Cream of mushroom soup is a classic recipe that is often overlooked, yet so comforting and delicious. It’s also one of the quickest and easiest soups you could ever make.
If there is one recipe that puts me in mind of damp, misty Autumnal days, it surely must be mushroom soup. Deep, earthy, richly comforting yet inexpensive to make, this is a perfect bowl of comfort on a cold, miserable day.
As much as I love the creamy sweetness of a butternut squash and sweet potato soup or the strong, punchy flavour of broccoli and stilton soup, there are times when only a bowl of good old fashioned mushroom soup will do. And I always have a swirl of cream for that extra comfort factor!
Cream of mushroom soup recipe
I was brought up with creamed mushroom soup in a can, but in doesn’t even come to home made.
It’s quick and easy to make – no more than 20 minutes – and definitely tastes better than anything out of a can.
ingredients
- Butter and olive oil. If you would prefer not to use butter, please see my suggestions below on how to make it a little less calorific.
- Onion and garlic provide the flavour base of the soup.
- Carrot. I know it might seem like a strange ingredient in mushroom soup, but after having the most delicious creamy mushroom soup in a cafe with carrot in the ingredients, I do the same!
- I like to use chestnut mushrooms. because they are easy to find in most supermarkets and have an earthy, slightly nutty flavour.
- vegetable stock. If you aren’t vegetarian, you could use chicken stock instead.
- mushroom ketchup. This is optional, but adds a lovely savoury note and of course, boosts the mushroom flavour. But if you don’t have any, don’t go out of your way to hunt for it. The soup is still good without it.
make it lighter
If you’re watching your calories or just want to make it a little less rich, you could do the following:
- Swap the oil and butter for a low calorie cooking spray
- use whole milk OR semi skimmed milk instead of cream. To make the soup dairy free, you could use the cooking spray and a soya cream alternative, such as Alpro.
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Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cream of mushroom soup - a delicious, velvety soup that's perfect for lunch or dinner with crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into small dice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 600g chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and roughly chopped
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon mushroom ketchup (optional)
- 100ml double cream
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter and ollive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the diced onion, sprinkle with salt and gently fry for 5-6 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the crushed garlic, diced carrots, thyme leaves and nutmeg and fry for a further two minutes before adding the mushrooms.
- Turn the heat up to medium and fry the mushrooms, stirring often, until they are starting to colour - about 3-4 minutes. You might need to add a splash more oil at this stage.
- Add the vegetable stock and mushroom ketchup. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly before blitzing to your preferred constistency. I don't like mushroom soup super smooth, so I prefer to use a stick blender. Stir in the double cream and heat very gently. Season to taste with sea salt flakes and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with soup an extra swirl of cream if desired, a few sauteed sliced mushrooms and a scattering of freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
For a lighter soup, swap the olive oil and butter for low calorie cooking spray and swap the double cream for whole or semi skimmed milk.
The soup thickens on reheating, so you might need to add a little more stock.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 531mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 6g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.