the aged version of creminis, and have a more dense texture, less moisture, and bigger cap. Using both in this recipe enhances the consistency of the finished soup, however, white button mushrooms could take the place of either one in a pinch. Mixing in fresh morels, oysters, maitake, or other seasonal varieties would provide some different flavor personality to the soup. The key is to keep at least half of the mushroom volume with something meaty and dense like the portobello so that the soup will maintain its creamy texture.

The reason that all wines are not vegan is due to part of the winemaking process called "fining." Kinnaird explains, "Fining removes impurities from wines to clarify them, however, common fining agents include animal products such as egg whites, gelatin, or milk proteins. Even though these elements are mostly removed from the wine in the fining process, there still might be traces in the finished wine, making it not friendly for vegans."

The safest way to know if a wine is vegan is to look for a vegan certification stamp on the back label of the wine bottle. Not all wineries will pay to have this kind of certification, so a knowledgeable wine department staff is often the best way to make a selection. This will apply to selecting a port for the recipe, as well. A little online research will also help you find wineries making high-quality vegan products.

This hearty porcini mushroom and herb soup is great for a hungry group, but if you find yourself with leftovers rest assured that they keep and reheat beautifully. Because there are no highly perishable ingredients in this vegan recipe, the soup will stay fresh for about a week under refrigeration in a tightly sealed container. Portions of soup can be reheated in a microwave or in a saucepan on a stovetop over medium heat. If you are wanting to do some advance meal prep, the soup will also freeze well in a batch or individual portions.  Thaw the soup under refrigeration and then reheat by the same methods, adding the fresh garnishes for serving.