Rich and delicious mushroom soup is wonderfully satisfying to enjoy any time of the year. It’s a hearty soup recipe prepared in just one pot, and is perfect to make even on a busy weeknight in only 30 minutes. Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions and photos with a video to make my savory, creamy, absolutely delightful cream of mushroom soup from scratch.
About Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
As a family, we love soups. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or hot outside, there are so many terrific and tasty soup recipes that are perfect for any weather! A few of our year-round favorites include Tomato Soup and Sweet Corn Soup.
Today I’m sharing with you another classic homemade soup recipe we adore, cream of mushroom soup.
This naturally vegetarian dish is hearty, rich, and full of deep umami flavor. It’s great topped with fresh herbs and served as a side or main dish!
My creamy mushroom soup is a one-pot recipe, too. Button mushrooms are sautéed with onion and garlic, then combined with flour and butter to make a thick roux.
Vegetable stock (or water!) is poured into the same pot, and milk and cream are added for the perfect creaminess.
The soup is ready in only 30 minutes, including prep time. Try this healthy, delicious, quick and easy dinner recipe as part of your weekly meal plan!
How to Make Mushroom Soup
Prep Ingredients
1. First, measure and set all the ingredients ready for the soup (mise en place).
2. Rinse or wipe dry 200 to 250 grams (about 1 cup) of white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.
Slice of the lower part of the base stalk of each mushroom. Then chop them in halves or quarters, or slice them thin.
Make Mushroom Soup Base
3. Next, heat a heavy saucepan or pan over low to medium-low heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted) in the pan.
4. When the butter has almost melted add bay leaf or tej patta (Indian bay leaf). Keep the heat low and be careful to not burn the butter.
5. Sauté until the bay leaf becomes fragrant, only for about 2 to 3 seconds.
6. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions (about 1 small to medium-sized onion) and ½ teaspoon minced or finely chopped garlic (2 to 3 small to medium garlic cloves).
7. Mix and stir.
8. Sauté until the onions soften and become translucent.
Cook Mushrooms
9. Add the sliced or chopped mushrooms to the pot.
10. Mix again. You will see the mushrooms releasing water after a few minutes.
11. Continue to sauté as the mushrooms brown.
12. Continue to sauté until all the water dries up in the pan. Then add 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
13. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat as you continuously stir. You shouldn’t be able to smell the raw flour after a minute or two.
14. Then add freshly crushed black pepper or ground pepper to taste. Mix well.
Make Cream of Mushroom Soup
15. Now add 1 cup of water or vegetable stock, or mushroom stock.
16. Stir and mix well.
17. Add 1 cup whole (full fat) milk.
Tip: The milk should be at room temperature when you add it.
18. Mix very well.
19. Season with salt to taste and mix again. If using vegetable or mushroom stock instead of water, you likely will only need a small amount of extra salt, if any at all.
20. Simmer the cream of mushroom soup over medium-low heat. Stir often; it will start to bubble up like in the picture below.
21. The soup will also begin to thicken. Continue to simmer the mushroom soup for more 4 to 5 more minutes.
As it cooks the soup will thicken more and more. Stir regularly so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
22. Then add 6 tablespoons light cream or cooking cream or low fat cream (about 25% to 30% fat) or 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream.
You can also add 7 to 8 tablespoons of half and half.
23. Stir and mix well.
24. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro) or any fresh herbs of your choice.
25. Simmer the cream of mushroom soup for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.
26. Lastly, sprinkle 1 to 2 pinches of ground nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg and stir. Nutmeg gives a nice pleasant aroma but can be skipped if you do not have it.
27. Switch off the heat and pour the mushroom soup in individual serving bowls.
Serve the cream of mushroom soup steaming hot garnished with more freshly chopped parsley or coriander leaves.
What to serve with Mushroom Soup
Creamy mushroom soup is delicious to enjoy with a hearty sandwich or piece of crusty bread, like crostini or bruschetta.
It’s a wonderful starter to serve before a pasta or risotto or pilaf course. And it pairs great as a side dish with nearly any entree!
Have a bowl of this comforting soup as a main dish of its own, and serve with a fresh side salad or veggies.
FAQs
As-is this recipe is not gluten free. I use whole wheat flour to make a thick roux for the creamiest mushroom soup.
If you’d like make a gluten free version, simply substitute the whole wheat flour with your preferred GF-friendly mix. Potato starch, tapioca starch, and cornstarch are all great alternatives.
You can substitute the dairy butter used to make the roux with your favorite plant-based butter alternative.
Use nondairy plant based milk – like cashew or soy milk – instead of dairy milk and cream. You can include cashew cream as well, for a rich and thick vegan mushroom soup.
Homemade mushroom cream soup will stay good for up to 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.
The soup will thicken more after cooling. So to thin the consistency add some water or vegetable stock while reheating. Reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan.
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Mushroom Soup Recipe (Cream of Mushroom Soup)
Ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small to medium-sized onion
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 2 to 3 small to medium-sized garlic
- 1 tejpatta (Indian bay leaf) or bay leaf
- 1 to 2 pinches ground nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock
- 1 cup whole milk – at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons light cream or 3 tablespoons whipping cream or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro) or any fresh soft herbs like basil
- freshly crushed black pepper as required
- salt as required
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley – can also use the same herb you add in the soup for garnishing like coriander leaves or basil
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse or wipe white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. Slice of the lower part of the base stalk of each mushroom. Then chop them in halves or quarters, or slice them thin.
- Peel, rinse and chop onion and garlic finely. Get all the other ingredients ready and set them aside.
Sautéing onions and garlic
- Melt butter in a heavy saucepan.
- Add the bay leaf and saute till fragrant for about 2 to 3 seconds.
- Add the finely chopped onions and garlic.
- Sauté stirring often on medium-low heat till the onions soften and become translucent.
Cooking mushrooms
- Add the sliced or chopped mushrooms and saute till the mushrooms start to release water.
- Saute till all the water dries up and the mushrooms become a light golden.
- Add the flour and saute for 3 to 4 minutes stirring often on a low to medium-low heat. The raw aroma of flour should not be felt.
- Then add freshly crushed black pepper and mix well.
Making mushroom soup
- Add water first followed by milk.
- Stir well and season with salt.
- On a low to medium-low heat let the soup come to a gentle simmer first.
- The mushroom soup would also begin to thicken. Stir at intervals.
- Further simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes till the soup thickens more.
- Then add the cream and chopped parsley.
- Simmer mushroom soup or 1 to 2 minutes more stirring often.
- Lastly, sprinkle ground nutmeg powder and stir.
- Switch off the heat and pour the soup in serving bowls.
- Serve the cream of mushroom soup steaming hot garnished with parsley or coriander.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
- Serve the mushroom soup with a side of any sandwich or crusty bread or toast. Crostini or bruschetta also pair well. You can also serve as a starter with a pasta or pilaf main course. Enjoy the soup with a side salad of fresh veggies.
- Keep any leftover soup for 1 to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The consistency will thicken more after refrigeration. Add a splash of water while reheating to loosen the consistency.
Video
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Mushroom Soup recipe from the archives was first published on January 2014. It has been updated and republished on November 2021.
Delicious!!! I used turkey stock and cilantro and a touch of rice vinegar to add a bit of bite in the finish.
I made this soup for evening and my husband said it tasted so good that it’s worth a five star restaurant dish.
Thank you for the recipe Dassana. You are helping to make a change in this world with your recipes.
Thanks a lot Gayatri. So glad to read your feedback on the recipe. Thanks for the rating too.
Most welcome and happy cooking.
Enjoyed the soup by my family.
Perfect creamy mushroom soup!
Lovely and thanks for sharing your feedback.
Turned out awesome…taste was great! Used dry parsley instead of fresh ones but still tuned out good! Used water…
Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful and thanks for sharing.