Creamy Cozy Mushroom Soup
So what is the secret to perfect creamy mushroom soup? Browning the mushrooms first. In my opinion it’s the only way to make mushroom soup. It’s key to building up that golden brown, rich depth flavor. It also gives the soup a warmer more appealing color as well, rather than being a unappetizing dull grey. We eat with our eyes first after all. While yes it does take 30 minutes of sautéing and makes the process go slower it’s easily worth the effort. Trust me the patience pays of in the end result as it becomes a golden soup with perfectly tender mushrooms. The other ingredients that highlight it are dry white wine to build up flavor, and a parmesan rind for a hint of cheesy goodness (never toss those things, they are great simmered in soups and sauces). It is the best mushroom soup I’ve had and I’m hoping you agree! Serve it with artisan bread for dipping and a simple side salad to complete the meal.
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Mushroom Soup Recipe Ingredients
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1-Tbsp pieces, divided 2 lbs baby bella mushrooms, sliced (aka cremini) Salt and black pepper 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth 1 parmesan rind (about 3 to 4 inches long) 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch well blended with 2 Tbsp water (optional, for more thickening) 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Recommended Toppings
You can serve as is sans toppings but here are a few flavor upgrades that also give it a visual boost as well:
Sauteed mushrooms Fresh herbs such as parsley or a little thyme Grated parmesan Cooked bacon Croutons
How to Make Mushroom Soup
Here is a summarized version of the steps (scroll below for full recipe in recipe box):
Possible Variations and Substitutes
Make it vegan: Use vegetable broth for the chicken broth, omit the parmesan/rind, replace butter with olive oil, replace heavy cream with canned coconut cream. Dried herbs: Fresh thyme can be replaced with 1/2 to 1 tsp dried thyme to taste. Gluten free option: Omit the flour. Increase cornstarch by an extra 1 Tbsp. Ensure other ingredients are gluten free friendly. Omit wine: If you don’t keep wine on hand just increase the chicken broth by an extra 2/3 cup. Cream substitute: Half and half may be substituted for heavy cream. Use 1 cup. Alternate wine: You can also make this dry vermouth wine. Mushrooms: You can also make this with button mushrooms or by using a blend of various mushrooms (such as adding some porcini or shitake for deeper flavor). Pureed soup: If you’d like a smooth, pureed mushroom soup just reduce the flour to 2 Tbsp, omit the cornstarch. Puree soup with an immersion blender in pot off heat after cooking.
Storage
Soup should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Serve within 3 days. Or this mushroom soup can be frozen up to 3 months.
More Comforting Soups to Try
Bean and Bacon Soup Beef Stew Chicken Noodle Soup French Onion Soup Vegetable Soup
