This easy homemade cream of mushroom soup is creamy without a lot of cream! It’s made with tons of mushrooms and that’s about it. So quick and easy, you’ll never buy the canned version again.
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Cream of mushroom soup has been my favorite for as long as I can remember. Of course growing up it was Campbells and it came in a tin.
But even as an 8 year old I took great pride in heating my own soup and discovered for myself how much better it was to add milk instead of water and the importance of adding the milk slowly while stirring so it didn’t boil . not form lumps.
As an adult, I still love mushroom soup and like to make it from scratch with lots fresh mushrooms, shallots, garlic, chicken broth and cream. Many people add a dash of sherry or nutmeg to mushroom soup.
Video: Mushroom Cream Soup
2:20
How to make cream of mushroom soup
The best mushrooms for this soup
Our recipe calls for a few pounds of cremini or mushrooms. Both are fine, although I think cremini (young portobello mushrooms) are a little tastier.
We also recommend adding a handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms to the soup. Although they are more expensive than regular mushrooms, their flavor is much more intense, deepening the rich flavor of this soup.
Chef’s tip for the best mushroom flavor
I discovered this through a tip from a chef friend of mine just a little tarragon will help bring out the flavor of the mushrooms, so we added some dried tarragon to the soup base. However, not everyone has this herb, you can easily replace it with thyme (or add a pinch of nutmeg).
Substitutes and suggestions for cream of mushroom soup
We’ve had many great suggestions over the years from readers who have made this soup and made their own variations. Here are a few:
- Add or substitute some wild mushrooms (you can try this version too)
- Add shredded chicken for extra protein
- For a richer soup Swap chicken broth for beef broth
- For a lighter soup (or a vegetarian version)Swap chicken broth for vegetable broth
- For a dairy-free version, Swap cream for coconut milk
- For another dairy-free version, add some rice while cooking, then puree
- If the soup tastes a bit bland to youadd a dash of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- If you don’t have tarragontry thyme, oregano or rosemary
Can this be used in place of condensed cream of mushrooms?
Condensed Mushroom Cream Soup is slightly thicker than this soup. We do not recommend using it as a replacement.
Save and freeze cream of mushroom soup
This soup keeps refrigerated for up to five days and can be gently reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If you plan to freeze this soup, don’t add the cream. Wait until it’s thawed, heated, and ready to serve to stir in the cream.
love mushrooms? Try these recipes
- Vegetarian lasagna with spinach and mushrooms
- Mushroom risotto
- Salisbury steak with mushroom sauce
- Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup
- Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce
mushroomcreamsoup
If you plan to go ahead and freeze, don’t add the cream. Wait until it’s thawed, heated, and ready to serve to stir in the cream.
ingredients
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4 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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4 tablespoon butter
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2 pounds (900G) Cremini (or button) mushrooms, cleaned, roughly chopped or sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices
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Small handful shiitake Mushroomschopped
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3/4 cup chopped shallots (6 ounces, 170G)
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3 cloves Garlic, chopped (3 teaspoons)
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
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4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
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1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
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1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
method
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Fry mushrooms:
Heat olive oil in a 5-6 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and stir to coat them with the olive oil and butter.
Cook mushrooms over medium-high heat until lightly browned and drained of most of the water, about 10 minutes.
Remove 1 cup of the cooked mushrooms from the pot and set aside (they will be added back later).
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Add shallots, garlic:
Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped shallots and garlic to the saucepan, stir and cook for about a minute.
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Add salt, tarragon, broth:
Add the salt, dried tarragon and broth to the saucepan. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from stove.
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Puree soup:
Using an immersion blender or a stand mixer, blend the soup in batches until smooth.
Then back in the pot. (If the soup is too thick for you, add a little water or more broth to thin the soup to your desired thickness.)
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Stir in cream and reserved mushrooms:
Whip the cream into the soup and add the black pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved cooked mushrooms.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 340 | calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 20g | carbohydrates |
| 10g | protein |
