Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup (Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-Free)

A homemade, dairy-free version of a childhood favourite, this delicious Instant Pot cream of mushroom soup is a perfect way to warm up on a chilly day! This simple soup recipe is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant and can be on your lunch or dinner table in less than 45 minutes! Please note: this recipe is not low FODMAP.

Cream of Mushroom: A Classic Soup

Cream of mushroom was one of my favourite soups to eat as a kid. I'd crumple up a bunch of saltines into the soup and savour the creamy, mushroomy goodness. The cream of mushroom soup I ate as a kid came from a can, however, and as I can no longer tolerate dairy, I wanted to come up with a homemade, dairy-free, additive-free alternative that I could make in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup

As with many different dishes, when making this soup in the Instant Pot, you can achieve an abundance of flavour in a short amount of time. The aromas that this soup produces while it's cooking are heavenly, and once that timer goes off on the Instant Pot, I can hardly wait to pour myself a bowl.

Paleo, Whole30, and Dairy-Free

This Instant Pot cream of mushroom soup is Paleo, Whole30 and dairy-free. However, if you're doing a Whole30, I would not consider just this soup to be a compete Whole30 meal. Eat it alongside some protein, like tuna salad wrapped in lettuce or on a cucumber. As the old jingle goes, "Soup and sandwich go together." This is true of homemade soup, too.

A Note About FODMAPs

In case you're wondering: this cream of mushroom soup is not low FODMAP. In fact, it's chock full of FODMAPs, so fellow IBS sufferers - I'm sorry, but this is not for you. This is one of the rare times I will post a recipe that's not low FODMAP to my blog. I wrote it before making the decision to feature low FODMAP recipes in addition to Paleo and Whole30 recipes. Ultimately, my goal is to heal my gut to the point at which I can return to eating things like this without having to worry too heavily about FODMAPs. So, I guess you could say that I'm saving this one for myself to enjoy in the future. In the meantime, I've put it here for non-IBS sufferers to enjoy (you lucky ducks).

Can you adapt it for low FODMAP? Maybe someday, but as of right now, I am not comfortable doing so. If you're looking for an amazing low FODMAP soup to warm up with until then, try my Instant Pot Chili con Canada or the low FODMAP option of my Instant Pot / Slow Cooker Tomato Soup.

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup: Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this recipe include:

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Chopping knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Plastic spoon for stirring and scraping
• Ladle
• Heat-resistant bowl or measuring cup (the larger, the better)
• Immersion blender
• Small bowl or measuring cup
• Whisk

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup: Ingredients and Tips for Success

This is a really simple recipe using simple ingredients, so I won't go on and on about them here. Here are a few things to consider when making this recipe:

Mushrooms

I use white button mushrooms in this recipe as I feel they taste the best; however, you could probably use other types if you wanted to. In one of my tests, I tried cremini mushrooms but found the flavour odd and too far from my childhood memory of cream of mushroom soup. I slice the mushrooms thinly but not super thin and leave the stems on.

Aromatics and Herbs

I use a medium sweet onion, three cloves of garlic, and ½ tablespoon of fresh thyme to enhance the mushroom flavour. Fresh thyme tastes the best, but you can also use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme instead of fresh if that's all you have on hand. I've tested the soup with both, and it's yummy either way.

Saute the onion until it's translucent and starting to brown, about 5-6 minutes. This brings some yummy caramelized onion flavour to the soup. Then add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and saute another 5 minutes.

Spices, Broth and Coconut Milk

I season the soup with 1 ½ teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper, but be sure to taste the soup at the end and adjust these to your own taste. The amount of salt that you'll need will heavily depend on the brand of broth you use and its salt level. I often use Imagine Chicken Bone Broth, which is not overly salty, and I usually end up putting in up to 2 teaspoon of salt and ¾ teaspoon of pepper. Also, if your soup tastes too coconutty (not a word, but it should be), you need more salt and pepper, so add more in ¼ teaspoon intervals until you can no longer taste any coconut flavour.

Chunkiness Level

After the soup pressure cooks, I ladle out 1-2 cups of the soup into a heat resistant bowl or measuring cup and immersion blend the soup that remains in the Instant Pot. If you want a super chunky soup, ladle out more or perhaps skip blending any of it. If you'd prefer a smoother soup, don't ladle out any of it and blend it entirely. In the soup pictured, I ladled out 1 cup of the soup.

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