Rich & Creamy Mushroom Soup
Submitted by yyzdragons
Rich and creamy mushroom soup with three kinds of mushrooms (dried, portobello, button), heavy cream, and beef base. Dried mushroom soaking liquid delivers serious umami depth.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThree mushrooms are better than one. This soup combines dried mushrooms (for deep umami concentration), portobello (for meaty depth), and button mushrooms (for that classic creamy mushroom soup body). The combination tastes more like restaurant cooking than the canned condensed version you grew up on.
The dried mushroom soaking liquid is the secret weapon. As the dried mushrooms rehydrate in hot water, they release their concentrated flavor into the soaking water. Pour that liquid carefully into the soup pot, leaving the last half-inch behind (where the sand and grit settle). Skip this step and you have ordinary cream of mushroom.
Sweat the garlic and onion in butter until soft and almost translucent before any mushrooms join the pan. That sweetness becomes the foundation flavor.
The flour gets cooked into the buttery mushroom mixture before any liquid joins, which makes a quick roux that thickens the soup without lumping. Stir constantly when adding the mushroom water, breaking up any flour pockets.
A generous tablespoon or two of beef base gives the soup the savory backbone that makes mushroom soup taste right. Don’t substitute chicken broth or bouillon. The beef flavor reads as undertone, not as overpowering meatiness.
Finish with heavy cream and warm through, never boil after the cream goes in or it can break.
Pro Tips
- Use dried porcini mushrooms if available. They have the most intense, woodsy flavor of any dried mushroom.
- Don’t wash fresh mushrooms. Wipe with a damp paper towel. Wet mushrooms steam instead of sauteing.
- Strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a coffee filter for the cleanest, grit-free broth.
- Garnish with crispy fried shallots or a drizzle of truffle oil for a restaurant-style touch.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes.
In the mean time sauté garlic and onions in butter until soft.
When soft finely chop dried mushroom.
I use a food processor for onions, garlic and mushrooms so it goes pretty fast.
Save mushroom water.
Add mushrooms to onion, garlic mix.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Add flour and stir until incoporated.
Add ¼ cup of the mushroom water to the cooked vegaetable.
Stir until incorporated.
Carefully pour mushroom water into soup leaving so lids and about ½ of liqiud in bowl.
There are often sand particles in this soaking water.
Dispose of this left over water.
Add pepper and beef base.
Cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add Cream and heat until warm.
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