Many Mushrooms Soup

The name says it all. Use a mix of whatever mushrooms you can find. Cremini, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, a handful of each. The variety of textures and flavors is what makes this soup more interesting than a single-mushroom version.

Garlic and onion get a slow, 10-minute sauté in butter and oil before anything else goes in. That patience builds a sweet, mellow base without any sharp raw onion bite. The mushrooms then cook covered for 5 minutes, which traps steam and draws out their liquid.

Port wine and tomato paste are the secret weapons. The port adds a slightly sweet, fortified wine depth that makes the broth taste richer than its simple ingredient list suggests. Tomato paste contributes body and a subtle umami background without making this taste like a tomato soup.

A generous half cup of fresh parsley stirred in at the end brightens everything up and keeps the soup from tasting heavy.

Pro Tips

• Slice the mushrooms thick. Thin slices disintegrate after simmering and you lose the satisfying chunky texture.
• Use white port if you can find it. Red port works too but will darken the broth considerably.
• Don’t skip the covered cooking step for the mushrooms. That trapped steam releases their juices, which become part of the soup’s flavor base.
• This soup improves the next day as the mushroom flavor deepens. Make it ahead and reheat gently.

Variations

• Creamy version: Stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end for a richer, more velvety soup.
• Dried mushroom boost: Rehydrate an ounce of dried porcini mushrooms and add both the mushrooms and their soaking liquid to intensify the earthy flavor.