Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Mushrooms
- 700 g cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
- 45 ml olive oil
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
Soup Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 750 ml vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 326 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1075 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 50 mg
- Potassium
- 928 mg
- Calcium
- 77 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 26 mg
- Phosphorus
- 252 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 202 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.96 mg
- Niacin
- 7.0 mg
- Folate
- 53 mcg
- Water
- 399 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. On a large baking sheet, toss the halved cremini mushrooms with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves until thoroughly coated.
Roast the mushrooms in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. They should be deeply browned and have released a significant amount of dark, savory juices. Do not drain or discard this liquid.
While the mushrooms are roasting, melt the unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and saute for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
Transfer the fully roasted mushrooms and every drop of their collected juices from the baking sheet into the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, leaving it slightly chunky if you prefer a rustic texture.
Stir in the heavy cream. Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately while hot.
Chef's Notes
- Scraping the roasting pan is the most vital step of this recipe. The dark juices released by the cremini mushrooms contain concentrated glutamates that give this dish its incredible depth without relying on meat-based stocks.
- Roasting mushrooms instead of sauteing them in a pot allows for rapid moisture evaporation. This prevents the mushrooms from steaming in their own liquid, resulting in a much deeper, meatier flavor profile.
- If you want to elevate the dish further, splash 30ml of dry white wine or sherry onto the hot baking sheet immediately after removing it from the oven, using it to scrape up the fond before transferring to the pot.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Freezer: 2 months — The heavy cream may cause slight separation upon thawing; blend gently while reheating.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Do not let it boil to prevent the cream from splitting.
Troubleshooting
Soup is too thin and watery
Cause: Excess water content in the mushrooms or adding too much broth
Fix: Simmer the soup uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, or whisk in a slurry made of 10g cornstarch and cold water and simmer until thickened
Prevention: Roast mushrooms fully to evaporate excess moisture before adding them to the pot
The cream split or curdled
Cause: The soup was boiled vigorously after the heavy cream was added
Fix: Use the immersion blender to vigorously re-emulsify the soup. It may not fully restore the texture but will improve the appearance
Prevention: Always remove the pot from the heat before adding dairy, and never boil once cream is incorporated
Cultural Context
Mushroom soups possess a rich European heritage, traditionally prepared after foraging wild fungi in dense autumn forests. The modern technique of roasting rather than sweating the mushrooms is a culinary evolution that maximizes the Maillard reaction, drawing out an intense earthy flavor that satisfies deeply.
