Full of deep earthy flavor, this cream of mushroom soup is a comforting dish for any occasion. You can serve this creamy mushroom soup as a starter, side dish, or main course. Each spoonful you take is full of tender bites of mushroom, making it a cozy and flavorful soup.
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this soup. While not as quick as opening a can, this mushroom soup comes together very easily and tastes much more delicious. You can really taste the rich and savory mushroom flavors shine through when making this soup from scratch. Everyone will be reaching for seconds. If you want another homemade soup recipe, then try my potato leek soup recipe, split pea soup recipe, or corn chowder recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Mushrooms — you can make this soup with any mushrooms, such as cremini or button mushrooms. You can also use a blend of various mushrooms and you can read all about different varieties of mushrooms if you want to change up what mushrooms you use. Mushrooms can also be bought pre-sliced to save yourself some time and effort.
Thyme — fresh thyme adds an earthy flavor to the base of the mushroom soup.
Flour — adding flour to the mushrooms will thicken the soup. If you’d like to make the soup gluten-free, then you should use gluten-free flour.
Broth — use homemade or store-bought chicken broth.
Heavy cream — finishing off the soup with heavy cream will create a creamy consistency and thicken the soup.
How to Make Cream of Mushroom Soup
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
3. Slowly stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Serve immediately. Garnish the creamy mushroom soup with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- The mushroom mixture will get very thick after you add the flour. Don’t panic! It will loosen up when you add the broth. Gradually stirring in the broth will break up the mushroom mixture and allow the flour into incorporated into the broth. If you add it all at once, the soup may be lumpy.
- This recipe yields a soup with a nice velvety texture thats not too thick. If you want a smoother soup, you can puree it or puree part of the mixture before adding the cream.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can use one-third of the amount of dried thyme in place of fresh thyme.
- Don’t rush the cooking process of the mushrooms. Take your time to cook the mushrooms until golden brown and caramelized as doing so will add body, flavor, and richness to your soup.
- I love serving this creamy mushroom soup along with a delicious bread recipe like my dinner roll recipe, French baguette, or homemade garlic bread to make it even more hearty and filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this soup vegan with a few simple swaps. Use vegetable broth for the chicken broth, replace butter with olive oil, and use coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
You can use any of your favorite mushrooms, such as cremini mushrooms, button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, or even wild mushrooms. You can even rehydrate dried mushrooms! The type of mushrooms you use will affect how strong of a mushroom taste you get in your soup. Using a mixture of different varieties of mushrooms instead of a single variety will make for a more complex-tasting soup.
Once the soup is at room temperature, transfer the creamy mushroom soup to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend freezing the finished soup, as the cream can break when thawed. If you want to make a freezer stash, cook according to the recipe, leave out the cream, and freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When reheated, stir in the cream just before serving.
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter (57g)
- 1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms 450g
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (45g)
- 4 cups chicken broth (960mL)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream (240mL)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if desired. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- The mushroom mixture will get very thick after you add the flour. Don’t panic! It will loosen up when you add the broth. Gradually stirring in the broth will break up the mushroom mixture and allow the flour into incorporated into the broth. If you add it all at once, the soup may be lumpy.
- This recipe yields a soup with a nice velvety texture but not too thick. If you want a smoother soup, you can puree it or puree part of the mixture before adding the cream.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can use one-third of the amount of dried thyme in place of fresh thyme.
- Don’t rush the cooking process of the mushrooms. Taking your time to cook the mushrooms until golden brown and caramelized, as doing so will add body, flavor, and richness to your soup.
- I love serving this soup with my dinner rolls, French bread, or garlic bread to make it even more hearty and filling.