Mushroom Potato Chowder {A Meatless Monday Recipe

This creamy mushroom potato chowder is a mixture of earthy mushrooms and creamy potatoes for a delicious vegetarian Meatless Monday meal!

Mushroom lovers, this chowder is for you! This soup is perfect for a chilly night when you want something comforting to warm your bones.

All chowders, soups, and stews are welcome in our house—especially creamy and hearty soups like this one. The mushrooms are the star ingredient of this chowder, giving the soup an earthy flavor, while the soft potatoes give this chowder extra creaminess.

The best thing about this mushroom potato chowder is that it tastes so good you don’t miss the meat. It’s the quick and easy vegetarian soup for Meatless Monday or any night of the week!

What’s the Difference Between a Chowder and Soup?

Soup recipes can fall into different categories but are technically known to have a thin and light broth, usually made of water or some kind of stock or broth. This would be soups like chicken noodle, lentil, or tomato soup. Some soups contain solid ingredients, while others a pureed into a smooth mixture. And some soups have large chunks, usually referred to as stews.

Like a stew, a chowder has large chunks of meat or vegetables typically thickened with cream or flour. Most often, a chowder contains seafood, potatoes, and corn.

Ingredients Needed To Make Mushroom Potato Chowder

The recipe card at the end of this post lists the full ingredient list with measurements.

Butter and Oil: I use a combination of butter and extra virgin olive oil to accentuate the flavor of the mushrooms and onion. Use whatever cooking oil you prefer.

Mushrooms: I used portobello because they are thick and meaty. Substitute with any variety of mushrooms or a combination of different mushrooms.

Onions and Garlic: for depth of flavor. Any onion you have on hand is fine.

Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the chowder. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use cornstarch instead.

Broth: vegetable broth makes this chowder vegetarian.

Herbs: fresh thyme and bay leaves deepen the flavor and provide aromatics. While garnishing with fresh parsley gives the chowder brightness.

Seasoning: kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potatoes: I use baby Yukon gold potatoes for their golden color and creaminess. You can substitute with russets, red potatoes, or white potatoes.

Cream: I highly recommend heavy cream or half-n-half. Milk is fine, but the chowder will be thinner.

How To Make Potato Mushroom Chowder

Here’s a basic overview of how to make this chowder. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

1. Veggies: cooking the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and potatoes until tender is key for a creamy chowder.
2. Simmer: Simmering not only makes everything more tender, but it also allows the flavors to meld together.
3. Cream: After simmering the vegetables and everything is tender, turn off the heat and add the half-n-half. The warmth of the broth with heat the cream, so there is no need to keep simmering the chowder.
4. Garnish and Serve: Serve the chowder warm, garnished with fresh parsley.

Tips For Making This Chowder

Dice the onions finely so they cook faster and will not be toothy. The purpose of the onions is to provide flavor but not texture.

Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces. This will ensure they cook evenly and are all done simultaneously.

Recipe FAQs

Making this chowder? We’d love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment and a star rating below. We really appreciate it!

See ya on the mountain!