Cream of Mushroom Soup

This homemade cream of mushroom soup is rich, velvety, and ready in 40 minutes. Enjoy it by the bowl with crusty bread, or use it in place of canned condensed soup in your favorite casseroles.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword cream of mushroom, cream of mushroom soup from scratch, homemade cream of mushroom soup, mushroom soup, Mushrooms

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 284.9kcal

Equipment

Large pot or Dutch oven
Small saucepan
Whisk
Immersion blender

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter divided
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 lb mushrooms white button or cremini, sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon thyme dried, or 1 tablespoon fresh leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 beef bouillon cube optional, for extra depth
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half or evaporated milk
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
fresh herbs parsley, thyme or chives, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture and start to brown. If desired, set aside a few cooked mushroom slices for garnishing the soup later.
Stir in the chicken broth, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, bouillon cube, salt, and pepper to taste, then simmer for 5 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the roux. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and light golden.
Gradually pour the heavy cream into the roux, whisking constantly to keep it smooth. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
Pour the cream mixture into the simmering soup, stirring continuously to combine.
Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until silky smooth. For a chunkier soup, scoop out about 1 cup of mushrooms before blending and stir them back in afterward.
Let the soup simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped parsley and reserved mushroom slices, if desired.

Notes

Brown the mushrooms well and don't crowd the pot. That golden color is where the flavor comes from.
Use low-sodium broth, because the bouillon cube adds salt. Taste before adding more.
To replace canned condensed soup: simmer until thick enough to coat a spoon, then use about 1 1/4 cups for each 10.5-ounce can.
Optional wine: after browning the mushrooms, add 1/4 cup Marsala, dry sherry or dry white wine and cook until almost evaporated.
Vegetarian: use vegetable broth and a vegetable or mushroom bouillon cube.
Storage: refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition