Cream of Mushroom Soup

Homemade cream of mushroom soup with its rich, earthy flavor is one of my favorite comfort foods. This creamy soup, loaded with fresh mushrooms, is perfect for a cold night or just when you want to indulge in a bowl of creamy mushroom soup.

You don’t have to be a mushroom lover to enjoy this soup. Your friends and family will love this soup, It’s packed with flavor, and it couldn’t be easier to make.

But there is a secret to making my cream of mushroom soup recipe. The mushrooms need to cook for 10-12 minutes in order to develop the flavor that makes this soup so incredibly flavorful. It’s the difference between a mediocre soup and a mushroom soup with a rich depth of flavor.

If you love delicious creamy soups, you’ll love my cream of potato soup.

Ingredients to make Cream of Mushroom Soup

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cream of Mushroom Soup. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

If you want to keep the soup vegetarian, use vegetable stock in place of the chicken and beef stocks. To make vegan cream of mushroom soup, use coconut milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk, along with non-dairy butter or olive oil to saute the vegetables.

What kind of mushrooms should I use?

I used baby bella mushrooms because they create a darker, richer color. But you can use button mushrooms, wild mushrooms, or a combination you like to make your soup. I like to use organic mushrooms when possible, but they’re not always available at my grocery store.

How to make Cream of Mushroom Soup

• Melt half the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the sliced mushrooms.
• Let the mushrooms cook over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, then reduce the temperature to medium heat and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms have a rich, deep color.

*I like to use butter to cook the mushrooms, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.

• Divide the mushrooms into two bowls adding any liquid into one of the bowls.
• Using a hand blender or food processor, puree the mushrooms with the liquid until they are almost a paste.

*If needed, add a little cream or chicken broth to the mushroom mixture to help with the process.

• Melt the rest of the butter in the saucepan over medium-high heat and add the celery and onions to the pan.
• Cook the veggies for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add the all-purpose flour to the pot and mix well. This is the roux that will thicken the soup.
• Reduce the temperature to low heat and let the roux cook for 3-4 minutes to get the raw flavor out of the flour.
• Add the chicken stock, beef stock, and white wine to the roux mixture and use a whisk to blend the liquid into the roux. The mixture will thicken.
• Add the mushrooms, heavy cream, black pepper, and thyme to the mixture and mix well to fully combine.

*I used white wine in my soup, but you can use red wine for a deeper flavor. The only downside to using red wine is it will change the color of the soup, making it a little purple.

Continue to simmer the soup for 25-30 minutes to let the flavors build.

*If the soup is too thick, use additional broth or water to get the consistency of the cream of mushroom soup, how you like it.

I can promise you that once you taste my homemade mushroom soup, you’ll never go back to the canned variety. It’s really that good.

Serve this delicious soup with crusty bread and a side salad for a perfect light dinner.

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