Rich and Creamy Mushroom Soup is a must for mushroom lovers! This velvety soup combines earthy cremini mushrooms, celery, and onion with a creamy white wine and thyme broth that’s brimming with comforting flavor!
Some of my favorite recipes include a combination of mushrooms and cream: spaghetti with brandy mushroom cream sauce, creamy garlic mushroom pasta, creamy mushroom pasta bake, and now this creamy mushroom soup.
I love that it relies on simple ingredients that merge together beautifully to form a sophisticated soup that’s just as good for dinner parties as it is for busy weeknights.
This creamy mushroom soup is perfect as a precursor to a seared ribeye steak dinner, but is hearty enough to enjoy alongside a salad, like my spinach salad with mushrooms and warm bacon vinaigrette.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Mushrooms. These are the star of the show! I used cremini mushrooms, also known as baby bellas. They’re widely available at most grocery stores and are just perfect for creamy mushroom soup. However, if you have access to porcini mushrooms or other exotic mushrooms, feel free to mix and match in any way.
- All-purpose flour. To help thicken the soup, however, you can omit the flour for a gluten-free soup.
- Celery, onion, and garlic. These aromatics add layers of flavor to the soup.
- Herbs. Fresh thyme and bay leaf are used for additional flavor. Fresh thyme makes a beautiful garnish at the end in addition to being cooked in the soup.
- Chicken stock. When possible, use homemade chicken stock for greater flavor. Better Than Bullion chicken base or boxed stock can also be used. For a vegetarian creamy mushroom soup, use vegetable or mushroom stock.
- White wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, or omit if you cannot have alcohol.
- Heavy cream. This helps to thicken the soup and produces a velvety smooth texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Clean and slice 2 1/2 pounds of cremini mushrooms and dice 1 large white onion and 3 celery ribs. Mince 5 cloves of garlic and set aside. Heat a large heavy pot to a touch higher than medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt (Photo #1).
- Saute the mushrooms for about 20-25 minutes or until they release their water and start to brown. This takes a good amount of time due to the amount of mushrooms. If you want to speed up the process, break out a 14-inch pan or multiple smaller pans. (Photo #2).
- Add the celery and onion and continue to cook until they have softened about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes (Photo #3).
- Add 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and cook until the white specks disappear, about 1-2 minutes (Photo #4).
- Add 3/4 cup of dry white wine and bring to a boil while using a wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. After 1 minute of boiling whisk or stir well while adding 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, and 1 large bay leaf, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes (Photo #5).
- After 45 minutes of simmering, turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Or ladle it into a countertop blender for an ultra-smooth and creamy mushroom soup. For a more rustic version, only partially puree the soup (Photo #6).
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream and mix well (Photo #7).
- Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a touch of stock or water. Serve in bowls with croutons, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or creme fraiche, and a sprig of fresh thyme for garnish (Photo #8). Enjoy!
Top tips
- The mushrooms. While I wrote this recipe to be used with cremini mushrooms, you can certainly use a blend of mushrooms. Creamy mushroom soup would be great with the added flavor of porcini mushrooms specifically, but they’re often harder to find. If using dehydrated mushrooms, be sure to soak them in water and reconstitute them before using. Alternatively, dried mushrooms can be finely ground in a coffee grinder and added to the soup for more of a mushroom punch.
- Stock. With nearly every soup recipe, I recommend using homemade chicken stock or beef stock, if available. Not only does homemade stock make everything taste better, it gives you greater control over sodium since my stock recipes call for no salt whatsoever.
- Serving. For a beautiful presentation, save some mushrooms after sauteeing and add 1-2 mushrooms as a garnish to each bowl of soup. Fresh thyme and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil also make beautiful garnishes, as would a topping of roasted mushrooms.
More creamy soup recipes
If you love thick and creamy soup recipes, try some of these favorites!
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup – with fresh broccoli, carrots, onions, and cheddar and topped with burnt broccoli.
- Baked Potato Soup – with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives.
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – with cream, chunks of chicken, carrots, celery, thyme, and wild rice.
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Creamy Mushroom Soup
Creamy mushroom soup combines earthy mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh thyme in an irresistibly creamy broth that's perfect alongside salads, sandwiches, or as a precursor to a fancy steak dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2.5 pounds cremini mushrooms sliced, see notes below
- 1 large white onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock plus more for thinning, if needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot to a touch higher than medium heat with the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle them with salt, and saute until they release their water and start to brown (20-25 minutes). This will take a good amount of time because of the amount of mushrooms.
- Next, add in the celery and onion and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until the veggies are softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook until no white specks appear (1-2 minutes).
- Add the white wine and bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to dislodge all of the brown bits. After 1 minute of boiling add the chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes of simmering remove the bay leaf and puree the soup. Ladle the soup into a blender or use an immersion blender. For a more rustic soup, only partially puree the soup.
- Add the cream and mix well. Taste test and make final adjustments to salt and pepper levels. If the soup is too thick, simply thin with more stock or water.
- Serve with croutons, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or creme fraiche, and a garnish of thyme if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cremini (baby Bella) mushrooms are widely available and work very well for this soup, but feel free to use an assortment of exotic mushrooms if desired. Porcini mushrooms are especially delicious in this soup.
- Greens like escarole, spinach, or kale can be added to brighten up the soup.
- For a vegetarian dish use vegetable or mushroom stock.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.3g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 20.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 5.4g | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love all your cooking videos and recipes. Thank you Jim
Hi Jim, I enjoy all your recipes and have made so many it’s hard to count. I want to make your Creamy Mushroom Soup. Is this soup better eaten as soon as it is made or, as with most soups and stews, it’s better the next day. Thanks so much for your reply.
Hi Carolyn, this one will be better the next day too! Hope you enjoy and thanks for the comment!
Love your recipes. They are easy to read, explained well and delicious. Love the baked Artichoke recipe.