Cream of Mushroom Soup

Alright, let’s talk about making some seriously tasty mushroom soup. Forget the stuff from a can – making it yourself is way easier than you might think, and trust me, the flavor is worlds apart.

There’s just something super cozy about a warm bowl of homemade soup, right? Especially when you take simple mushrooms and turn them into something velvety and delicious.

This recipe is all about keeping it simple. We want those mushrooms to be the star of the show. A bit of garlic, a hint of thyme, and some rich cream make it extra special, but really, it’s all about the mushrooms. Think classic comfort food, but totally doable on a busy weeknight. Ready to make some soup magic? Let’s get to it!

Recipe Overview: What You Need to Know

Before we start chopping, here’s the lowdown:

• How long will this take? Not long at all! Set aside about 10 minutes to chop everything up. Then, it’s about 30 minutes of cooking time. So, yeah, you’re looking at roughly 40 minutes from start to slurping. Pretty quick!
• How much soup does it make? This recipe makes enough for 2 big bowls (like a full meal) or maybe 3-4 smaller cups if you’re serving it as a starter. Need more soup? No problem! Just double or triple everything. Check out the table below – I made it easy for you.
• Is it hard to make? Nope! Seriously, this is super easy. If you can chop an onion and stir stuff in a pot, you can totally nail this recipe. Beginner-friendly all the way.
• What gear do I need? Nothing fancy, I promise. You probably have this stuff already:
  • A regular pot or maybe a Dutch oven. One with a heavy bottom is nice because stuff doesn’t stick as easily.
  • A sharp knife.
  • A cutting board.
  • A spoon or spatula for stirring.
  • A blender. An immersion blender (the stick kind) is awesome because you blend right in the pot – less cleanup! But a regular blender works fine too. Just be careful, okay? Hot soup + blender needs a little extra attention.
• Can I make it ahead? Totally! This soup is great for making ahead. Cook it today, eat it tomorrow. The flavors actually get even better after chilling in the fridge for a bit. Like magic!

Making More Soup? Here’s How:

Ingredient	Original (2-3 Servings)	Double (4-6 Servings)
Butter	3 tbsp	6 tbsp
Onion	½ medium	1 medium
Garlic	2 cloves	4 cloves
Mushrooms	1½ cups sliced	3 cups sliced
Dry Thyme	1 tsp	2 tsp
Vegetable Stock	1 cup	2 cups
Black Pepper	To taste	To taste
Heavy Cream	1 cup	2 cups
Fresh Herbs	For garnish	For garnish
French Bread	For serving	For serving

The Good Stuff: Ingredients

The best part about this creamy mushroom soup? It uses simple stuff you can easily find. Let’s break it down:

• Butter (3 tbsp): Makes everything taste rich and helps cook the onions and mushrooms perfectly. I usually use unsalted butter so I can control the salt myself. But if you only have salted, that’s okay! Just taste before adding more salt later. Want it vegan? Use a good olive oil or a vegan butter stick.
• Onion (½ medium, diced): This gives the soup a slightly sweet, yummy base flavor. Yellow or white onions are perfect. Got shallots? They work too and are a bit milder. Chop it up fairly small.
• Garlic (2 cloves, minced): Garlic makes everything better, right? Fresh is best here. Chop it up nice and fine. Love garlic? Go ahead, throw in an extra clove. I won’t tell!
• Fresh Mushrooms (1½ cups sliced – Your Button, Shiitake, Shimeji mix sounds amazing!): These are the stars! Using different kinds like you did – button, shiitake, shimeji – is a great idea. It adds more interesting flavor. Button mushrooms are mild, shiitakes are deeper and more “mushroomy,” and shimeji have a cool texture. Cremini mushrooms (those little brown ones) are also fantastic. Quick tip: Don’t wash your mushrooms under water! They soak it up like tiny sponges, which messes with the flavor and how they brown. Just wipe them clean with a damp paper towel. Slice ’em up evenly, maybe about ¼ inch thick.
• Dry Thyme (1 tsp): Thyme and mushrooms? A match made in heaven. Dried thyme is easy and works great. If you happen to have fresh thyme, use about 1 tablespoon of just the leaves (pull them off the stem!) and add them near the end of cooking the mushrooms.
• Vegetable Stock (1 cup): This is the liquid base. A good quality store-bought one is fine. Got homemade? Even better! Chicken stock also works if you’re not keeping it vegetarian. Using low-sodium stock is smart so you control the saltiness.
• Black Pepper (to taste): Freshly cracked black pepper gives it a little warmth. Add some while cooking, and then add more at the end if you like.
• Heavy Cream (1 cup): Here’s what makes it creamy and oh-so-good. Little trick: Let the cream sit out on the counter for maybe 10-15 minutes before you add it to the hot soup. It helps stop it from doing weird things when it hits the heat. Want it lighter? You could use half-and-half or whole milk, but it won’t be quite as rich. Vegan option? Try full-fat coconut milk (use the thick stuff from the top of the can) or a cashew cream.
• For Serving (Fresh thyme & parsley, French bread): A sprinkle of fresh herbs like thyme or parsley looks pretty and adds a fresh taste. And crusty bread? Oh yeah. You need crusty bread for dipping!

Okay, enough talk! Let’s get cooking. Making this homemade mushroom soup is actually fun. Pretend I’m right there in the kitchen with you. Apron on? Let’s make this easy mushroom soup!

Let’s Get Cooking! Step-by-Step to Creamy Goodness

1. Get Those Aromas Going: Cooking the Onions

Alright, first up! Grab your pot (that heavy-bottomed one is perfect). Put it on the stove over medium heat. Add the butter (3 tbsp). Let it melt until it’s all liquid and shimmery. Maybe it’s just starting to foam a bit? Perfect. Don’t let it brown, though! Toss in your chopped onion (½ medium). Hear that sizzle? That’s step one to flavor town! Stir the onions around now and then. We want them to get soft and kinda see-through. This takes about 4-5 minutes.

They’ll start smelling sweet. Don’t rush this part by turning up the heat – slow and steady builds the best flavor. Now, add the minced garlic (2 cloves). Stir it constantly for just about a minute. Garlic burns fast, and burnt garlic tastes bitter – yuck! Cook it just until you can really smell that amazing garlic scent mixing with the onions. Can you smell that? So good!

2. Mushroom Time! Let Them Shine

Okay, turn the heat up a bit – maybe medium-high. Add your sliced mushrooms (1½ cups). That mix you have sounds awesome! Don’t crowd the pot. If you have too many mushrooms, cook them in two batches. Why? Mushrooms have lots of water. If they’re squished together, they just steam. We want them to get brown and tasty! So, give ’em space. At first, they’ll let out some water. Keep cooking and stirring occasionally.

Let them sit for a bit between stirs so they can brown nicely. After maybe 5-8 minutes, the water will cook off, and you’ll hear the sizzle change. The mushrooms will shrink and get lovely golden-brown edges. This is where the deep, earthy flavor comes from! Your kitchen should smell amazing right about now. In the last minute of cooking, stir in the dried thyme (1 tsp) and a pinch of black pepper. Stirring them in now helps wake up their flavor.

3. Building the Soup Base: Let it Simmer

Grab your vegetable stock (1 cup). Pour it into the pot. See all those brown bits stuck to the bottom? That’s flavor! Use your spoon to gently scrape them up while you pour in the stock. It’s called deglazing, and it gets all that tasty stuff mixed into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat way down low.

You just want a gentle simmer – think tiny bubbles lazily popping up. Put the lid on, but leave it cracked open a bit so steam can escape. Let it simmer like this for 10-15 minutes. This lets all the flavors hang out and get to know each other – the onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, stock… it all comes together. The soup will thicken just a little too, making it even tastier.

4. Making it Smooth: Time to Blend

Decision time! How smooth do you like your soup? Take the pot off the heat for a sec. Got an immersion blender? Awesome! Stick it right in the pot. Start on low speed and blend until it’s as smooth as you like. Want it super smooth? Keep blending! Like some chunky bits? Blend less. Easy! No immersion blender? Okay, carefully ladle the soup into your regular blender. Safety first! Let the soup cool down a bit first.

Only fill the blender about halfway (do it in batches if you need to). Take out the little center cap in the lid, and cover the hole loosely with a folded kitchen towel. Start on low speed, then slowly turn it up. The towel lets steam escape so it doesn’t build up pressure. Blend until smooth, then pour it back into the pot. Want the best of both worlds? Blend about two-thirds of the soup until it’s totally smooth. Pour that back into the pot with the chunkier bit you left behind. Stir it up. Creamy and textured!

5. The Final Touch: Making it Creamy

Almost done! Put the pot back on very low heat. Now for the magic ingredient: slowly pour in the heavy cream (1 cup), stirring gently as you add it. Remember that tip about slightly warmed cream? It helps here. Keep stirring just until the cream is mixed in and the soup is heated through. You’ll see it get lighter in color and feel instantly richer.

Super important: Once the cream is in, DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Boiling can make the cream act weird and separate. We just want to warm it gently. Okay, grab a clean spoon. Taste it. Need more salt? More pepper? Now’s the time to adjust it until you think it’s perfect. This makes it your amazing Homemade mushroom soup.

6. Serve it Up! Enjoy Your Soup

You did it! Look at that beautiful soup. Carefully ladle it into bowls. Make it look pretty! Sprinkle on some fresh thyme or parsley. The green looks great and adds a fresh taste. And please, oh please, don’t forget the crusty bread! Tear off a piece and get dipping. Serve it right away while it’s hot and comforting. Enjoy every single spoonful!

Make It Your Own: Fun Twists & Ideas

The best part of cooking at home? You get to play! Here are some ways to mix things up:

• Got Dietary Needs?
  • Vegan Style: Easy! Use olive oil or vegan butter instead of regular. Stick with veggie broth. For the cream, use full-fat coconut milk (the thick stuff!), cashew cream, or grab a vegan cream from the store. Works great!
  • Gluten-Free Friend: Good news! This recipe is already gluten-free. If you like your soup extra thick, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk that into the soup before adding the cream. Let it bubble gently for a minute to thicken up.
• Want More Flavor?
  • Add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick.
  • A grating of fresh nutmeg is really good in creamy things.
  • Got some dry sherry or white wine? Add a splash after the mushrooms cook down. Let it bubble away before adding the stock – adds a fancy flavor!
  • Feeling fancy? A tiny drizzle of truffle oil right before serving is amazing.
• Fancy Dinner or Weeknight Meal?
  • Special Occasion: Use fancy wild mushrooms! Add that splash of sherry or truffle oil. Top with some sautéed mushroom slices and maybe homemade croutons. Looks amazing!
  • Everyday Healthy-ish: You could use a bit less butter. Swap the heavy cream for milk or half-and-half – it’ll be lighter, maybe less rich, but still tasty! This could definitely be a healthy mushroom soup recipe base.
• Think Seasonally:
  • Springtime: Add some sliced leeks when you cook the onions.
  • Fall Vibes: How about adding a little puréed roasted butternut squash? Adds sweetness and makes it even thicker.

Serving, Storing, and Enjoying Later

You made delicious soup! Let’s make sure you enjoy every bit.

• Make it Look Good: We eat with our eyes first, right? Ladle into warm bowls. Swirl a little extra cream on top, or drizzle some good olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives look nice). Add something crunchy? Croutons or toasted pumpkin seeds are yummy.
• What Goes With It? Crusty bread is basically required! Sourdough, baguette, whatever you love for dipping. A simple salad with a light dressing makes it a meal. Or, go all out comfort food with a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes!
• Saving Leftovers: Let the soup cool down completely. Then pour it into an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. It’ll be good for 3-4 days. Honestly, it might taste even better the next day!
• Reheating Tips: Warm it up gently on the stove over low heat. Stir it now and then. Remember, don’t boil it if the cream is already in. You can also use the microwave – heat it in short bursts and stir in between. If it seems too thick after chilling, just whisk in a little more broth or water until it’s the way you like it.
• Can You Freeze It? Creamy soups can sometimes get a little grainy when you freeze and thaw them. It’s the cream. If you know you want to freeze some, here’s the best way: Make the soup right up until adding the cream. Freeze that blended mushroom base. When you want to eat it, thaw it in the fridge, heat it gently, and then stir in the fresh cream. Works much better! If you already froze the finished soup, thaw it, reheat it very gently, whisk it well, and maybe give it a quick buzz with an immersion blender to help the texture.

There you go! Everything you need to make, customize, and enjoy your fantastic Homemade Creamy Mushroom Soup. Hope you love it! Happy cooking!

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