France · Soups · Gluten-free

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Name: Cream of Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 26 min
Cook time: 59 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500 g fresh mushrooms; 20 g dried mushrooms; 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 4 tbsp butter; 1 liter chicken or vegetable broth; 1 medium potato; 1 cup cream; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cream of mushroom soup is a classic French dish with a delicate flavor and velvety consistency. The combination of fresh and dried mushrooms gives the soup a rich flavor.

85 min 225 kcal 4 serves Advanced🌾Gluten-free🇫🇷France★★★★★4.8· 6 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

500 gfresh mushrooms
20 gdried mushrooms
1 onion
2 clovesgarlic
4 tbspbutter
1 literchicken or vegetable broth
1 mediumpotato
1 cupcream
2 sprigsfresh thyme
to tastesalt and freshly ground black pepper

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“The cream of mushroom soup you grew up with from a can has almost nothing in common with the real thing. The secret that most home cooks skip is browning: mushrooms need to be cooked in a hot pan in batches without crowding, until they're deeply golden. If you pile them in, they steam instead of sear, and you lose that concentrated, almost meaty flavor. Use a mix of mushrooms — cremini for earthiness, shiitake for depth, a handful of dried porcini soaked and chopped for intensity. The soaking liquid from the porcini is liquid gold; strain it through a coffee filter and add every drop to the pot.”

Cook the mushrooms in two or three batches in a very hot pan with a thin film of oil — resist the urge to stir for the first 2 minutes so they develop a proper sear. Finish with a splash of dry sherry instead of white wine for a more complex, nutty flavor.

Method

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain, squeeze and chop finely.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the fresh and dried mushrooms and thyme. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring.
Pour in the broth and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Purée the soup with a blender until smooth. Return to the pot, add the cream and stir. Heat through but do not bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs, croutons or a splash of olive oil.

FAQ

The main cause of wateriness is that the mushrooms weren't sautéed long enough to drive off their liquid. Always fry mushrooms in batches over high heat without a lid until all the moisture evaporates and a golden crust forms — this takes 8–12 minutes. Then add flour and cook another 2 minutes: it binds the starch. If the soup is already cooked and thin, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes to reduce it, or stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream and blend again.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
Season this cream of mushroom soup in stages, not all at once. I add salt three times: when the fresh mushrooms goes in, halfway through cooking, and a final adjustment right before serving. Each addition builds on the last.