• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Soups / Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    LAST UPDATED: January 4, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: November 5, 2018

    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    Savory baked tofu, hearty veggies, and a rich cashew cream base go into this luscious vegan spin on cream of chicken soup. The perfect creamy soup for cold fall and winter days!

    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup in a Bowl with Spoon and Drinking Glass in the Background

    I know a bunch of people are going to ask me why I need to use "chicken" in the title of this recipe. I've address the issue before, but in this case, I think some extra explanation is warranted.

    The "chicken" in this soup is tofu. And "cream of tofu soup" just sounds like a terrible, terrible thing. As much as I love tofu, I'd never in a million years make cream of tofu soup.

    Except that I did. I just don't think of it that way. The tofu doesn't get creamed (I had some ugly tofu experiences involving the blender back before I knew how to cook tofu). It gets baked!

    The soup is creamy and it's loaded with veggies and savory baked tofu in a creamy cashew base. Unfortunately, that's too long for a recipe title, and I did, in fact model this one after cream of chicken soup.

    So let's call it vegan cream of chicken soup. Settled? Good!

    Ladle Scooping Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup Out of a Pot

    Oh, and it's also delicious!

    Let's talk about how to craft this scrumptious soup.

    To make the tofu "chicken" you'll soak some tofu cubes in a savory marinade, and then bake them. Baking gives the tofu a chewy texture and seals in the flavor of the marinade.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Baked Tofu For Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    While the tofu is baking, work on the soup. Start by sautéing some onions, celery and carrots for a few minutes. Once they begin to soften up, add some garlic and a bit of flour (which helps thicken the soup). Cook that for a minute, and then add some white wine.

    Collage Showing Steps 1-3 for Making Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup: Sauté Vegetables, Add Garlic & Flour, then Add Wine

    Once the wine has had a few minutes to cook off, you can add your broth and some herbs. Raise the heat to bring everything up to a simmer. While the soup simmers, blend up some soaked raw cashews and non-dairy milk to make your cashew cream, and add that to the soup towards the end of the simmer time.

    The baked tofu and peas go in last.

    Collage Showing Steps 4-6 for Making Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup: Simmer Broth and Herbs, Add Cashew Cream, then Add Peas and Tofu

    Cook the soup for another minute to heat everything up, and then grab a spoon!

    Overhead View of a Bowl of Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup with Spoon and Drinking Glass

    Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    • If you're going to have leftovers, I recommend storing the tofu and the soup separately. It's not totally crucial, but it does help to keep the flavor in the tofu.
    • Not into tofu? Substitute seitan. You can make your own or buy it at the store. No need to marinate or bake it (seitan is already marinated). Sauté it with the veggies if you like, otherwise just throw it it.
    • Forgot to soak your cashews? Try boiling them for 15 minutes.
    • Allergic to cashews? You could probably substitute coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk (like in this recipe) for the cashew cream mixture, but I haven't tried it, so no promises.
    • Want an alcohol-free version of this recipe? Try an alcohol-free cooking wine (keeping in mind that you may need to use less salt in the recipe), or just leave the wine out.
    • Assuming you're okay with using wine, check Barnivore to make sure the brand you pick is vegan.

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup in a Bowl with Spoon and Drinking Glass in the Background
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup

    Savory baked tofu, hearty veggies, and a rich cashew cream base go into this luscious vegan spin on cream of chicken soup. The perfect creamy soup for cold fall and winter days!

    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 298 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Baked Tofu

    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 (14 ounce) package firm or extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into ½ inch pieces

    For the Soup

    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 medium celery stalks, diced
    • 2 medium carrots, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 4 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained
    • 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    To Make the Baked Tofu

    1. Stir the broth, soy sauce, poultry seasoning, and olive oil together in a small bowl.

    2. Place the tofu into a shallow dish and pour the broth mixture over top. Stir a few times to coat, and allow the tofu to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

    3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400°.

    4. Arrange the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, turning halfway through, until the pieces shrink a bit and darken.

    To Make the Soup

    1. Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat.

    2. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Satué for about 5 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften.

    3. Add the garlic and flour. Stir so the flour coats the veggies, and continue to sauté the mixture for about 1 minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

    4. Stir in the wine and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow the wine to simmer for about 3 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off.

    5. Stir in the broth, thyme, sage and bay leaves. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil.

    6. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender.

    7. While the soup simmers, make the cashew cream. Place the cashews in to the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. 

    8. Add ½ cup of the milk and blend until smooth. Blend in the remaining ½ cup of milk.

    9. When the soup has finished simmering, stir in the cashew cream, then the peas and tofu. You can also thin the mixture with some extra broth or water at this point if you like.

    10. Simmer the soup for another minute and remove the pot from the heat. 

    11. Remove the bay leaves and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

    12. Ladle into bowls and serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup
    Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups (approximately))
    Calories 298 Calories from Fat 166
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18.4g28%
    Saturated Fat 4g20%
    Sodium 640mg27%
    Potassium 411mg12%
    Carbohydrates 21.6g7%
    Fiber 3.5g14%
    Sugar 5.2g6%
    Protein 11.1g22%
    Calcium 190mg19%
    Iron 4.1mg23%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
    Dijon Brussels Sprouts »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Little Plastic Footprint says

      November 05, 2018 at 5:51 pm

      This looks just like the real thing! thanks for the share, looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 11, 2018 at 8:53 pm

        Thanks so much!!

        Reply
    2. Corri says

      November 16, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      Hi! If using seitan, does one still need to bake it? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 18, 2018 at 5:26 pm

        Nope! You don't need to marinate it either. You can sauté it for a few minutes if you like, or just chop it up and throw it in.

        Reply
        • Corri says

          November 19, 2018 at 3:47 pm

          Thank you!!!

          Reply
    3. Things2Eat says

      November 25, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Sunflower seeds make a nice cashew sub! And I bet this would also be delish with smoked tofu from the grocery store if people don't want to make their own :D

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 26, 2018 at 2:34 pm

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    4. Jennifer Carrick says

      December 10, 2018 at 3:43 am

      This is delicious and easy to make, so flavoursome!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 13, 2018 at 5:02 pm

        I'm so glad you think so!!

        Reply
    5. Cyndee says

      December 30, 2018 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy! I did add in a little nutritional yeast, as I do to all of my soups.

      Reply
    6. Michelle Giroux says

      January 29, 2019 at 12:54 pm

      Do you think this could be put in the crockpot?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 01, 2019 at 6:44 pm

        I think so, but I'm not sure about the time or setting since I haven't tried it.

        Reply
    7. Otilija says

      February 02, 2019 at 3:08 pm

      Do you think this can be used in recipes where it calls for cream of chicken soup? I'm trying to veganize a chicken and wild rice casserole recipe using jackfruit instead of chicken. So was looking for a vegan cream of chicken soup.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 03, 2019 at 4:36 pm

        I think so! I'd just make sure to chop everything very finely. P.S. - I actually started working on a vegan wild rice casserole recipe last week!

        Reply
    8. Donna Layton says

      December 21, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was so yummy! I don't eat tofu, so I just didn't add it, but it was still delicious! I added potatoes and carrots too. Would make a great Pot Pie. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    5997 shares
    • 507