Description
A rich and creamy mushroom soup made with a blend of white and Swiss Brown mushrooms, sautéed with onions and garlic, simmered in vegetable stock, and finished with cream for a velvety texture. Perfectly garnished with croutons and fresh herbs, this comforting soup is ideal for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 400g / 14 oz white mushrooms
- 200g / 7 oz Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms
- 3 1/4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Finishing Touches
- 3/4 cup crème fraiche or full-fat cream
- Croutons
- Cream or extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Parsley (roughly chopped), chervil, or thyme leaves
- Bread, for dunking
Instructions
- Chopping mushrooms: Cut the mushrooms into four slices each, then dice them into 3 or 4 smaller pieces to ensure even cooking and blending.
- Saute onion and garlic: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until softened but not browned to unlock their natural sweetness.
- Cook mushrooms: Add the prepared mushrooms to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Avoid browning as the mushrooms will release moisture; the goal is to soften them without color.
- Simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock, add the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes uncovered to concentrate the flavors.
- Add cream: Stir in the crème fraiche or cream, then simmer for another 5 minutes to incorporate and heat through without boiling.
- Blitz: Carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches if necessary. Remove the blender lid cap, cover the hole with a folded tea towel to vent, and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Return and warm: Pour the blended soup back into the pot and simmer briefly for a minute or two until any bubbles from blending subside and the soup is hot.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or cream, scatter croutons over the top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley, chervil, or thyme. Serve with bread for dunking to enjoy fully.
Notes
- Use a mix of mushroom types for depth of flavor—white button and Swiss Brown/Cremini are perfect.
- Do not brown the mushrooms as the pot is crowded; gentle cooking preserves moisture for a silkier soup.
- Crème fraiche adds a slight tang but heavy cream can be substituted for richness.
- Blending with the lid vented prevents pressure build-up and splattering.
- Fresh herbs like chervil add a gourmet touch but parsley or thyme work well too.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up the luscious soup.
