How To Make Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

This simple recipe for gluten free cream of mushroom soup, made with basic pantry staples, is rich, creamy, and packed with delicious umami flavor. Use it anywhere you'd use canned soup, and taste the difference!

What makes this the best gluten free cream of mushroom soup recipe?

Thick, rich and velvety, this gf cream of mushroom soup is full of so much flavor. Only lovers of that rich umami flavor of cooked mushrooms need apply.

If you love creamy soups but don't love mushrooms, we still love you! And we have recipes for gluten free cream of chicken soup for you (with a simpler mushroom variety, and a potato variety, too). And if you'd prefer a clear soup, of course there's comforting gluten free chicken noodle soup, too.

For all my fellow mushroom lovers, though, let's return to this hearty, silky soup. It's the best soup, because it never leaks, even when it cools.

We make the roux that helps thicken this soup with superfine white rice flour, instead of cornstarch. When you thicken a warm liquid with a cornstarch roux, it leaks water as it cools.

It's also packed with creamy flavor from a combination of rich vegetable stock (I love Pacific brand) and evaporated milk. And much of the cooked mushrooms and flavorful, but mild, shallots, are pureed until smooth, so there's every flavor in every bite.

Does cream of mushroom soup have dairy in it?

Yes, cream of mushroom soups typically have dairy in them. And this recipe is no exception.

There's dairy in the form of butter, and in the form of evaporated milk. The butter adds richness, and the evaporated milk adds richness, flavor, and that creamy texture.

If you can't have dairy, don't worry! I explain how to make gluten free dairy free cream of mushroom soup in the final section of the post. It's about “substitutions and variations.”

Is canned cream of mushroom soup gluten free?

Yes, and no! Most canned cream of mushroom soups you can buy contain gluten.

Like Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, they usually have some form of wheat flour. The base of the soup is a butter-and-flour roux.

Here, we make that roux with butter and superfine white rice flour. That thickens the stock and evaporated milk, and creates a gorgeous, shimmering creamy soup.

There are varieties of canned cream of mushroom soup that are made gluten free. Pacific Foods brand has a cream of mushroom soup that contains cornstarch and rice flour in place of wheat starch.

Tips for making the best gluten free cream of mushroom soup

How to make condensed gluten free cream of mushroom soup

Cream of mushroom soup is a thickened cream-based mushroom soup made with a roux, made with flour and fat (usually butter, for best flavor). You begin by cooking the vegetables (mushrooms and shallots) until they're soft and fragrant.

Remove some cooked mushrooms. We'll add those back into the soup when it's nearly done, and smooth.

Then, make the roux by melting butter and cooking it for about 1 minute with superfine white rice flour, freshly ground black pepper, and some salt. It will clump up, so keep whisking.

Add the liquids: vegetable stock, and evaporated milk. The roux will thicken them as it cooks.

Keep cooking the mixture so some water evaporates. This will concentrate the flavor and thicken the soup even more.

Then, puree all the soup until super smooth. I like to use an immersion blender since the liquid is hot, so a standing blender will spurt and splatter the soup if you use it with hot liquid.

Then, add back in the reserved mushrooms, and serve hot!

Can I make GF cream of mushroom soup ahead of time?

Yes! You can make this cream of mushroom soup up to 3 days ahead of time. I'd recommend storing it in well-sealed glass jars in the refrigerator.

Since we're using rice flour to thicken the soup, and not cornstarch, the liquid shouldn't separate out from the mixture like it otherwise would. The soup will clump, though, so just reheat it over a very low flame on the stovetop, whisking constantly.

Can I freeze gluten free cream of mushroom soup?

No, this soup would not freeze well. It contains a fair amount of dairy.

I don't like freezing dairy-containing soups. They tend to separate and appear to curdle. If you'd like a warm and comforting soup that you can make ahead and freeze, try our gluten free tomato soup.

How to use gluten free cream of mushroom soup

You can use this gf cream of mushroom soup anywhere you'd use a can of cream of mushroom soup. It's perfect to use in gluten free casseroles, like our gluten free green bean casserole. Try adding some gluten free onion soup mix to your mushroom soup for even more flavor.

What are the best types of mushrooms to use for making cream of mushroom soup?

Any sort of ordinary small mushroom will make delicious mushroom soup. I often make it with white button mushrooms, which are the youngest mushrooms.

You can also use cremini mushrooms. They're more flavorful and mature, and they're brown on top.

If you can find them, I really love to use “baby portabella” mushrooms. They have flavor to spare!

Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup Substitutions and Variations

How to make gluten free vegan cream of mushroom soup

The only animal products in this soup recipe are the dairy. There's butter, and evaporated milk, and you'll have to replace them both—but it's really easy.

How to replace the butter in this soup

To replace the butter, I always recommend vegan butter (Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen brand) instead of Earth Balance buttery sticks. But I think you could actually use Earth Balance here, too.

Earth Balance will add more moisture, though, and more color. You should allow the roux to cook lower and slower, so it doesn’t burn but the moisture cooks off.

How to replace the evaporated milk in this soup

To replace the evaporated milk, Carnation makes a small carton of nondairy cooking milk that has reduced moisture. There's also evaporated coconut milk made by a company called “Nature's Charm” that might be worth trying.

I don't recommend using “regular” nondairy milk, unless you're willing to reduce it separately in a saucepan first over very low heat. Otherwise, you'll really just water down your soup.

Instead of evaporated coconut milk, you can try using “light” coconut milk in the can. It's really just coconut milk with added water.

Can you make this cream of mushroom soup recipe without evaporated milk at all?

Yes! You can make this soup without evaporated milk. Just replace it with a combination of ingredients.

Add more vegetable stock for more flavor, and some heavy whipping cream for richness. You'll have to experiment with the balance that you like best.

I'd begin with 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) additional vegetable stock, and ⅓ cup (5⅓ fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream. In place of whipping cream, you can try canned coconut milk, but it may add coconut flavor.

How to thicken the roux without superfine white rice flour

I really recommend using Authentic Foods brand superfine white rice flour. Vitacost also has a superfine white rice flour that has a relatively fine grind, too.

If you don't have a truly superfine white rice flour, you can try using arrowroot in its place. You can also try using tapioca starch/flour, but it may make the sauce gummy so try using 20 grams instead of 30.

If you use too little thickener in your soup, you can continue to cook the soup over medium-low heat to thicken it further. The more water that evaporates, the thicker the soup will be.

Easy Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe, Step by Step