It’s starting to finally feel a little like fall in Atlanta and that means it’s officially soup season! There is nothing like a savory, hot, creamy cup of soup, but sometimes it can leave you feeling heavy and lethargic. I thought I’d look for an alternate solution. While I am not lactose intolerant, since I did Whole30 I still like to play around with lacto free recipes! Y’all, this one is to die for. Mushrooms are one of my favorite veggies (and honestly I under use them) so I decided to try out “cream” of mushroom soup, minus the cream of course! I went through many different recipes and noticed people using almond milk… and while I love some unsweetened vanilla with my cereal, I really hate it in my coffee and I think it’s because of the texture. It just does not give that creaminess that milk or cream does. With almond milk out I wondered how I was going to replicate cream of mushroom soup, then I saw coconut milk! Really the only time I have ever used coconut milk is in green curry and it immediately adds the texture and thickness to the sauce that I crave. I thought I’d give it a shot and the result was phenomenal. The creamy, thick goodness adds the texture without any coconut flavor and it’s divine! Did I mention you just use one pot?

Start out with a large pot, sauté the garlic, onions, shallots, sweet potatoes, and poblano pepper. Typically I would use what is known as mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) which is traditional in French cooking as a base for soups and stews, but I wanted to play a riff on the traditional soups. The addition of shallots bring out the earthiness of the mushrooms and the poblano adds more pepper flavor to the broth. I decided to use sweet potatoes instead of carrots as a heartier root veggie and to add some starch to the soup.

Once the sweet potatoes have softened a bit, add mushrooms until they start to sweat. I used baby bellas, but mix and match as you please! Use the wine (or broth if you want to stick to whole 30) to deglaze the pot and add fresh thyme. Cook about 2 minutes allowing alcohol to cook out.

Now add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add the coconut milk and season to taste with salt.

That’s all… it’s a one pot stop! This soup brings the creaminess and warmth of traditional cream of mushroom soup, without the cream! Happy cooking!

Pro Tip: Pair this with Kenwood Vineyards Pinot Noir