Meow Recipes: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Creamy mushroom soup in a bowl. There's a spoon on the side and croutons on top of the soup.

This mushroom soup is a whole mood, a vibe, a lifestyle.

Who knew that such a simple, luxurious little creamy mushroom soup could boast big, deep, earthy flavor? It’s got a velvety broth with tiny elegant little mushroom slivers throughout to remind you who the hero of this soup is. Bring on the splashes of white wine, the homemade broth (you, yes YOU can do it! so simple!), the thinly sliced garlic and shallot, and this is now basically the scent we want in our homes forever.

Mushroom lovers, we KNOW you’re with us here. Mushroom skeptics, how are you? Did we get you with that “velvety broth”…”deep earthy flavor”…”splashes of white wine?”

Creamy mushroom soup in a bowl with croutons.

What Goes In Mushroom Soup?

So, we had a little debate in the office with smooth vs. chunky mushroom soup and, in the end, landed somewhere right in the middle. Though a lot of the team voted on a chunky soup, in testing the bigger chunks that were less consistent throughout, it was sort of…upsetting? Is that an okay word to use? (Mushroom skeptics scream,
“YEP.”). But the blended, totally smooth also left us wanting just a little more.

So we compromised with a super-thin slice on everything. After it all cooks and softens, you’re left with these little slivery buttery bits of mushroom and garlic throughout to bring a nice bit of even texture to the whole thing but nothing overly slippy, chewy or…you know, upsetting.

We also found that an old halfsies take on the mushroom choice was just right. All button wasn’t quite enough richness of flavor, full baby bella felt like a traipse along the forest floor. Though we’re not necessarily opposed to that, and you could certainly go that route if you stan earthy flavors, we loved it right in the middle. Rich, savory, complex goodness.

mushrooms (could do all one kind or a mix)
garlic and shallot
broth
white wine
heavy cream

And seriously, when tasting and testing this soup, we all thought there must be a million ingredients in this soup with how deep and rich it tastes. But there are not!

So, what we’re saying is: all hail the mighty mushroom, okay?

How Do You Make Mushroom Soup?

Yes, we really do recommend making your own broth here because A) that sounds so fancy! and B) it is secretly not and is so super simple to achieve.

All you really need to do is pop those mushroom stems off and toss them into water with some carrot, onion, a sprig of thyme or some such herb, salt, and then leave it alone to simmer for a bit. While that’s happening you can carry on with mushroom slicing, and your shallot and garlic prep, and your little brain-highfives because you totally made your own mushroom broth, you fancy champion, you.

The broth will be done by the time you’re ready for it in soup construction.

Here’s how it comes together.

Start the mushrooms and shallot in a little butter and olive oil until soft and fragrant.
Add paper-thin garlic slices and let those cook for a minute or two.
Flour and then add the white wine slowly to loosen.
Add your strained broth. Aren’t you so proud? Look at all that flavor!
Heavy cream to finish

Can you feel it? Can you smell it already in your kitchen? Just, so good.

Mushroom soup in a white bowl with croutons on the top and on the side.

This Soup Could Not Be Easier

Even with the whole making-your-own broth part, this soup is so very weeknight dinner-worthy. The ingredient list is short and very little is needed to make this earthy magic happen. The depth of flavor achieved by just letting the mushroom, shallot, and garlic swim around together for a while in a little wine, broth, and cream bath (honestly sounds nice) while things thicken up into a silky little soup base is ah-may-zing.

And sure, there’s a little slow stirring involved there to help everything come together nicely, but if anyone tries to disturb you during that time, you can just say “Shh! Stirring,” and carry on with your tiny quiet pocket for the day.

Plus, if you do get pulled away from your stirring appointment, the good news is that even though this soup is great right away, it also does well with a little time to let the flavors sit and relax. Truly it’s a win either way! (Except that you maybe lost your quiet pocket).

What To Serve This Soup With

This soup is seriously BEGGING for some crusty bread partnerships, be it a handful of crispy luxe peppery croutons on top (recipe coming soon!) or a freshly ripped piece of steamy no knead bread. You could pair it with a little green salad or roast up some fall veggies, maybe a little pile of crispy roasted mushrooms to top it (yes yum, this could be great).

We really love this one, friends. We hope you do too.

Creamy Mushroom Soup: FAQs

What mushrooms are best for mushroom soup?

Baby bella mushrooms and regular button mushrooms are really, really good in this soup. Having the combo provides a really deep, rich flavor without being overly earthy. It’s *chef’s kiss*!

Can I freeze this soup?

Unfortunately, this is one that doesn’t do so hot in the freezer.

How can I make this vegan?

Just use plant-based butter and sub coconut cream in place of the heavy cream.

How can I add protein to this soup?

Some mild or spicy Italian sausage would be delicious! Maybe even some crispy bacon crumbled on top?

How did you make the homemade broth?

Instructions for this can be found in the recipe notes.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Print Recipe

Description

All hail this Creamy Mushroom Soup! Earthy mushrooms, velvety broth, onions and shallots, plus splashes of white wine and cream to finish. This is a good soup moment!

Ingredients

Units

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
16-ish ounces mushrooms, stems removed, very thinly sliced (I used one container of baby bella and one container of white button mushrooms)
1–2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)
3 cups broth (see notes for a quick homemade broth option)
1/2–1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt + more to taste

Instructions

Heat the butter and oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots; sauté for 10 minutes until soft, fragrant, and delicious. Add the garlic; sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add the flour; stir to coat everything. It will be very thick and dry. Add the wine slowly, letting the mixture loosen up. Add the broth slowly, stirring to form a smooth-ish soup.
Add the cream and the salt, pepper, and herbs. Don’t boil it, but if you can give it a little bit of time to just hang out over very low heat (or even off heat), that is ideal – the flavors get better with just a little time to sit. Then again, if you cannot wait (I often can’t), it’s also SO delicious right here, right now, right out of the pot.

Notes

Broth: If you have two extra seconds, make your own mushroom broth! It gives such a nice delicate but rich flavor to the whole thing. Add your mushroom stems + 2 roughly chopped carrot + 1 roughly chopped onion + 1 teaspoon salt to a pot. Cover with 4 cups of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then drain and reserve the liquid and discard the solids. YUM.

Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American