ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

Once we developed our Wild Cream of Mushroom base, we were thrilled with the taste. Then, we realized that we should take it one step further. We believe in feeding people here. Food is so important to us that the idea of anyone at our table feeling left out? It sits with us the wrong way. Like you, we are bound to have someone at our Thanksgiving table who cannot eat gluten due to celiac, someone who cannot eat dairy, or someone who is following a plant-based diet for personal reasons. (One of our staff members has celiac and another is eating plant-based, so we know.) How could we make them feel included in the feast? So we tried out a few different ways to make a rich, delicious soup without using all-purpose flour or cream. (Nothing says cream of mushroom soup has to contain cream. It’s the creaminess that matters.) It turns out that mochi rice flour—also known as sweet rice flour—has enough starchiness to thicken a soup as well as all-purpose wheat flour. There was no difference in taste or texture when we made this soup. And coconut cream—the thick part of coconut milk that settles near the top of the can after being packed—works well to instill creaminess in this soup. The powerful taste of the mushrooms, plus the savory flavor of rosemary and thyme, with a toss of salt and cracked black pepper means the coconut flavor fades to the background. Honestly, this might be a better soup than our original Wild Cream of Mushroom soup. Serve this one at the feast for everyone if you have anyone who needs it. The folks with celiac and those eating plant-based will thank you. Everyone else will simply taste a creamy mushroom soup.