This morning I came across an America’s Test Kitchen recipe for a cream soup using tofu, rather than heavy cream as a base. I’ve been relying lately on blanched silken tofu as a thickener for creamy sauces and salad dressing with great success, so I found the idea particularly appealing.

The soup–a carrot ginger–not so much.

I decided to try the method with a vegan cream of mushroom soup, but quickly learned that James had used up all our fresh portobellos on some pasta. We do happen to have a flat of canned sliced mushrooms, so I thought I’d try a slacker version. The result is very tasty–especially with a thick slice of toasted focaccia.

I used this recipe as a source, but sauteed the onions and mushrooms in a quick spritz of oil, rather than the butter and oil the original recipe calls for. I also cut down on the amount of flour and used only four TBS, rather than six. Finally, I replaced the heavy cream with silken tofu blended in the Vitamix with the liquid from the canned mushrooms and 1.5 TBS of Better Than Bouillon.

The result is delicious. And while it’s not as rich as a mushroom soup made with butter, oil, and heavy cream, once blended, the soup will taste rich, creamy, and very sumptuous!

Slacker Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained (keep the fluid–should be about a cup)
• 3 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup madeira wine (or a dry red)
• 4 TBS all-purpose flour
• 4 cups broth (mushroom or vegetable or no-chicken)
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 1.5 TBS Better Than Bouillon No-beef Base (or BTB Mushroom Base or BTB Vegetable Base)
• 12.3-ounce package silken tofu
• sprigs of fresh thyme to serve

Instructions

• Spray a large pot with oil and sauté onion for two minutes or so until softened. Add garlic and saute for another minute.

• Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme, cook for five minutes. Pour in madeira and cook for three minutes.
• Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, mix well and cook for two minutes. Add broth gradually while stiring, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium heat and season with salt and pepper.

• Blend until smooth tofu, liquid from canned mushrooms, and Better Than Bouillon. Add contents of blender to soup.
• Cover and allow to simmer for fifteen minutes until thickened.

• Now, you can serve it as is, topped with thyme sprigs and some lovely crusty bread or focaccia….

…OR you can blend it the Vitamix until super smooth, which is the BEST way to eat it! This update is brought to you by Francie, who suggested the blending:

And the song of the day is Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” because it feels like an appropriate anthem for our year so far…