Dairy-Free Turkey Mushroom Soup (made creamy with cashews)
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Indulge in the comforting goodness of this turkey mushroom soup made with a twist that transforms leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey into a creamy, flavorful soup. With just 10 minutes of prep time, it’s as simple as it is delicious.
If your post-Thanksgiving fridge is overflowing with leftovers, this turkey mushroom soup is one of my favorite ways to keep dinnertime exciting. It’s cozy, satisfying, and a great way to give leftover turkey a second life.
A potato and cashews (or cashew butter) give the soup a rich, velvety texture that tastes like you’ve poured in a splash of cream — even though there’s none in the pot. It’s comforting, clever, and exactly the kind of meal I crave after a holiday feast.
Ingredients needed
This creamy turkey soup with mushrooms uses these ingredients:
- Mushrooms: Adds earthy richness and umami depth.
- Onion: Contributes sweet undertones.
- Garlic: For a savory note.
- Carrots: Adds natural sweetness and a vibrant color.
- Celery: Brings a refreshing note to the base of the soup.
- Potato: Adds creaminess when blended with the cashews (if you have leftover mashed potato from Thanksgiving, you can sub it in here!)
- Homemade turkey stock: You can also substitute for chicken.
- Turkey meat: Adds protein for a hearty, satisfying soup.
- Cashews: When blended, cashews contribute a nutty creaminess.
How to make the turkey stock
Homemade stock is a super easy and delicious way to infuse extra goodness and flavor into your recipes! It’s as easy as putting bones in a pot, covering them with water, and letting them simmer for a while. This crockpot turkey stock recipe is super easy – when you’re cleaning up from Thanksgiving, pop all the turkey bones into your slow cooker, fill it with water, and set it for ten hours, then wake up to delicious stock! Or, you can also make a stovetop version using this turkey stock recipe.
This works just the same with using chicken bones to make chicken broth.
What to serve with turkey mushroom soup
This turkey and mushroom soup is hearty enough to be a standalone meal, but you can top it off with some crowning croutons.
No duo is more dynamic than soup and grilled cheese – serve it with a twist with this sriracha apple grilled cheese.
For a fresh side, serve alongside this asparagus salad, kale apple salad, or arugula wild rice salad.
Recipe FAQs
Can I substitute the cashew for another type of nut?
Cashews are used in this soup as they blend into a smooth paste, which thickens the soup. They also have a very neutral flavor. If you’re able to blend other nuts so they are very smooth – with a similar consistency as a nut butter – then they’ll work. If your blender isn’t high-powered enough, you can also use cashew butter. When substituting cashew butter for raw cashews use half the amount that the recipe calls for.
Should I soak the cashews before blending?
If you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) then you can skip the soaking part. If your blender is a little less powerful, soaking the cashews helps soften them so they blend faster. If you’re crunched for time, you can pour boiling water over them and let them sit for about 10 minutes.
Can I store leftovers?
Yes, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When reheating, be careful not to cook too long as the cashew sauce may thicken a little too much. If you encounter this, thin it with a little water or stock if needed. To store for longer, keep in the freezer for up to three months and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Dairy-Free Turkey Mushroom Soup (made creamy with cashews)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 medium potato (peeled and cut in half)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups homemade turkey stock (can sub chicken)
- 2 cups shredded turkey meat (can sub chicken)
- ¼ cup cashews (see notes)
- Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Note: this recipe uses the leftover meat from your turkey dinner and stock made from the bones. You need to make the stock first – it's easy! This is the crockpot recipe we use. You can also make a stovetop version using this recipe.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.2 tablespoons olive oil, 10 ounces mushrooms, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the carrots, celery, potato, thyme, turkey stock, and meat to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until the potato is soft.2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1 medium potato, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 6 cups homemade turkey stock, 2 cups shredded turkey meat
- Remove the two potato halves from the soup and put them into your blender. Add the cashews and enough of the soup liquid so they will blend. Don't worry if you get a few small pieces of the other veggies into your blender. Blend on high until smooth then return the 'cream' to the pot. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.¼ cup cashews
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Followed the recipe ‘cept added a sweet potato and an anise bulb. It turned out delicious. I agree with Hannah, blending the potato and cashews is brilliant!
Oh I love those additions! Nice call!
I had some turkey stock I made after Thanksgiving and wanted to make a soup… I did everything exactly as you said.. BUT I used a sage pork sausage instead of the turkey meat and my husband can’t stop raving about this recipe!! Phenomenal. Blending the potato and cashews is genius
I love that you added some pork sausage! Yum!
This was delicious. I substituted parsnips for potatoes and added some Swiss chard for a green.
Delicious. No cashews on hand, did a spoonful of almond butter as suggested. Also added some noodles…for the kids 😉.