Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Let me show you how to make elegant and savory homemade cream of mushroom soup for yourself – no need to only order it at a restaurant anymore! It’s rich and creamy and perfect for a special occasion or an ordinary old Wednesday.

The Mushroom Basics

My homemade cream of mushroom soup utilizes several kinds of mushrooms. It’s important that you use what you like and what’s available to you! Feel free to use almost any common variety here.

SHOPPING NOTE: Be sure to notice all the buying options your store has to offer because you may save a lot of money buying your mushrooms loose and unpackaged. (Remember, there are 16 oz in a pound.) For example, in my store, the regular price for cremini mushrooms is $3.49 for a 10 oz package (35¢/oz) OR $2.99 per pound, loose (19¢/oz.) That means a pound of the same mushrooms is $5.60 vs $2.99. You can buy nearly another pound of mushrooms for the $2.61 difference! There is zero advantage to the package if the loose mushrooms are lovely.

I’ve utilized some dried mushrooms as a terrific booster in this recipe. The advantage is two-fold, dried mushrooms add a very deep umami flavor plus we’re using the rehydrating liquid in our soup base for even more mushroom tastiness.

These are ordinary Button and Cremini mushrooms that I have saved from going to waste and dried myself with practically no effort at all. Check it out: How To Dry Mushrooms At Home

If you’re purchasing dried mushrooms for this soup, buy some cheaper ones. You certainly don’t need any high end dried Morels in this use.

Dried mushrooms are very light in weight for their volume; you can see here that nearly 1 cup of them is about half of an ounce.

Cooking Up Some Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Early in the day or an hour or two before cooking, pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms and just let them sit. The liquid will be very dark brown.

When it’s time to cook, just strain the mushrooms from their liquid and save both the mushrooms and liquid for later. Give the mushrooms a chop.

The cooking of the soup is pretty simple. Sauté onion in butter, add garlic and flour to make a roux. Whisk in broth, milk and the dried mushroom liquid, then just dump in the bulk of the fresh mushrooms, plus the reconstituted ones and herbs.

While the base of the soup simmers, slice up the Shittake mushrooms (or substitute what you like) for the garnish. This is a really great addition, I wouldn’t skip it.

Shiitake mushrooms have wide brown caps and very woody stems that must be removed. Just give the stems a twist to pop them off and discard them. Slice the caps thinly and sauté in a skillet in a little butter or oil and season with salt and pepper. Reserve for serving time.

Blend your soup if you like, or keep it as is. I’m in love with my Braun Immersion Blender! It makes short work out of blending soups and such. It’s the best one I’ve ever used. You can easily blend this soup in batches in a standard pitcher blender. It’s also delicious left chunky!

After blending, pour in the cream, sherry, lemon juice, and seasoning. The sherry and lemon juice simply brighten the flavor and don’t add any wine or lemony hints.

Heat through, taste it and adjust your seasoning again as needed. (Always do that, no matter what you’re making. Your tastebuds are the boss, not mine.)

Serving Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ladle into bowls and, as desired, drizzle with some cream or Crème Fraiche, top with the sautéed Shiitakes and a grind of pepper.

Delicious As:

• The first course for a holiday feast or if you’re feeling fancy
• Light supper with salad and bread
• A good impression for a cook-at-home date night. You won’t be single long!

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Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Smooth and creamy with deep mushroom flavor, this soup isn't reserved only for restaurants anymore. Dried mushrooms boost the flavor tremendously! If you choose to not use dried, boost the amount of button or cremini mushrooms to 24 oz instead of 20 oz.

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz (about 1 cup loose) dried mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 20 oz mushrooms, Button or Cremini, cleaned and sliced or chopped
• 8 oz Shiitake mushrooms (or Cremini), discard stems and slice caps thin, for garnish
• 3 cups milk, whole or 2%
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or 1/2 tsp black pepper)
• 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1/3 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• drizzle of cream or crème fraiche for garnish

Instructions

• Combine the dried mushrooms and boiling water in a small pot or bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature at least two hours. You can do this in the morning and make the soup later in the day. When ready to cook drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Chop the mushrooms to add in later.
• In soup pot, melt butter. Sauté onion in butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not let it brown. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring the whole time.
• Pour in 1 or 2 cups of the chicken broth, stirring it in well. Stir the remaining broth. Pour in the milk and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and incorporate them. Gently bring to a bare simmer, cook 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped mushrooms (but not the Shiitakes for garnish) to the pot as well as the reconstituted dried mushrooms, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Do not bring to a hard simmer or boil.
• While the soup is simmering, gently and briefly sauté the sliced Shiitake mushrooms in a little butter or oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for a serving garnish.
• If you would like a smooth soup, blend using an immersion blender directly in the pot or a standard pitcher blender (in batches.) You may leave it unblended if desired, or blend partially.
• Stir in the cream, sherry, and lemon juice. Heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• Serve by garnishing the filled bowls with a drizzle of cream and a spoonful of the Shiitake mushrooms. Ground black pepper is also great on top.