Creamy Mushroom Soup: The Ultimate Comfort

What Makes This Mushroom Soup Creamy

This creamy mushroom soup gets its body from three things: mushrooms browned hard enough to taste savory, a small butter-and-flour roux, and half a cup of heavy cream stirred in at the end. There is no canned soup base. From chopping to ladling it takes about 45 minutes, and it serves four as a light main or six as a starter.

The one step that decides how good the soup tastes is the browning. Pale, steamed mushrooms give a thin, flat soup; deeply golden ones give it the earthy depth people expect from the best mushroom soup. The notes below explain how to get there and what to do if the texture goes wrong.

Ingredients

Exact amounts are in the recipe card above. What each ingredient does:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil: the oil lets you sear the mushrooms at higher heat without the butter scorching. Half the butter goes in with the mushrooms, half with the onion.
• 1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms: cremini (baby bella) carry most of the flavor, white button mushrooms add bulk, and a handful of shiitake or oyster mushrooms gives a deeper, meatier taste.
• 1 medium yellow onion and 2 cloves garlic: the aromatic base. Dice the onion finely so it melts into the soup.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. It lifts the browned bits off the pot and adds a little acidity. Vegetable broth works in its place.
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth: low-sodium lets you control the salt, which matters because the soup reduces as it simmers.
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried): the classic herb for mushrooms.
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour: cooked into the vegetables to form the roux that thickens the broth.
• 1/2 cup heavy cream: added last, over low heat, for the velvety finish.
• Salt, black pepper and garnishes: parsley or chives, a swirl of cream or grated Parmesan are all optional.

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Soup

Prep takes about 15 minutes and cooking about 30. Having the onion, garlic and liquids measured before you start keeps the browning step from being rushed.

1. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Wipe them with a damp paper towel or brush rather than soaking them, since waterlogged mushrooms take much longer to brown. Slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
2. Brown the mushrooms. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring only occasionally, for 7–10 minutes: they will first release liquid, then the liquid evaporates and they turn golden. Work in two batches if they don’t fit in a single layer. Set aside about a quarter to a third of the browned mushrooms for garnish.
3. Soften the aromatics. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the onion, and cook 5–7 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and thyme for about a minute, until fragrant.
4. Deglaze. Pour in the wine (or broth) and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Simmer 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
6. Add the broth and simmer. Whisk in the broth a little at a time so the flour doesn’t clump. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10–15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
7. Blend, or don’t. For a silky soup, blend all of it with an immersion blender; for a chunky one, blend half or skip this step. If you use a countertop blender, fill it no more than halfway, remove the center cap, cover the opening with a towel, and start on low so the steam can escape.
8. Finish with cream. Turn the heat to low, stir in the heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Warm it through without letting it boil.
9. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved mushrooms, herbs, a little cream or Parmesan.

Why Mushroom Soup Turns Out Thin, Bland or Grainy

• Grey mushrooms and a flat taste: the pan was crowded or the heat too low, so the mushrooms steamed. Brown in batches in a single layer and wait until the released liquid has cooked off before stirring much. A dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce can rescue a soup that is already made.
• Too thin: before adding the cream, simmer uncovered a few minutes longer. If it is still thin, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the simmering soup for 1–2 minutes.
• Too thick: it will have reduced too far. Stir in warm broth or milk a splash at a time.
• Curdled or grainy cream: the soup boiled after the cream went in. Keep the heat low at the end, and take very cold cream out of the fridge a few minutes early.
• Too salty: regular broth reduces into a salty soup. Use low-sodium broth and add salt only at the end. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens a soup that tastes dull but is already salted enough.

Lighter, Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Swaps

• Half cream, half milk: replacing half the cream with whole or 2% milk keeps the soup creamy but noticeably lighter and a little thinner; simmer a few extra minutes before adding it.
• Dairy-free: use olive oil instead of butter and full-fat canned coconut milk or an unsweetened plant-based cooking cream instead of heavy cream. Expect a faint coconut note with coconut milk; choose a mild brand.
• Gluten-free: skip the flour and thicken at the end with the cornstarch slurry above. The soup will be glossier and slightly less rich-tasting than with a roux.
• Vegetarian: use vegetable broth; everything else in the recipe is already meat-free.
• No wine: use the same amount of broth, then add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice or cider vinegar at the end for the missing acidity.

What to Serve With Mushroom Soup

Crusty sourdough or a baguette is the simplest partner for dipping. For a full lunch, pair a bowl with an easy grilled cheese sandwich, or with a green salad in a sharp homemade balsamic vinaigrette to cut the richness. Served in small cups with chives, it also works as a dinner-party starter.

If you like blended soups, the same roux-and-cream method is used in this creamy broccoli cheese soup.

Storing, Freezing and Reheating

• Fridge: refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking in an airtight container and eat within 3–4 days. The flavor is often better on day two.
• Reheating: warm it on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring, until it is steaming hot throughout (165°F), and thin it with broth or milk if it has thickened. See the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart for leftovers.
• Freezing: cream-based soups can separate when thawed. For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the cream, for up to 2–3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and stir the cream in while reheating. If it was frozen with cream, whisk well as it warms to bring it back together.
• Make ahead: the recipe doubles easily. Cook the soup through the simmering step a day ahead, then reheat and finish with cream just before serving.

FAQ

What kind of mushrooms are best for this recipe?

A mix gives the most flavor. Cremini taste earthier than white button mushrooms, and a few shiitake or oyster mushrooms add depth. A small amount of rehydrated dried porcini, with a spoonful of its strained soaking liquid added to the broth, makes the soup noticeably more savory.

Do I have to blend it?

No. Unblended, it is a brothy soup with sliced mushrooms in a lightly thickened, creamy base. Blending half gives a thicker body with some texture left, and blending all of it gives a smooth, velvety soup.

Keep the reserved browned mushrooms for the top either way; they add the texture a fully blended soup lacks.

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