Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large 5.5 qt pot over medium heat. Add in the sliced shallots and minced garlic, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add a splash of vegetable broth to prevent burning if necessary. Sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add in the sliced mushrooms with two tablespoons of red wine. Give it a good stir, then allow mushrooms to sauté undisturbed for 5 minutes. This will allow them to get a good glaze on the bottom.
After 5 minutes, stir in vegan butter, miso paste, and chopped sage leaves. Allow to sauté again undisturbed for 5 additional minutes.
Optional: Remove 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms from pot and set aside for topping soup for serving.
Add the water, broth and vegan parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. If you are not planning on using vegan parmesan, consider using 3 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups of water as the vegan parmesan does add salty flavor. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer soup to a large high speed blender and blend until smooth. Be careful to not overfill blender canister. Heat expands greatly when blending. Blend in batches if needed.
Return soup to pot over medium-low heat and if desired, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken (1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with three tablespoons water). Do not add cornstarch directly to pot without mixing with water first as it will not dissolve and remain clumpy.
Stir in coconut milk and add sliced kale to top of soup. Add lid and allow kale to steam for 5 minutes. I like to leave kale on top of soup as opposed to stirring it in completely.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve immediately and top with set aside mushrooms.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
You can use any mushrooms you have. A mixture of mushrooms would even work.
I don't recommend an immersion blender for this soup. You want it completely smooth and a blender will do this best.