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Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is a flavorful, comforting dish that can be made creamy or broth-based with simple ingredients. Its versatility allows for various customizations, making it suitable for all dietary preferences.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 30 g 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 400 g 14 oz white mushrooms (See Note 1)
  • 200 g 7 oz Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms (See Note 1)
  • 3 1/4 cups vegetable stock homemade is a bonus – See Note 2 or chicken stock
  • 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup crème fraîche or full-fat cream See Note 3

Garnishes & Serving:

  • Croutons See Note 4
  • Drizzle of cream or extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh herbs – roughly chopped parsley thyme leaves, or chervil for a fancy touch
  • Bread – perfect for dunking

Instructions
 

  • Chop the mushrooms – Slice each mushroom into four, then dice into three or four pieces.
  • Sauté the onion and garlic – Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking for about 3 minutes until softened but not browned.
  • Cook the mushrooms – Add the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. No need to brown them, as the pot will be too crowded.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes – Pour in the vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let it simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
  • Add cream – Stir in the cream (or crème fraîche) and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
  • Blend – Transfer the soup to a blender in batches if needed. Remove the cap from the feeding hole in the blender lid (See Note 5) and cover the opening with a folded tea towel. Blend until smooth.
  • Final simmer – Return the blended soup to the pot and let it simmer for a minute or two, just until any bubbles from blending subside and the soup is heated through.
  • Serve – Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or cream, croutons, and fresh herbs like parsley or (if you're feeling fancy) chervil. Don’t forget some bread for dunking!

Notes

  1. Mushrooms – Using a mix of mushrooms balances flavor and color. Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms have a deeper, richer taste but make the soup darker, whereas white mushrooms keep the soup a paler shade. You can use all of one type if preferred— even with only white mushrooms, the soup will still have a fantastic mushroom flavor and remain lighter in color.
  2. Stock – The quality of the stock directly impacts the soup’s flavor. Making your own vegetable stock is well worth the effort, providing excellent results with minimal work and cleanup. If you're open to adding meat, chicken stock also works beautifully—homemade is always best!
  3. Crème Fraîche – A type of soured cream, crème fraîche tastes like a cross between sour cream and regular pouring cream, with a mild tang. It’s thicker than cream and can be dolloped, adding a subtle freshness to the soup due to its slight acidity. If crème fraîche is hard to find or too expensive, regular pouring cream is a perfectly good alternative—just as delicious!
  4. Croutons – Cut crustless bread into 0.75 cm (⅓-inch) cubes. Toss with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and crispy. Let cool completely on the tray before using.
  5. Blending – Allowing heat to escape while blending is crucial to avoid a hot soup explosion! If you blend hot soup with a tightly sealed lid, the pressure will cause the lid to blow off—resulting in soup everywhere. (Speaking from experience!)
  6. Storage – This soup keeps well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.