Creamy Mushroom Soup

I first developed this mushroom soup recipe almost 10 years ago and after making it countless times for my family of mushroom lovers (and even converting a few who didn’t think they liked mushrooms), it’s become our favorite cold weather soup.

And let me tell you, this mushroom soup is the best. My family and I might be a little biased… but when my mom told me she loved it, I knew it must be true. She is quite picky when it comes to food, being a chef herself, so her compliment about what I create goes a long way!

Key Ingredients, Tips and Substitutions

Mushrooms – my key to a rich, earthy, and mushroom forward soup is to use several different types of mushrooms. Each type of mushrooms has a complex flavor so using more than one, enhances the taste of soup greatly. Types of mushrooms that are good to use in a soup include white button, cremini (or baby bella,) portobello, shiitake, porcini, maitake (hen of the woods, chanterelle, oyster, lion’s mane. Feel free to mix and match to fit a personal taste.

Vegetable stock – using vegetable stock will keep this soup vegetarian but you can swap out a chicken stock to add more protein to the dish or richness of flavor.

Heavy whipping cream – heavy cream is important to rich and creamy soup so using anything else with less richness, will result is soup being not as rich. If needed, substitute half and half but note that the soup will not be as creamy.

Sage – in many years of experience in the kitchens, I find that fresh sage works much better with mushrooms than dried. And, while dried as an options, the results in flavor will be quite different.

AP Flour – simple and easy way to thicken the soup. If you like your mushroom soup thicker, simple add a tablespoon or two more of flour. To make the soup gluten free, use 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour.

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Soup Step by Step

Sauté the onions and mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and onions thinly. Heat a large pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pot. Add the onions and cook until golden brown. The wonderful flavor you get from seared veggies will get infused into the soup and increase flavor! Once golden, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes or so. Try not to disturb the veggies as they sauté to give the Maillard reaction time to take place and the veggies to get that coveted browning that created the best flavor and aroma.

Mix in flour and stock. Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir well. Coating the veggies with flour will help prevent clumps. Pour in the stock while continuing to stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook the soup. Add bay leaf, minced sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and cook uncovered for about an hour. Cooking the soup uncovered will reduce some of the liquid, creating a richer, more dense flavor of the soup. Stir the mixture occasionally. You want to cook the soup over a gentle simmer, just an occasional bubbling.

Make it creamy. Take out the bay leaf (biting into a bay leaf if NOT pleasant). Stir in the heavy whipping cream and cook for a few more minutes to warm it through.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Make ahead – Mushroom soup actually tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen overnight. Let the soup cool completely, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often so the cream doesn’t separate.

Store the leftover cooled soup right in the same pot if it has a fitted lid or transfer it into a food storage container. Stored properly, it should be good for 3-4 days.

Freezing – You can freeze mushroom soup but do it without cream! After cooking, cool the soup as quickly as you can. To do that, set the pot into a large pan filled with ice and stir the soup slowly as it cools. Once cooled, transfer it into a zip-top freezer bag or into a freezer food storage container. Get as much air out as you can, seal, label, and freeze for up to 2 months.

To thaw, take the soup out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Let it slow-thaw overnight or for up to 24 hours.

To reheat, pour the soup into the pot and heat it over medium to medium-low heat. Once heated, add cream, stir and cook for a minute or two. Take off heat and serve.  

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with mushroom soup?

You can add a dollop of sour cream and/or some fresh grated parmesan cheese. Parmesan is delicious with the creamy mushroom soup! If you want some crunch, serve it with crackers or crunchy bread sticks. If you have or made some croutons, it would be amazing with the soup. Try garlic croutons too!

Of course, you can always make some cheesy dinner rolls or potato dinner rolls for the soup. And if you don’t have the patience for dinner rolls, make some fluffy buttermilk biscuits!

How to make mushroom soup gluten free?

To make this soup gluten free, you can use either all purpose gluten free flour or cornstarch. If you choose to use gluten free flour, use it simply the same way as regular flour is used in the recipe. Easy-peasy substitution. (This is the thickening method I recommend.)

To use cornstarch to thicken soup: combine a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with some cold vegetable stock and stir until smooth. The best time to add cornstarch mixture is when the soup has been cooking for an hour and almost done. Make sure to slowly stir the soup until thickened.

How to make mushrooms soup thicker?

It’s very easy to make the soup thicker if you wish and all you have to do is increase the amount of flour. This soup is pretty brothy as is so if you want it thicker, use double the amount of flour, which would be 6 tablespoons.

Why did my soup turn grainy or separate?

This usually happens when the cream is added too early or the heat is too high. Always lower the heat before adding cream, and stir gently to combine. Add cream all the way at the end of cooking process.

Can I blend the soup for a smoother texture?

Yes! For a silky finish, blend the soup with an immersion blender right before adding the cream.
For a heartier texture, blend only half the batch and mix it back in — this keeps chunks of mushroom for bite and variety.

How can I add more flavor?

Try deglazing the pan with a splash of white wine or sherry after sautéing the mushrooms, or stir in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for umami depth. A sprinkle of fresh herbs like thyme or parsley at the end brightens everything beautifully.

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Try More Mushroom Recipes

• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Mushroom Cheese Puffs
• Mushroom Risotto
• Chicken and Mushroom Rice Casserole
• Mushroom Steak Sauce

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October 2016.