From-Scratch Cream of Mushroom Soup
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With chunks of fresh mushrooms and sautéed leeks, this homemade cream of mushroom soup combines broth, heavy cream, and canned cannellini beans for a perfect, creamy consistency. My trick for a rich but ethereal bowl of cream of mushroom soup is to make it without flour and to use optional dried mushroom powder for a deeper flavor.
This wonderful from-scratch soup makes a perfect light dinner or supper in about 35 minutes along with a glass of red wine and toasted garlic bread on the side.
How about this creamy, dreamy mushroom soup? I’m pretty sure I’ve got your ‘shroom fantasies covered with this recipe.
This rich-tasting cream of mushroom soup has a luscious texture, chock-full of chunky mushrooms and the intense, earthy taste of pure mushroom.
I encourage you to ditch the can of mushroom soup and try this homemade, completely flourless version!
It’s true, there’s something about cream of mushroom soup. The words alone conjure up memories of hearty dinner soups and stews from childhood. Funny, because my mom rarely served it straight up but used good old Campbell’s soup for things like tuna casserole and we loved it!
Homemade cream of mushroom soup
Sometimes all I want for dinner is something comforting and satisfying (like creamy potato soup). But it needs to be full of good stuff that doesn’t make me want to go straight to sleep.
Game-changing ingredients
Want to know the secrets to the intense earthy flavor of this mushroom soup?
- Mushrooms: Starting with a mix of leek, onion, and ordinary mushrooms to make the base of the soup, I used a blend of white button, cremini (also called baby bellas) and oyster mushrooms from the grocery store. You can use a mix of your favorite mushrooms, or keep it simple and use all white or all cremini mushrooms.
- Ground dried porcini mushrooms enhance the natural flavor of the fresh mushrooms in the soup. If you have a small spice grinder or blender, whizz up a small amount of these magic mushrooms until they form a powder.
It’s a fact that dried mushrooms are naturally jam-packed with mouthwatering umami. They’re also what makes my mushroom Bolognese pasta sauce taste so damn good!
- Parmesan rind is the other flavor enhancer in this recipe. Yep, that hard rind adds a savory depth of flavor to all kinds of soups and stews, from pasta fagioli to classic Italian minestrone. You just need a small piece. As the soup simmers, the rind softens and releases flavor into the broth.
- Cannellini beans are the secret to the texture of this soup. Whether you want to avoid extra carbs or are sensitive to flour or cornstarch thickeners, these creamy beans are a brilliant (and wholesome) replacement. Cannellini have a neutral flavor and give the soup a beautiful texture when pureed with your choice of liquid — I recommend homemade vegetable broth. If you enjoy a mixture of creamy base and chunky mushrooms, puree half the soup and stir it back into the pot.
Tips:
- To save time on clean up, a handheld blender is a great tool to use, and you can puree to your preferred consistency. You can blend the whole pot of soup into a smooth soup, if you prefer that.
- Cream of mushroom soup with heavy cream: Finish the soup with a small amount of cream (about 1/3 cup) for extra lusciousness. You can also omit the dairy and it will be just as good!
Cream of mushroom soup without flour
Because the beans thicken and emulsify the broth, there’s no need to use flour in the recipe. It’s gluten-free, although most homemade creamy mushroom soups (and some store-bought prepared ones) may not be.
Freezing mushroom soup
This soup is easy to freeze. Just cool it completely, then pack into airtight freezer containers. Store up to 2 months in the freezer.
From-Scratch Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, white and light green section halved lengthwise and sliced
- ½ cup (80 g) finely chopped onion
- 1 ¾ pounds mushrooms, sliced. I used a mixture of white buttons, cremini and oyster, but you can use one of any variety
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) finely chopped garlic, about 2 cloves
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) chopped fresh thyme
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) cannellini beans, drained
- ¼ cup (9 g) dried mushrooms such as porcini, shiitake or a mixture, ground to a powder in a spice grinder (OPTIONAL) see notes
- 1 2-inch Parmesan rind, OPTIONAL (see notes)
- 4 cups (1 l) chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the leek and onion. Cook about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the mushrooms and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms soften and release their water. This should take 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook a few seconds until fragrant. Add the cannellini beans, dried mushroom powder and Parmesan rind, if using, and pour in the stock
- Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat so it doesn’t boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- If you used a Parmesan rind, fish it out of the pot and discard. Scoop out 1/2 of the soup and puree in a blender until very smooth. You can use an immersion blender if you have one and puree right in the pot, leaving some chunky pieces of mushroom.
- Stir in the cream and parsley. Serve warm in bowls.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- This soup is still wonderful without the dried mushroom powder and Parmesan rind, so don’t skip making this soup if you don’t have one or the other!
- You can find packages of dried mushrooms in the produce or spice section of your grocery store. The cheese counter of stores like Whole Foods will often have Parmesan rinds you can buy. Or save the rind from a hunk of Parm from your fridge.
- Puree all the soup in batches, if you prefer it completely smooth or use a handheld blender to blend right in the pot.
- To freeze: Cool it completely, then pack into airtight freezer containers. Store up to 2 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Looks really super good. Thank you for the recipe.
I love mushrooms, never made soup with them before. This recipe was so easy to do, it has a great favour. I will definitely doing it again and again.