This Vegan Crab Bisque recipe is the latest installment of The Art of Soups & Stews, a monthly recipe column by Devorah Bowen. In this column, the Best of Vegan editor and creator of The Yummy Vegan delves into her treasure trove of satisfying, comforting, cost-effective, and low waste vegan soup and stew recipes to share them with you!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Crab Bisque Recipe
Crab bisque is known for its smooth velvety texture, its rich flavor and subtle sweetness. This recipe has all of those same delicious characteristics but is dairy-free and completely vegan with oyster mushrooms standing in for the crab. Mushrooms are full of umami flavor and many varieties can even evoke flavors of seafood, making them perfect for this vegan crab bisque.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- King Oyster or Oyster Mushrooms
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Raw Cashews
- Vegan Fish or Vegetable Broth
- Kombu Seaweed
- Sherry Wine
- Flour (all-purpose flour or other)
- Vegan Butter
- Tomato Paste
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Neutral Oil
- Kelp Granules (optional)
- Bay Leaves
- Salt & Pepper
- Chopped Chives
How to Make this Vegan Crab Bisque
Make the Cashew Cream
Make the cashew cream by soaking the cashews in enough hot water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and add them to a blender along with 2/3 cup water and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Sauté the Onions, Celery, and Garlic
Add the butter to a large pot on medium low heat. Once melted, sauté the onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the celery and garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the Seasonings and Simmer
Add in the old bay seasoning and mix well and then add in the tomato paste and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix to coat everything, cook for 2-3 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out. Add in the vegan fish or vegetable broth along with the bay leaves and kombu. Bring to a low boil and then simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Mushrooms
While the soup is simmering, prepare the mushrooms. Tear apart the mushrooms in differing sizes. Add the oil to a shallow pan on medium heat and pan fry the mushrooms with a pinch of kelp granules and salt. Fry just until lightly golden in color. Remove and set aside.
Blend the Soup and add the Sherry and Cashew Cream
Remove the kombu and bay leaves from the soup, then with either an immersion or regular blender, blend until the soup is completely smooth. Allow the soup to heat through on medium low heat. Add in the sherry and cashew cream and mix well. Continue to heat through to cook off any alcohol from the sherry.
Serve and enjoy!
Serve each bowl of soup with a generous portion of the cooked mushrooms or “crab” on top and garnish fresh chives.
Find additional Recipe Notes in the Recipe Card Below.
Vegan Crab Bisque – Recipe Card
Vegan Crab Bisque with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 250 g King Oyster - or Oyster Mushrooms
- 1 medium Onion - finely diced
- 2 ribs Celery - finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic - minced
- 2/3 cup Raw Cashews - soaked
- 4 cups Vegan Fish Broth - or Vegetable Broth
- 2 inches Kombu Seaweed
- 1/4 cup Sherry Wine
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 3 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tsp Neutral Oil
- 1 pinch Kelp Granules - optional
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 pinch Salt - or to taste
- 1 pinch Pepper - or to taste
- 1 tbsp Chopped Chives - to garnish
Instructions
- Make the cashew cream by soaking the cashews in enough hot water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and add them to a blender along with 2/3 cup water and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Add the butter to a large pot on medium low heat. Once melted, sauté the onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the celery and garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the old bay seasoning and mix well and then add in the tomato paste and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix to coat everything, cook for 2-3 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out.
- Add in the vegan fish or vegetable broth along with the bay leaves and kombu. Bring to a low boil and then simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the mushrooms. Tear apart the mushrooms in differing sizes. Add the oil to a shallow pan on medium heat and pan fry the mushrooms with a pinch of kelp granules and salt. Fry just until lightly golden in color. Remove and set aside.
- Remove the kombu and bay leaves from the soup, then with either an immersion or regular blender, blend until the soup is completely smooth. Allow the soup to heat through on medium low heat.
- Add in the sherry and cashew cream and mix well. Continue to heat through to cook off any alcohol from the sherry.
- Serve each bowl of soup with a generous portion of the cooked mushrooms or “crab” on top and garnish fresh chives
Notes
- If you prefer not to use alcohol, then sub the sherry for more broth mixed with 1 Tbsp (15ml) apple cider vinegar
- If using king oyster mushrooms, remove the caps and save them for another recipe. You want to use only the thick stems because the color more resembles crab.
- For a nut free option, substitute the cashew cream with dairy free cream.
- This recipe makes 4 small or 2 large servings.
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So so good!!