Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 45 g unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic, minced
- 500 g cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and lightly chopped
Roux & Liquid
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 700 ml vegetable broth, warm
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 271 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1035 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 58 mg
- Potassium
- 718 mg
- Calcium
- 74 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 202 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 228 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.72 mg
- Niacin
- 5.2 mg
- Folate
- 43 mcg
- Water
- 343 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, stirring with a wooden spoon until softened and fragrant.
Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and fresh thyme leaves to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown deeply.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the mushroom mixture. Stir continuously to coat the vegetables and cook the raw flour taste out.
Gradually pour in the vegetable broth while scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook to allow the flavors to meld and the soup to thicken slightly.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand blender in batches, until completely smooth and velvety.
Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Gently heat the soup to 80°C/175°F to warm through, ensuring it does not boil to prevent the cream from splitting.
Chef's Notes
- Browning the mushrooms is the most critical step for flavor. Take your time to let the water evaporate so the mushrooms truly fry in the butter.
- For an extra layer of umami, add a teaspoon of soy sauce or miso paste during the simmering stage.
- Using an immersion blender is highly convenient, but transferring to a high-speed stand blender yields a much silkier, professional restaurant-quality texture.
- Reserve a few nicely browned mushroom slices before the blending step to use as an elegant, rustic garnish when plating.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently so the cream does not separate.
Freezer: 1 month — Cream soups may separate slightly upon freezing; blend briefly after reheating to restore a silky texture.
Reheating: Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not bring to a rapid boil.
Troubleshooting
Soup is too thin after simmering
Cause: Insufficient reduction or not enough flour in the roux step
Fix: Mix 15g cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water to create a slurry. Whisk into the simmering soup before adding the cream, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Prevention: Measure flour accurately and ensure the soup simmers uncovered to allow evaporation
Soup is grainy or has a gritty texture after blending
Cause: Blender not powerful enough or soup not blended long enough
Fix: Pass the blended soup through a fine mesh strainer or chinois before adding the heavy cream.
Prevention: Blend for at least 2 full minutes on high speed
Soup looks curdled or broken at the end
Cause: The soup was boiled after the heavy cream was added
Fix: Remove from heat immediately and blend vigorously with an immersion blender to re-emulsify. If heavily separated, it may not be perfectly fixable.
Prevention: Keep heat on low after adding cream and monitor temperature closely
Cultural Context
Cream of mushroom soup has been a staple of American comfort food since it was popularized in a condensed form in the early 20th century. While the canned version became a ubiquitous casserole base in mid-century cooking, making it from scratch elevates it to a sophisticated, earthy dish that truly honors the deeply savory qualities of fresh fungi.
