I’m all about the creamy soups during the cold winter months, and this incredibly creamy Mushroom Soup is one of the best. This mushroom soup recipe is so easy to make and is as cozy as it gets. You’ll want to serve this soup with some crusty bread or crackers to soak up every drop of that savory creamy broth because it is just to die for. And the best part? Because this mushroom soup is so simple and uncomplicated, it’s also very inexpensive, even when the cost of mushrooms is on the higher side!
Ingredients for Mushroom Soup
I love this Creamy Mushroom Soup for its simplicity. It’s just sautéed mushrooms, a creamy broth, and a few simple seasonings. Here’s what you’ll need to make this mushroom soup:
- Mushrooms: I highly suggest using baby bella mushrooms for this soup because they have a nice deep color and rich flavor. White button mushrooms will not add as much color or flavor to the soup. You could also chop up some larger portobello mushroom caps to use in place of the Baby Bellas.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to sauté the mushrooms so they get a nice deep brown color, which adds both flavor and color to the soup.
- Garlic: Garlic adds depth to the flavor and Pairs just perfectly with the flavor of the mushrooms.
- Butter: Butter adds richness to the soup and combines with the flour to create a roux, which thickens the broth.
- Flour: All-purpose flour combines with the butter to create a roux, which thickens the broth. Without the flour, the broth will be very thin.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth is the base for this soup and it provides complexity to the flavor, as well as a nice brown color. You can use mushroom broth instead if you have it.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds a deliciously rich and creamy flavor to the soup.
- Seasonings: This mushroom soup is seasoned simply with salt, pepper, thyme, and soy sauce. The soy sauce adds a wonderfully earthy umami flavor that enhances the mushrooms.
What Else Can I Add?
If you want to put your own spin on this mushroom soup recipe, here are a few other ingredients you can add:
- Paprika: Add sweet paprika to make it closer to a Hungarian Mushroom Soup.
- Onion: If you want even more savory vegetable flavor, sauté a finely diced onion with the mushrooms.
- Sour Cream: To make the soup even richer and to add a slight tang, stir a few dollops of sour cream into the broth at the end.
- Homemade Croutons: Top your soup with homemade croutons for a delicious garlicky crunch!
Make it Vegan
It’s very easy to convert this recipe to a vegan mushroom soup. Simply use coconut oil in place of the butter to make the roux, and then use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. Coconut milk tastes really good in savory recipes like this and actually pairs very well with mushrooms! Check out our Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen for another example of these flavors together.
What to Serve with mushroom Soup
The broth in this soup is extremely rich and creamy and you’re going to want to sop up every drop, so I highly suggest serving it with some crusty bread like our No-Knead Bread, Focaccia Rolls, or Soda Bread. Or, if you don’t want to make homemade bread, at least make sure you have some crackers on hand!
I’d also suggest adding some vegetables on the side to lighten things up, and I’d go for a wintery roasted vegetable like Roasted Brussels Sprouts or our Roasted Cauliflower Salad.
How to Make Mushroom Soup Taste Better
Using really good, full-flavored broth is key to making mushroom soup taste its best. We suggest using Better Than Bouillon to make the broth used in this soup because it has tons of flavor, is budget-friendly, and reduces waste compared to boxed and canned broths. We used their vegetable-flavored bouillon, but you could certainly use their mushroom flavor if you have it.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Servings 4 (1 cup each)Ingredients
- 1 lb. baby bella mushrooms ($4.59)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 pinch salt & pepper ($0.05)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.47)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.04)
- 3 cups vegetable broth ($0.51)
- 1 tsp soy sauce ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.75)
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris. Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic.
- Add the olive oil, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a soup pot. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they have released all of their moisture, all the liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the pot, and the mushrooms become very dark brown. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for one minute more.
- Add the butter and flour to the pot. Stir and cook for about two minutes more, or until the butter coats the bottom of the pot and turns deep golden brown.
- Once the flour mixture is a bit browned, add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and thyme. Stir to dissolve all of the flour from the bottom of the pot. Allow the liquid to come up to a simmer, at which point the flour will slightly thicken the broth.
- Finally, stir the cream into the soup. Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Creamy Mushroom Soup – Step by Step Photos
Begin by rinsing and slicing one pound of baby Bella mushrooms.
Add the mushrooms to a soup pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they release all of their water, the water evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown. Add three cloves of minced garlic and sauté for about one minute more.
Add 3 Tbsp of salted butter and 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour to the pot. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat, allowing the butter to melt and create a paste with the flour that coats the mushrooms.
The butter and flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pot. When it becomes medium brown, it’s time to add the liquid to the pot.
Add three cups of vegetable broth, ⅛ tsp thyme, and 1 tsp soy sauce to the soup pot and stir to dissolve all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Allow the broth to come up to a boil, at which point it will thicken slightly from the flour and butter roux.
Once the soup has reached a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and add ½ cup heavy cream. Allow the soup to heat through and begin to simmer gently.
Taste the soup and adjust the salt or other seasonings if desired. The soup may need additional salt depending on the salt content of the broth used. We used Better Than Bouillon, which tends to be on the salty side, so we did not need any additional salt.
Serve the creamy mushroom soup with your favorite crusty bread and enjoy!
OMG nicest mushroom soup I’ve made in a long time. Even tho I didn’t have any veg stock I used chicken instead was fab, have to do as a reduce salt no soy sauce butting was still fabulous thank you new lease of life with mushroom soup. Will defo be doing it again. Thank youn
This is about the 10th time I’ve made this wonderful soup. It’s easy to prepare especially with Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base and really doesn’t use a lot of dishes to be washed. I add a little extra garlic to it, but that’s about it! Thanks for this great recipe.
I actually tried it with white mushrooms and it was amazing!
Awesome! I’m so glad it still worked out well!
Would it work with white mushrooms?
It wouldn’t work as well, unfortunately. You’ll have less color and flavor.
This is one of my favorite things to make. I don’t change anything. It’s so easy and so delicious. It’s great for company, as an appetizer.
Only changes: added Beef Better than Bouillon -about 2 tsp., and about 1/4 cup Marsala wine. Simmered low and slow until thick and glossy. VERY YUMMY.
Okay, so if you really want a depth of flavor, rehydrate some gourmet blend dried mushrooms like oyster, chanterelle, shiitake, morel, lobster, porcini in warm water and then add as part of the mushrooms and use the broth in place of some of the water. So yummy!!!!
Delicious!
this is delicious!!!! perfect amount of flavor and not too thick, just creamy enough. almost didn’t make it,
but so glad i did…will absolutely make again because also super easy! thank you!
what fresh spice did you add at the end?
That’s just a little fresh parsley for visual effect, not added for flavor. :)
This was an exceptional recipe, literally the best mushroom soup I’ve had. I used 1.5lbs of Baby Bellas, 4 cloves of garlic, beef broth and fresh thyme that I had leftover from Christmas dinner. Absolutely perfect paired with the Budget Bytes no-knead bread recipe (which I followed to a tee and also turned out beautifully).
Very yummy! Thanks!
Does anyone know: would this recipe work substituting flour for cornstarch for those of us requiring gluten free?
The main issue with replacing the flour with cornstarch is the texture and appearance differences. Flour creates an opaque creamy finish to sauces, whereas cornstarch creates a clear glossy finish (it’s used more for glazes and things). So the soup would definitely have a different apeparance.
I did cup-,for-cup gluten free flour and Tamari instead of soy sauce. I used added all the veg broth as called for and then added the water in 1/2 c. batches until it was the right consistency. Took about 1 1/2 c. Water instead of 2. I’ve found GF usually takes a little less liquid.
I made this tonight and followed every step and it was neither tasty or creamy. I’m trying now to figure out how to salvage this :(
Thank you for this wonderful soup recipe! It has become a new favorite! It is quick and easy to make. This is one of those times that I’m okay with my kids not trying or liking a recipe – more for the me!! I have made this a couple of times in the past 2 weeks. I used beef broth ( per another reviewer ), gluten free flour, and garlic coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. I also experimented with adding some freeze dried vegetables to individual servings. I tried carrots, spinach, and green beans. I thought the carrots tasted the best. The 2nd time I added the carrots to the whole pot and my husband put the soup over rice which led to adding the leftover rice to the soup! Great for breakfast the next day! I will be making this often. Thank you!