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!
I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream, and it turned out well for me.
How much did you use to substitute?
Made this tonight. I had 1 lbs of mushrooms I needed to use soon. The recipe was easy & delicious. Served with crusty bread & a green salad. I recommend it!
This was so easy and delicious! A perfect basic cream of mushroom soup recipe. I used 2/3 baby bella and 1/3 white mushrooms and added a ton of extra garlic. It took 30 min and I’m usually a very slow cook. I did end up with roux stuck to my mushrooms at the end so I’d probably try to keep it in the center of the pot until I poured the liquid in. I used Better than Bouillon chicken base and just tossed it straight into the pot along with the water. I’ll definitely be making this again.
This was so delicious! I made this for myself- my boyfriend doesn’t like mushrooms- but he loved it too!! I added half a red onion at the beginning and a dash of Worcestershire. Sooo yummy!
Nice and easy. I made this on a cold, snowy day and it turned out great! I made mine a little thicker since I’m trying to convert my boyfriend into a soup person, so I used 3/4 cup of flour. I used a little more liquid than called for though, maybe by like 1/3 cup. Next time I’ll be taking out the mushrooms before making the rue because it stuck to the mushrooms and didn’t melt very well. Still yummy though! Next time!
This soup was absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make! I really enjoyed it exactly as written! To put things over the top with flavor I ultimately added about a tablespoon of Marsala cooking wine and a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice. Oh my goodness, so delicious! Thanks for this fantastic recipe that is now part of my official rotation of favorite soups.
Fabulous! I also used 2 oz dried wild mushrooms which I soaked in hot water then added the strained liquid from them with the stock. Otherwise stuck to recipe😋
My husband loves this soup! Its perfect on a cold day! I double everything and add ditalini or a protein pasta.
Nice and easy! I replaced some of the water with white wine and let it simmer for a bit then I blitzed it and added sour cream instead of heavy cream. It is so delicious. I’m glad no one likes mushrooms in my house. This is all mine!
I made some substitutions based on what I had and like and this soup was great. I subbed white mushrooms since that is what I had, used half and half instead of cream and fresh parsley instead of thyme just because I don’t like it. A great, easy soup that will be in regular rotation. Thank you!
Perfect cozy soup! So easy and delicious.
Can this be made in a big batch and frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately. Sometimes creamy based soups tend to separate after freezing and thawing, so that might happen here. You might try making a regular sized batch and testing it by freezing just one portion, so that next time you can know if the results are palatable to you. :)
I’ve made this and frozen. It does separate and doesn’t look appetizing BUT give it a good stir and it’s delicious!!
If you plan on freezing this soup, I would substitute the cream for evaporated milk. It is a rich tasting substitution and should freeze much better without separating.
This is my first visit and I actually followed a recipe from start to finish! I have just made it from a pack of mushrooms that were a bit slimy, a pot of double cream I was given, garlic granules that I had and my favourite Swiss bouillon and I must say I am very impressed, absolutely lovely, I shall be having this for my lunch today. Probably taste better tomorrow as things do, so thank you shall be using more of your recipes now. KT (UK)
Any suggestions to make it dairy free? I’be developed lactose intolerance as an adult, and I’d love to enjoy this soup! Thanks.
You might try coconut milk (the kind in a can, not the kind in a carton meant to be a dairy milk substitute). While I haven’t tried it with this recipe, I make a mushroom ramen with coconut milk and it’s fantastic.
I used twice the recommended flour and it was great
So I’ve done this recipe a few times now & we love it. The only difference is, I make ours a bit thicker, instead of a quarter cup of flour I use a half cup for the extra thickness & it works great. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe so quick & easy to do as well.
Excellent. I used portabellas, oyster and shitake mushrooms, so a little over a pound. Also, rather than let all the mushroom “juice” evaporate, I poured it into my stock/water bowl and incorporated it back into the soup. I also did use the better than broth combined with half chicken stock and half water…
Great recipe, it was so delicious! The only thing I would suggest is taking out the mushrooms when making/mixing the rue annd once that is smoothed out put the mushrooms back in and mix with the rue. Otherwise it was great, thanks so much!