Creamy Mushroom Soup (Printable)
Velvety mushroom soup with thyme and cream. Serves 4 in 40 minutes; serve warm with crusty bread.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 pound fresh mushrooms (button or cremini), sliced
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy & Liquids
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - ¾ cup heavy cream
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped)
09 - Salt, to taste
10 - Black pepper, to taste
11 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish, optional)
# Method:
01 - Melt the butter with olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
02 - Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are deeply browned and most of their released moisture has evaporated.
03 - Stir in the dried thyme, salt, and black pepper, coating the mushrooms and onions evenly with the seasonings.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
05 - For a silkier texture, use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until you reach your desired consistency. Leave it partially chunky if you prefer some texture.
06 - Stir the heavy cream into the soup and warm gently over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let it boil. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread or garlic toast on the side.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It tastes like something from a French bistro but takes barely forty minutes from chopping board to bowl.
- The texture is entirely up to you, silky smooth or chunky and rustic, and either way it reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.
02 -
- If you boil the soup after adding the cream it will break and look curdled, keep the heat low and gentle.
- Mushrooms release a surprising amount of water so do not rush the browning step or you will end up steaming them instead of getting that deep golden color.
03 -
- Salt your mushrooms only after they have browned because salting too early draws out moisture and prevents that gorgeous caramelization.
- A pinch of nutmeg stirred in with the cream sounds strange but it is the secret ingredient that makes people ask what you did differently.