Cream of Mushroom Soup
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Quick, easy and a thousand times better than the canned stuff, this Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe includes a “secret” ingredient that bumps up the flavor by several luscious notches for the ULTIMATE flavor results!
And while you’re at it be sure to also try my popular Cream of Celery Soup, a reader favorite!
Luxuriously rich in flavor with an irresistibly creamy texture, this cream of mushroom soup will bewitch your senses as it melts in your mouth, spoonful after spoonful! Phenomenal as a stand-alone soup or as a base for any number of other cream-based soups or casseroles, this cream of mushroom soup recipe will be one you’ll keep bookmarked for years to come.
This cream of mushroom soup is quick and easy to make and the ingredients are relatively – but quality is key. Use the freshest mushrooms and the best quality broth. The depth of the rich and earthy flavor of homemade cream of mushroom soup from scratch with fresh, real ingredients just cannot be replicated in a can. And as quick and easy as it is to make there’s just no good excuse to use store-bought again.
Key Ingredients in Cream of Mushroom Soup
Making your own cream of mushroom soup is easy and quick and only requires a few ingredients.
- Mushrooms: you can use most varieties, including a nice medley of mushrooms. But whichever variety you use, be sure to include the dried porcini mushrooms because they will absolutely ROCK the flavor of your soup! Something that’s off-turning to me is putting a spoonful of cream of mushroom soup in my mouth that’s full of really large, floppy pieces of sliced mushrooms. In my opinion it really isn’t the best texture or mouthfeel experience. I recommend chopping your mushrooms into three different size groups: Slice some, coarsely chop the others, and finely chop the rest. I feel this variation in size lends itself to the best texture for your soup.
- Herbs: I used thyme but you can shake things up and use a different herb of your choice such as rosemary, tarragon or oregano.
- Dry white wine: this will add additional depth and a wonderful delicate flavor dimension. You can use red wine if you prefer but I prefer the more delicate flavor of white over the robust flavor of red for this creamy soup. Do not use wine that is designated as “cooking wine” – it tastes gross and has added fillers like salt. Use a drinking wine and it can be an inexpensive one. Sauvignon blanc, which is what I used, is a great option.
- Chicken broth: use a high quality chicken broth. This soup uses relatively few ingredients but quality is key. To make your own check out my homemade chicken broth. For vegetarians/vegans you can substitute vegetable broth.
- Heavy cream: this is added at the end for that luxurious creamy texture that makes this soup especially wonderful. If you’re looking for a lower fat version you can use half-and-half. If you want to reduce the fat even further we recommend evaporated milk over regular milk because regular milk will curdle under heat, evaporated milk will not. If you’re vegan or lactose-intolerant you can choose the milk alternative of your choice. For the creamiest results I recommend oat milk or nut milk.
What Kind of Mushrooms Should I Use?
Feel free to use the mushrooms of your choice. Substitute any variety you like or use a mushroom medley. But whatever type of mushroom you go with, for a truly exceptional cream of mushroom soup you’ll want to include our “secret” ingredient: Dried porcini mushrooms.
This soup can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Beyond the obvious of eating it as a stand-alone soup, in the U.S. in particular cream of mushroom soup has become a staple kitchen ingredient incorporated into multiple dishes ever since it was first introduced in condensed canned form in the 1930’s by the Campbell company. It became such a versatile and widely-used ingredient that it’s been coined “America’s béchamel” because of its ubiquitous use in everything from soups, sauces and meatballs to casseroles and gratins.
Savor this wonderful soup on its own as a starter, side, or serve it as a light main course with a green salad and some crusty bread. And you can substitute it in any recipe calling for canned condensed cream of mushroom soup.
What Are Porcini Mushrooms?
When it comes to flavor, they’re like mushrooms on steroids! Cultivated primarily in Europe and North America, porcini mushrooms have been prized in Italy and France for centuries where they remain the most widely-consumed wild mushroom. Porcini have an incredibly rich earthy and nutty flavor that is unparalleled and has earned it the title of “King of Mushrooms.”
For years I’ve included a tablespoon or two of ground dried porcini mushrooms to a variety of sauces, gravies and soups for a potent dose of umami to heighten the flavor of each dish. It’s a truly wonderful ingredient and you’ll love the additional depth of flavor it contributes to this cream of mushroom soup. You can find dried porcini mushrooms in some well-stocked grocery stores and you can also find them here on Amazon.
Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
Let’s get started!
Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent but not browned, 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the mushrooms, dried porcini, and thyme and cook another 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms have released their juices and are soft.
Add the wine and boil for 1 minute.
Add the flour and cook for a minute.
Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cream and parsley and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with a salad and/or some crusty bread or crackers.
Enjoy!
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Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (vegan: use vegan butter)
- 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup chopped) , finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms (Cremini, button or mushrooms of choice), cleaned and cut into 3 size groups for a more interesting texture: Some roughly chopped, some finely chopped and a few of them sliced.
- 2 tablespoons finely minced dried porcini mushrooms
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups quality chicken broth (vegan/vegetarians: use vegetable broth)
- 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream (see info in blog post above about about non-dairy alternatives)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent but not browned, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms, dried porcini, and thyme and cook another 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms have released their juices and are soft. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and cook for a minute. Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cream and parsley and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 2, 2020
Very good! Made this instead of using canned for baked pork chops and it was delicious, an upgraded flavor
Thank you, Chrissy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious. I added 1/2tsp each of smoked paprika and hot mustard powder and a healthy pinch of cayenne. I think it added some depth of complexity to the soup. Lovely and thank you for the recipe.
Fantastic, Terry, thanks so much for the feedback!
I absolutely love your celery soup recipe (which is condensed). What would I change to make this a condensed soup? I’d also like to freeze it, since I have 3 pounds of mushrooms to prepare. Thanks for any advice.
This was my first try at mushroom soup. It was beyond excellent.
That’s wonderful, George, thanks so much!
I goofed big time. There it is in black and white … SOUP. I thought you meant it to be a sauce for over semmel knodel and thus I made it for my family that way. Boy was it delicious.
Thanks Kim. You’re awesome!!!
I could have sworn I said somewhere in my blog post that this was meant to be a sauce for Semmelknödel… ;) That’s really a fabulous idea, Ron, and I’m so glad your family enjoyed it, thank you! :)
Delicious soup that hits the spot on this cold day. I made as written, but added some diced jalapeno pepper that was left over from another recipe. I like the added heat.
Fantastic, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Lovely recipie. Am vegan so shall try non dairy alternatives
reading the method of stock making
I will respond
chicken bones
celery
carrot
garlic
small onion
little olive oil
put all on a sheet pan and roast 400 around 40 min then into
stock pot cover with water
add bay leaves salt and pepper corns
bring to boil
reduce
120 min
cool
skim just some fat
now you have it
if you like pour into large muffin tins and freeze
turn out and store in a freezer bag fot individual portions
I’ve mentioned this before and I hope some of you will try it. I can buy pounds of chicken bones at a Asian market and I venture to say that the broth I make is at least one order of magnitude grater than anything you can buy. I place ll of thew bones in a pressure cooker, cover them with water, and pressure cook them for ~ 3 hours. I let the broth cool remove all of the bones, and place it in the fridge until all the fat congeals. Then I lift off all the solid fat and place the gelled semi-solid broth in 1 pound portions (“a pint’s a pound the world around”) in freezer bags. When I need chicken broth, I use one of the bags. One pound of this concentrate broth is probably equivalent to two quarts of the commercial stuff. It really is incredible and not only contains more nutrients, including soluble parts of thew bones, but costs a fraction of anything you buy….I do this with beef bones too.
I really like this kind of soup, it’s nice to eat especially when it’s creamy very delicious.
I can only imagine how much more delicious this is FRESH!!
Love how simple this is to make! Such a delicious soup!
Adding a splash of wine always takes soups to a new level! This looks insanely good!
I love how creamy and delicious this is! Such a perfect soup!
This looks so much better than the canned stuff! Yum. :)