Creamy Mushroom Soup

mushroom soup served in small white bowl on wooden chopping board with gruyere crostini

Print Recipe

Here I'll show you how to whip up the dreamiest mushroom soup in the world!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Starter

Cuisine: Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Deep Pot with Lid
Wooden Spoon
Jug (for stock)
Hand Blender

Ingredients

Soup

2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
500g / 1lb Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced
250g / 1/2lb Baby Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 large Leek, firm/dark part removed then finely diced (save the firm/dark part!)
2 ribs of Celery, finely diced
2 large cloves of Garlic, finely diced
840ml / 3 1/2 cups Chicken Stock, or as needed
2 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Beef Oxo/Bouillon Cube, crumbled (see notes)
120ml / 1/2 cup Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp (plus more to garnish if desired)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Parsley to garnish (optional)

Crostini

8 smallish slices of Ciabatta or Sourdough
120g / 4oz Gruyere, grated
1 clove of Garlic, peeled
Olive Oil or Spray, as needed

Instructions

Add 1 tbsp butter and oil to a large deep pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and stir to coat. Fry them, stirring occasionally, until they form a golden crust. They'll release a lot of moisture at the start; only after the moisture evaporates can you begin to caramelise the mushrooms properly. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper towards the end, then remove and place in a bowl to one side. Repeat with the second batch, using another 1 tbsp oil and butter to begin the process.
Once you've removed the second batch of mushrooms, lower the heat to medium and melt in the final tbsp of butter. Add the diced leek, celery and garlic and fry until it all begins to soften and take on colour. Add in the stock, oxo cube and thyme, then stir in the mushrooms (save some to garnish if desired) and the firm end of the leek (check for dirt and rinse if needed). Bring to a simmer, then pop on the lid, lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn off the heat, then remove and discard the leek. Use a hand blender to blitz until smooth, then stir in the cream. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. You can also thin out the soup with more stock if desired (or simmer to thicken).
To make the crostini, spray or brush both sides of the bread with oil and space out on a tray. Pop in the oven at 180C/350F for 5-6mins, or until it begins to crisp. Remove, flip them over and rub the top with garlic. Add the gruyere, then pop back in the oven until the cheese melts and the bread is crisp.

Video

Notes

a) Mushrooms - I love using chestnut mushrooms for the deeper colour and slightly deeper/meatier flavour. Then just some baby button mushrooms to balance the flavour/colour. You can use different mushrooms if you prefer - regular white closed-cup mushrooms work great, as do portobellos. The main thing is that you properly fry the mushrooms to caramelise and develop flavour. Fry in batches will help prevent them all from just steaming and stewing. The more direct contact with the pan the better!

b) Oxo Cube - Adding a beef oxo cube offers some depth of flavour to the soup and pairs delightfully with the mushrooms. Don't sub chicken or veg, gotta be beef!

c) Storage - Keeps 3-4 days tightly stored in the fridge or long-term in the freezer. Reheat until piping hot, stirring as you go to ensure it doesn't split.

d) Calories - Just the soup divided by 4.

Nutrition