Perfect Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cozy in a Bowl
A soup for mushroom lovers! The ingredients draw out the natural earthy flavor of the mushrooms, making this lighter on the cream and more focused on the savory, earthy notes of the mushrooms. Check out the tips section to make this vegan.
Just the Recipe | 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 oz Dried Porcini Mushrooms (or equivalent porcini mushroom powder)
16 oz Cremini Mushrooms
6 oz Shitake Mushrooms (Optional)
1 Medium Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 TBS Soy Sauce
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 1/2 TBS Butter
1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup White Wine or Dry Sherry (optional)
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
4 Cups (32 oz) Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock (or Chicken Stock)
From the Pantry:
3/4 tsp Morton’s Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 1/2 TBS All Purpose Flour
Steps
Prep the vegetables:
Rehydrate the mushrooms and save the liquid:
Cover the dried porcini mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water in a heatproof bowl and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, drain the mushrooms through a cheesecloth or coffee filter-lined strainer over a cup or bowl (see image below) to reserve the liquid.
Gently remove the mushrooms from the strainer, leaving any grit or sediment in the filter/cheesecloth. Rinse the mushrooms gently in cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and chop into a small dice.
Dice the yellow onion.
Mince the garlic cloves.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Slice the cremini mushrooms. If using shitakes, remove the stems and dice .
De-stem the fresh thyme and finely chop. (see tips on dried thyme)
Cook the savory vegetables and mushrooms:
Add the olive oil and butter to a cast iron braiser or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat on the stove.
When the butter has melted, add the onion, garlic, cremini and shitake mushrooms, 3/4 tsp Kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Cook, stirring on occasion, for 12-15 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and have released most of their water.
If using, add the white wine or dry sherry to de-glaze the pan and allowing the alcohol to cook off.
Add the flour and thyme to the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for a good 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste, stirring often.
Add the stock, reserved mushroom rehydrating liquid, chopped porcini mushroom, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce (if using), and bay leaves. Stir to loosen anything stuck to the pan and mix well.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered. Stir occasionally. The soup will be ready in about 30 minutes and should thicken slightly.
Finish the soup:
Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.
Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup but leave roughly half of the mushrooms whole. (Alternately, remove two cups of soup to a blender and puree, carefully. Return the pureed mix to the soup pot.)
Add the heavy cream and stir.
Serve immediately!
Kitchen Acumen Tips:
This pairs well with crusty bread, grilled cheese, and/or a bottle of sauvignon blanc.
Leftovers will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator, if it lasts that long!
You can hack the steps where you rehydrate the dried porcinis by using 1 TBS dried porcini mushroom powder. You’ll need to add an additional 1 1/2 cups of stock if you do this. You may want to research dried mushroom powders a bit before purchasing. Here are two articles to get you started:
Be very careful when transferring hot liquids to a blender or food processor to puree. Place a towel over the lid/cover (between your hand and the kitchen tool) so you don’t get splashed with any hot liquid. An immersion blender will be a fantastic add to your kitchen if you have a regular need to puree hot foods. It is one of my top five favorite kitchen tools.
Fresh or dried thyme? I’m not a huge fan of dried thyme in this recipe as it comes together very quickly unlike a roast where the dried herb will melt into the sauce over several hours in the oven. However, you can substitute dry thyme. If you do, use 2 tsp and grind with a mortar and pestle or rehydrate slightly first. I suggest that you put the herb in a separate, small heatproof bowl at the same time as you start rehydrating the porcinis and cover with a TBS or so of boiling water. They’ll soak as long as the mushrooms and soften up a bit so you don’t have dry, poky bits in the soup that don’t match the creamy texture.
Variations: I use this recipe as a base, but I always play with the flavors. The variables I mix up each time are: soy sauce, Worcestershire, white wine, sherry, and the thyme. These all offer a savory layer of umami flavor to the mushrooms. Use what you have and adjust to your preferences. For example, sometimes I only use soy sauce. Other times I’ll skip the soy and just use sherry and Worcestershire sauce. I’ve even added a little rosemary to the mix but it can be a bit strong. Have fun tweaking the flavors to suit your flavor palate! You can also play with the types of mushrooms you use though pureeing expensive varieties, like chanterelles or morels, into a soup may not make good financial sense.
To Veganize (make vegan):
Skip the Worcestershire sauce.
Use vegetable stock.
Skip the butter and substitute for more olive oil. Alternately, use all coconut oil.
Skip the cream. If desired, use almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or coconut cream.
If you go the route of coconut oil and milk, consider swapping out the bay leaves and thyme for dried coriander and cilantro. They make an absolute killer combination with mushrooms. You can even add a red chili pepper for a little kick of heat.
Gluten-free flour can be used to thicken the soup.
