Creamy Mushroom Soup

I dipped my spoon into a bowl of creamy, smooth mushroom soup and savored the rich umami flavor as it glided over my tongue. I tore off a small piece of crunchy multigrain bread, a house specialty, and gazed around the room. It was lunchtime and the restaurant was hopping. Friends catching up with each other, businessmen meeting, mothers and daughters laughing over the latest antics of precious children (who thankfully were at home), forks tapping on plates and the hiss of the espresso machine, created a steady, warm hum. And then I awoke with a start.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Alas, restaurant dining is still a dream in Toronto. According to Matthew Lau of the National Post, residents of Ontario have endured the longest continuous COVID-19 lockdown of any jurisdiction anywhere. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Toronto has banned indoor dining, lifting restrictions only for a brief respite in the fall of 2020. But hope is on the horizon. On July 16 activities such as indoor dining will resume in Ontario!

But don’t let that stop you from making this recipe for velvety mushroom soup, published by the talented cooks at America’s Test Kitchen. Sautéed in fresh butter with shallots, readily available  button mushrooms release a woody, nutty flavor worthy of their more exotic cousins. Kissed with a soupçon of cream, this soup is reminiscent of fine dining at its best.

Assemble your ingredients. It’s worthwhile using butter in this recipe. There’s no replacement for the rich, creamy flavor of  butter. Slice the mushrooms and shallots. I used the food processor for this task. This is a blended soup and no one will know that you didn’t painstakingly slice the mushrooms by hand.

Melt the butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring frequently, until they’re softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Increase the heat to medium and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to release their liquid, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid, about 20 minutes. Add water mixed with 1 tablespoon of consommé powder, hot water, and dried mushrooms; cover the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mushrooms are fully tender, about 20 minutes longer. 

Ladle the soup into the blender jar filling it only half way. This is important unless you want to clean soup off your ceiling, counter and cupboards. Trust me on this one. Puree the soup in batches in the blender until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender but for a smooth, silky finish, I prefer the countertop blender. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Print Recipe

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Soups and Salads

By America's Test Kitchen – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 40 minutes

Use readily available button mushrooms to create a soup with distinctive, deep mushroom flavor and rich texture.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large shallots, sliced (about 3/4 cup) (I needed 6 shallots because they were smaller)
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) or grated with a microplane
• 2 pounds white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 ½ cups water mixed with 1 tablespoon consommé powder
• 4 cups hot water (I used boiled water from the kettle)
• ½ ounce dried mushrooms, rinsed well
• 1/2 cup half and half or milk, full fat if possible

Instructions

1

Melt the butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat; when foaming subsides, add the shallots and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

2

Increase the heat to medium and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to release their liquid, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened and released all their liquid, about 20 minutes.

3

Add water mixed with 1 tablespoon consommé powder, hot water, and dried mushrooms; cover and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mushrooms are fully tender, about 20 minutes longer. 

4

Ladle the soup into the blender jar filling it only half way. Puree the soup in batches until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender but for a really smooth, silky finish, I prefer the countertop blender. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream or milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.