Vegan Creamy Mushroom Soup

Pureed soft tofu makes a low-fat but rich-tasting base for a soup sure to please mushroom enthusiasts. This comforting soup is a great first course for most any kind of meal or can be served side-by-side with sandwiches and wraps. Use leftover soup as a delicious Stroganoff sauce for pasta.

Serves: 6

• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (or other vegan buttery spread)
  or olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 salt-free vegetable bouillon cubes
• Two 12.3-ounce packages firm silken tofu
• 1 to 2 cups rice milk, more or less as needed
• 8 ounces baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 to 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Steamed fresh or thawed frozen green peas for garnish, optional
• Minced fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Heat the Earth Balance in a small soup pot, and add the onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is very lightly browned. Pour in 1 cup of water and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a simmer and cook until the bouillon cubes are dissolved. Transfer the onion mixture and a little of the liquid to a food processor or blender. Add the tofu and process until smoothly pureed. Set aside until needed.

In the same soup pot, combine the mushrooms with whatever water remains in the pot. Cover and cook until the mushrooms until tender, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the mixture from the food processor back to the soup pot and stir to combine with the mushrooms. Heat gently — you don’t want to bring this to a boil, or even a rapid simmer, as the tofu will curdle.

Once the soup is hot, season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, or, if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or so, then heat through as needed.

• Here are lots more easy tofu recipes.
• Mushroom lovers, rejoice! Here are more mushroom recipes for you.
  
• Try some of VegKitchen’s other Soulful Soups.