Cream of Mushroom Soup from Scratch
In short: Golden browned mushrooms, onion and thyme blended into a velvety soup with a little cream. Far better than the canned kind. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Cream of mushroom soup shows up at family tables across North America and Europe, and the homemade version is a different thing from the canned one. The key is browning the mushrooms in batches until golden so they taste deeply savory, then building a quick roux with onion, thyme and stock. Part of the soup is blended for body, part left chunky. A little cream and a drop of lemon juice finish it.
Instructions
- Heat the oil and 1 teaspoon of the butter in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring only now and then, until golden brown. Move them to a plate and repeat with the rest.
- Set aside a small handful of the browned mushrooms for the topping. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining butter and the onion, and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the sherry, if using, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Gradually whisk in the stock, then the milk, until smooth. Return the rest of the mushrooms to the pot, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Blend with an immersion blender in short bursts until the soup is mostly smooth with a few small pieces left.
- Stir in the cream, soy sauce, salt, pepper and lemon juice and warm through over low heat without boiling. Serve topped with the reserved mushrooms and parsley.
Tips
- Brown the mushrooms in batches. A crowded pan makes them steam and turn gray, and the soup ends up bland.
- For a dairy-free version, use olive oil instead of butter and unsweetened oat milk instead of the milk and cream. For gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari and thicken with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water instead of the flour.
Questions and answers
Can I use dried mushrooms in cream of mushroom soup?
Yes. Soak 15 g (1/2 oz) dried porcini in 250 ml (1 cup) hot water for 20 minutes, chop them, and use the strained soaking liquid in place of some of the stock for a deeper flavor.
How do I thicken cream of mushroom soup?
The flour and the blending do most of the work. If the soup is still thin, simmer it uncovered for 5 more minutes or blend in a few more of the cooked mushrooms.
Can I freeze cream of mushroom soup?
Refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Soups with cream can separate in the freezer, so freeze the soup before adding the cream and stir the cream in when you reheat it.
How long does it take to make Cream of Mushroom Soup from Scratch?
About 50 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Cream of Mushroom Soup from Scratch?
About 285 kcal per serving, with 8 g of protein, 14 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 760 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
